I also stayed at the Elysian last week, a one-night stay in their top room category (Premier Gold Coast Suite). Without wanting to detract from Luxury's endorsement, here's a different perspective based on my "good-but-not-great" experience with the Elysian:

What I loved:

- The absolutely no tipping policy--so rare in the US of A. I tried twice to provide tips to the staff who helped me with my luggage and each time was told, "That's not necessary--this is part of the service we provide."

What I liked:

- The spa. I had a very good massage, a good shave, and the facilities are nice, even if the treatment room I was in was just barely larger than a closet. The fitness room is average sized--6-8 cardio machines, some free weights, and 4-5 machines. There's a small lap pool and a Pilates studio as well.

- The food.

What I did not like:

- The suite. On a superficial level, it has elements one might consider luxurious--the gas fireplace, the Asprey toiletries (much too strong scented for my liking), the marble bathroom, the linens. But beyond that superificial level, it really just did not work well and betrayed real inexperience in design of comfortable, high-end accommodation. Some examples: The desk had no easy way to access a power outlet--so I had to crawl underneath it and disconnect either the lamp or the telephone in order to power my laptop. The bathroom had no bathtub--just a shower--so strange! (Clearly other room categories have bathtubs--per the photos in the chain below.) And the towels were located on a rack in the separate WC room--nowhere near the shower, which lacked even a place to hang a towel in the vicinity so that you could avoid dripping across the bathroom to retrieve the towel. The crown molding was poorly installed, with at least an inch separating the molding from the ceiling. And the furniture was awkwardly crammed into the curvaceous space of the sitting area.

- The lack of intuition, polish, and warmth in the service. The lobby area is small, and seemed understaffed. I had substantial waits both to check-in and check-out. No greeting by name. No conveying of luggage to the room--I was handed the key and pointed in the direction of the elevators. ("When you get off on the 26th floor, turn left.")

I had high expectations, given the positioning they've given themselves on their website, but it was a step below most Four Seasons business hotels, and a far cry from the best urban hotel I've experienced in the US. (In the past year, Rosewood's Mansion on Peach Tree in Atlanta and Four Seasons Seattle both provided a more polished experience than I had at the Elysian.)