I’m writing this review from the perspective of a parent, because this is exactly the kind of information I would want to know before booking a hotel with young children.
We stayed here with our children, including a baby and a five-year-old, and I was extremely disappointed. At over $900 per night, I expected a much higher level of cleanliness, service, convenience, and attention to detail — especially for families.
To be fair, the room itself was a nice size and generally comfortable. But the property overall felt tired and in need of basic upkeep. It may have been a beautiful hotel in prior years, but it now needs repainting, refreshing, and much better cleaning. One example that really stood out: my five-year-old held onto a banister while walking up a ramp, and his hand was literally covered in black grime afterward. As a parent, that was very off-putting. It also meant I had to have a wipe handy every time he used a banister to walk up/down stairs or a ramp.
The biggest issue for us was that the hotel did not feel thoughtfully set up for families with young children. I called ahead to ask about a crib and highchair, so the hotel clearly knew we were traveling with little kids. I did not think to specifically ask about a bathtub because the hotel photos I had seen showed tubs. When we arrived, we were told that only rooms on higher floors have bathtubs; we were placed on the second floor. For a family traveling with a baby, that matters. The removable shower head in our room also could not reach more than about two feet, which made bathing two kids virtually impossible and made every evening unnecessarily stressful.
Another major problem was the elevator situation. One of the two elevators was out of service, and an employee told me it had been out of service for as long as he could remember. With a stroller, taking the stairs was not really an option. Often, when the one working elevator finally arrived, it was full and could not fit us. At one point, I waited more than 15 minutes just to go one floor. That may sound minor, but when you are traveling with small children, a stroller, and all the things that come with them, it becomes a real inconvenience.
There were several other details that made the stay feel far from family-friendly or luxury-level. The hotel requires towel cards, which felt out of place at a resort charging luxury prices. They also charge you $20 if you lose a towel card (!). A stuffed animal was placed in the room, and when we asked the bellhop whether it was complimentary, he said yes. It was not. We were also locked out of our room after receiving late checkout (late checkout was a benefit through my travel booking, not the hotel, to be clear).
As one positive, the pool has a zero entry (perfect for playing with a baby) and there is a lazy river. The lazy river wasn't the cleanest, but it was sufficient and it worked well for two kids at the pool. Both pool and lazy river were on the small side though.
The food was also very expensive and underwhelming. There is an automatic 22% gratuity added, and even a single child’s scoop of ice cream was $9. I had a $50 breakfast credit for two people, which was not enough to cover an entrée and coffee for two once the automatic gratuity was added, so we ended up spending much more each morning. For families trying to factor in the real cost of a stay, that is worth knowing. Parking was also $60 per night, with no practical nearby alternatives.
There was also frustrating confusion with our bill. I was sent a bill, reviewed it, asked for a credit to be applied, and was then sent a second, lower bill. At checkout, however, I was given the original higher bill and told the second bill was incorrect. If it was incorrect, I do not understand why it was sent to me in the first place. The lack of clarity and competence added unnecessary frustration at the end of an already disappointing stay.
Overall, I would not recommend this hotel to families with young children, especially at this price point. The room was spacious, but the cleanliness, maintenance, elevator issues, lack of bathtub, confusing billing, and very high incidental costs made the stay far more stressful than it should have been. For a hotel charging luxury-resort rates, I expected a much more polished and family-conscious experience.
