Positive Experiences
Dining at The Deck at 560: Both breakfast and dinner were excellent! The food quality, presentation, and pacing were on par with what I have come to expect at a well-rated resort. We truly enjoyed each meal and recommended this to our close friends who live in Naples.
Bar Staff: The bartenders throughout our stay were warm, professional, and attentive. They elevated the resort experience with their engaging service and attention to guests.
Poolside Entertainment: The nighttime musical performers by the pool created a lively, relaxing ambiance that our entire family appreciated. This was one of the highlights of our evenings!
Public Areas & Grounds: The main resort grounds and public areas were well-maintained, clean, and inviting. It is clear that the resort is capable of delivering high standards—unfortunately, those standards were not carried through to our room or the broader guest experience.
Service & Room Issues
Pre-Arrival & Check-In
No Response to Pre-Stay Emails: I sent two messages through the resort’s website prior to arrival and never received a reply.
No Bell Services Upon Arrival: There was no assistance with luggage upon check-in. This lack of a basic welcome service was surprising and inconsistent with luxury expectations.
No Recognition of Hilton Gold Status: My Gold membership was never truly acknowledged at any point during our stay.
No Explanation of Premier Preferred Benefits: We specifically booked a room on the Premier Preferred floor, but no explanation or orientation was given regarding the benefits of this program.
No Transparency Around Resort Fees: The $30/day resort fee was not explained, and it remained unclear what exactly it covered and how it was to be used.
Room-Specific Concerns
Inoperable Balcony Doors: From day one, we reported that the balcony doors would not lock—raising safety concerns since our two young children were sleeping in the main room. We followed up again on Sunday. Only by Monday did someone inspect the doors, confirm they were broken, and inform us that nothing could be done. I did speak to the Chief Engineer personally about this but I played “phone tag” and finally met him at the front lobby. While Nathan was professional and very friendly and I believe he was genuinely concerned about this issue it was added time taken away from the pool/beach for something that should have been taken care of without my intervention.
Poor Room Condition:
The walls were marked and in need of repainting (we noticed a maintenance worker entering behind us as we were leaving our room).
One lamp in the parlor room had a non operation light bulb and the wall-mounted light in the master suite above the painting did not work.
The bathroom door required both hands to close properly seemingly due to poor alignment or a track issues.
The left sink’s hot water was difficult to operate to the point it wasn’t even worth fussing with.
Furniture was marred and in a state of disrepair
Please see pics of furniture/toilets
Lack of Attention to Detail: Overall, the room felt neglected. There was a clear absence of the attention to detail that defines a premier experience, especially on a floor that promises “hand-selected island luxury” and “a first-class experience.”
Amenity Confusion
Premier Preferred Benefits Not Explained: We were told nothing about preferred seating at the pool or The Deck at 560, despite it being advertised as part of the Premier Preferred Collection. When I asked pool staff and the restaurant hostess, both were unfamiliar with what those benefits even were.
Departure Experience
No Assistance with Luggage: As we struggled to load our Uber with bags at checkout, three bellmen stood inside the lobby and watched without offering to help. This moment, more than any other, reflected the absence of thoughtful hospitality we expected from Hilton.
Late Check-Out Confusion: I requested a 1:00 PM late checkout and was told 12:00 PM was the best they could offer. On departure day, we were granted 12:45 PM, but:
Our room keys were deactivated at 12:00 PM requiring yet another trip to the front desk.
At 12:25 PM, housekeeping arrived to ask why we were still in the room—they said we were to be out by 12:30 PM which was still five minutes early; clearly they were unaware of the approved extension.
Final Reflections
We were never offered a room change despite the faulty doors. I have never and nor could I ever imagine this being an issue that is simply “ignored” at any hotel
No meaningful apology or recovery effort was made.
No proactive gestures were offered to recover the guest experience.
A room credit was provided and while appreciative, it felt more like a transactional gesture than a genuine act of guest recovery.
The promotional language on your website promises:
“Take your Marco Island vacation to the next level with our Premier PREFERRED COLLECTION… offering a first-class experience you’ll remember for years to come.”
Unfortunately, there was a wide gap between that promise and our actual experience.
