I had really high hopes for this one. We had the most amazing time at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills a few months ago, so we were looking forward to this resort. This trip was a huge disappointment.
When we arrived, the bellman sort of met us at our car. He didn’t help us out. He asked us if we wanted help with our bags, but if he had to ask, my answer was no. This is a knitpick, I know. But it was much different from my experience from my stay at Beverly Hills where they treated you like royalty.
Check in was uneventful. We arrived around 10pm. Was told how to get to my room. We had to walk outside to the next building. It was dark, but you could see that the grounds and the pool were pretty. The beach is steps away. It was nice to hear the gentle waves coming in. We took the elevator to the second floor. Initially, the first set of room was outside in an open air area. But we had to enter a door down a very dimly lit hallway. The carpet was dingy and the hallway was creepy. We found our room (214). There was a cleanliness sticker on the door like ones I’ve seen at Hampton Inns. We broke the seal and went in. Ugh. This room was horrible. The decor was old and dated. The room smelled wet and musty. The tile floor was damp and slippery. Some of the tiles were cracked and you could feel them giggle beneath your feet. The nightstand had some of the veneer broken off exposing the cheap particle board underneath.
The bathroom was gross. There was hair underneath the toilet seat. The shower was tiny. No tub. Half glass and half old shower curtain. The shower curtain rod was rusted. The floor mat was hanging on another rod inside the shower. When I lifted the mat off the rod, the entire rod came off the wall. The bathroom just didn’t feel clean.
The beds had clean linens on them. But they squeaked and were old and gross. On my sons best (2 double bed room), he asked about the lumps in the comforter. It seemed like the filling clumped up in spots. It wasn’t comfortable.
After taxes, valet, and resort fees, I paid over $700 for the room for the night. I have stayed in Choice Hotel rooms that were nicer than this. If I paid $99 for this room, then the condition might be acceptable. But this room was gross. By this time, it was too late for us to get another hotel. I called Hilton Honors to let them know of my experience.
The next morning, we were woken up bright and early to the constant sound of roosters. It reminded me of Kauai. I didn’t mind. But we found out how this the walls were. On one side of me, I could hear a man conducting business. The other side of were a group of guys talking. They went out to the balcony most of the morning to smoke pot. The smell permeated into my room. Each balcony is separated by a canvas like partition. The room above us was having fun, as we could hear a couple going at it and their bed squeaking for 20-30 minutes. At least someone was having fun. But a bit awkward when we can hear everything while being in a room with my 16 year old son.
The positives. The grounds are gorgeous. The beach and water look amazing. They had a nice pier, jet skis, little sail boats, and other equipment which you can rent. There were cabanas on the beach. I saw someone getting a massage spa treatment. But we were so grossed out by the room we didn’t stay to enjoy any of that.
I don’t know if this is all rooms, but for the money we paid, I felt like we were ripped off. I’ve stayed at budget hotels that had nicer, cleaner, and more modern rooms than this. I was greatly disappointed. If I read the reviews before making the reservation, I would have booked elsewhere. But I thought the Waldorf name spoke for itself. I was wrong about that. Not all Waldorf Properties are created equal. The building is old, I get it. It lends to a certain charm. But a good renovation of the rooms is needed to bring the inside of the hotel up to the standard as the outside.
The hotel said they would add points to my Hilton Honors account. But it’s certainly not enough to cover a night for that same room if I ever decided to stay there again. Hilton said they would reach out to me, they did not. Just put notes about giving me points (which I’m still waiting for).
I wanted to be a champion for this hotel. It just didn’t meet the standards of a Waldorf property for me. I wasn’t treated any differently than I was if I stayed at a Hampton Inn. At least at the Hampton, they offer you water and snack upon check in.