Hilton HHonors - Any experience with the Waldorf's in Key West Florida?

Looks like there are two Waldorf hotels in Key west next to each other. Another site has some less than stellar reviews of both properties and I wanted to solicit the experts on this site for their opinions. Will be staying there in November and wanted to know if one was a better choice over the other. Thanks!

Looks like there are two Waldorf hotels in Key west next to each other. Another site has some less than stellar reviews of both properties and I wanted to solicit the experts on this site for their opinions. Will be staying there in November and wanted to know if one was a better choice over the other. Thanks!
See these threads with recent posts:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/1075409-key-west-waldorfs.html?highlight=waldorf+key+west
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/1350415-best-beachfront-hhonors-property-southeast-post18656333.html?highlight=key+west#post18656333
And a couple of older threads:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/919283-reach-resort-waldorf-astoria-collection-trip-reports-reviews.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/332033-hilton-hhonors-properties-key-west.html?highlight=waldorf+key+west
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/872062-casa-marina-becoming-waldorf-astoria.html?highlight=waldorf+key+west

LOVE the Casa Marina. Both are on the quiet side of the island, but only about a 20 minute walk to Sloppy Joe's.

Had a bad experience at Reach earlier this month. My review is over on TripAdvisor (under my very similar username.)

Had been just going to leave the review at TripAdvisor but it has now turned into an experience in which I had more than one contact from management, which didn't follow up at all despite promises to do so. I figure you all deserve to know what you may be getting into. Here's my review, verbatim. I have CC'd a complaint to diamond@hilton.com, but I doubt it's going to go anywhere.

My spouse and I are Diamond Hilton HHonors members and have stayed in Hilton properties all over the U.S., plus Europe and Egypt. Regrettably this is one of the only Hilton properties where I can say we had a disappointing experience and didn't feel the stay was worth the price paid. I was told management would be contacting me vis a vis some issues we had here, but that didn't happen. Also I filled out a survey Hilton sent me and got only a short email from the housekeeping staff in return, so I feel as though I can now go public with some of these issues, since I gave Hilton management a heads-up ahead of time.

Despite all our Hilton experience, my husband and I had never stayed in a Waldorf Astoria and were looking forward to it. HHonors points redemptions are now insanely expensive for all but the most basic rooms - no balcony, not a suite, least attractive location within the hotel - in many desirable properties, and this one was no exception. We were able to scrape together the nearly 150,000 HHonors points required for three nights of this stay, but our reservation also included $700 for two nights (since point redemption rates for those dates were over 120,000 points per night.

Bear in mind the Hilton Surpass credit card earns only 3 points per dollar - you get the idea of how much spending you have to do get those points. You do a lot better earning points for stays, but spending $500 at Hilton as a Diamond member still only earns you around 15,000 points. So these rooms now cost a *lot* no matter how you slice it.) We assumed the hefty price tag would assure a really exceptional stay. Especially since, prior to our arrival a member of the staff contacted us to ensure our reservations were in order and to answer any questions we may have had. We were impressed with this touch and thought it must be a sign of good things to come.

However, we had the misfortune to check in the third week of June, 2012 just as TS Debby brought pounding surf, sustained 35+ mph roaring winds and torrents of drowning, soaking rain just in time to ruin our vacation (which had included plans to snorkel and scuba). Since the weather was so bad and we weren't able to use the pool or go to the beach, we spent more time than usual in our room and had occasion to notice the following...

1.) LOUD power washer being run on the driveway directly outside our door for at least five solid hours per day - 23rd and 24th (a weekend) and starting in the morning

2.) Being inconvenienced by housekeeping, which repeatedly ignored our Do Not Disturb sign to beat loudly and insistently on the door. This occurred at 9 AM on a Sunday morning and at other times throughout our stay. We requested the front desk staff address the problem only to experience it again. At one point the room cleaner didn't even knock, just used a key to try to barge right into our room. We were also waked up early in the morning more than once by housekeeping repeatedly slamming the door of the room next to ours and very loud, irritating "moving things around" noises. We requested late checkout on our last day (which is an advertised benefit for Diamond members) only to be downright badgered by housekeeping that morning - they clearly wanted us out of their way.

Coincidentally we were seated next to another couple on the flight back to Miami who mentioned they'd had the same issues, particularly housekeeping trying to gain access to the room using a key without knocking and despite DND. I have never had anything like this happen at another property, ever. Do Not Disturb should mean exactly that when I'm paying for a room - no questions asked.

3.) A truck came at 9 AM every day to remove the piles of seaweed that accrued on the beach - it's lovely that they do this, but we heard the "truck backing up noise" very clearly for a long time. Why can't they do this later in the day? Or use a truck that doesn't make that loud beeping noise?

It's just that you expect more from a property that charges nearly double the going rate of a nice hotel in a major city (or 100,000+ HHonors points per night for all but the most basic room.) There were a lot of nice things about this property - the bed was comfortable, it's clean, the room furnishings are very nice, we had a great experience with the servers in the restaurant and the concierge, despite the fact we had to cancel the plans she made for us due to the dismal weather. The food in the restaurant is outstanding, even if we didn't care for the darkness of it or the decor.

However, the noise and the issues with housekeeping were a real problem for us. Also, it would have been nice to feel the staff cared the weather had such an impact on our stay, perhaps offered advice on indoor activities or a little something special to make us feel better, but that didn't happen.

Again, this was a nice hotel in many ways. But we spent so much money here - you really expect something special for that kind of expenditure. Honestly, we've had many stays at the Hampton Inn in Chincoteague, VA that felt more luxurious.

We really get the sense that hotel management here is simply indifferent - there will always be visitors to Key West and there are a limited number of accommodations available. If you don't like your stay, too bad - others will be lined up behind you. Not what you really hope will happen when you spend the time and investment that's necessary to achieve the top tier in a hotel chain's loyalty program, or when you commit to spending the premium prices commanded by properties like this one.

I agree with all but number 3. Commercial trucks I think are required to have that beeping noise.

One of the things I look forward to when I stay at high end properties is the discretion of the staff. If the DnD is on the door the most action any staff member should take is to slip a note under the door. Housekeeping should have respected the sign.

Yeahbut - they don't have to run the truck at 9 AM on a weekend. I guess the idea is to get rid of the seaweed for the day. Personally, tho, I'd rather step around a little seaweed than know I'm not going to get to sleep in on my vacation. Not to mention Key West has tons of bars and nightlife, which I would assume means folks will be out late as we were.

On the DND - we don't like having our room cleaned. Nothing personal, mostly just don't like having our stuff rearranged and put where we can't find it.

Agree that what they should have done - and what I've seen happen in virtually every other hotel I've ever stayed in - is something under the door mentioning that we had the DND up so they skipped us. DO NOT bang on the door (with metal keys in your fingers to make the noise even louder). Repeatedly. Once an hour. Starting at 9 AM. Then try to use your key to get in when nobody answers. If you must touch base, call the room on the phone - in the afternoon or evening.

Our stay really had the feel of having booked a room right on top of a construction site, with all the noise and activity. It was really bad, considering the horrible weather meant we spent a lot of time in the hotel.

We complained on-site, were told the manager was unavailable, and there was nothing the desk staffer could do since we had three reservations. (They were "closed out.") Later I had a note from management attached to my review on TA, claiming they'd like to follow up - I sent an email two weeks ago, got one back saying something like "sorry, out of the office," then nothing.

Just don't see how they're charging so much for this place. Our experience was much more Motel 6 by the Sea!

One of the things I look forward to when I stay at high end properties is the discretion of the staff. If the DnD is on the door the most action any staff member should take is to slip a note under the door. Housekeeping should have respected the sign.

If they could read it. Maybe that is the problem.