League

We're also here right now. Hubby has Diamond status (on a trial, yes, but he legitimately expects to fulfill the terms of the trial), but this was not acknowledged in any way upon check-in. The person who checked us in had mentioned a few options for rooms and "possibly even a suite" but they didn't have any of those ready yet, so I replied that a suite would be great and we wouldn't mind waiting. The guy came back with 3 suite options but then he started talking about the price to upgrade (I asked if there were any complimentary upgrades, and he said no), so we declined and got put in a regular room (#430) which I believe would be categorized as a partial ocean view since we can see the ocean but don't have a dead-on view of the pools and such. It's in the Makai wing and overlooks the tranquility pool.

He did not offer a Diamond welcome amenity or discuss our free breakfast benefit or anything. Definitely disappointing. We were so jetlagged and exhausted from getting a combined total of about 7 hours of sleep over 2 nights that we didn't immediately speak up (and we don't want to be DYKWIA types), though I did later talk to someone to get info on the free breakfasts / spa passes / 1000 points in lieu of welcome amenity / etc. Still not sure if they even really know we have status. We were brought a check at breakfast to sign, though I assume they'll pull the breakfast charges from the bill at check-out.

On the whole, we think this hotel is a bit of a mixed bag, with more negatives than positives. Positives are the breakfasts, the beauty of the property, the really great mixed drinks (looooved the 'Pimms Rangoon' from Bumbye), and the valet service is quick and convenient. The blackout and sheer shades work great. I appreciate the full-length mirror, and the malie amenities are nice.

Negatives are the tiny room, the wear and tear that's already very evident in the room, and the service is really mixed. Some employees are great and very friendly, but there's a real lack of follow-through. One employee said they'd send up someone to add a handheld thingy for our shower right away but we were puzzled when no one came. Turns out the bellman who'd brought us to our room had demonstrated the "privacy" light and left it turned on. We eventually got the handheld head, but it leaks/sprays everywhere. One of our keys didn't work when the bellman took us to the room the first time, so he said he'd go get a new one and come back with it right away. He didn't come until about 3 hours later. Was that b/c of the privacy setting he'd set? I don't know but the way he apologized for taking so long when he came back made it seem otherwise. We sat by the pool for at least 40 min before being asked if we'd like anything to eat/drink. Even earlier tonight, we'd requested some granola bars to be restocked since our daughter loved them (we'd declined housekeeping service today, so missed an opportunity to get them then), and they said they'd send some to the room. So far, though, no bars.

I'd expected there to be a larger menu for room service (particularly important since we're stuck here with 2 hurricanes looming), but it's mostly all rehashed from the limited offerings at the market (flatbread pizzas and paninis, mostly, which we weren't all that impressed with). In terms of the room, there's the wear and tear I mentioned -- the single lounging chair in our room is already covered in various stains and the slatted closet and toilet room doors are difficult to keep closed. The room looks clean, but our feet get filthy from walking barefoot on the tile floors. I don't think they mop them very frequently at all. In general, the room isn't very functional for us. It feels pretty claustrophobic, too (especially in the bathroom). The slatted vanity makes you have to be very careful any time you want to set something down. The closet and toilet room doors being open impedes upon the walking space in the general part of the bathroom. It's very difficult for 2 people to be in there at once. I can't imagine that the wood shutters and the towel ladder won't get damaged sooner rather than later from all the water. The shower never dries, and makes the bathroom feel constantly humid. It's an effort to keep the water in the shower area since there's 2 openings for it to escape. The rain shower does feel great, though.

All in all, we've only been here for 2 nights now, but I wouldn't come here again for the points, much less the $400-600 this place often commands. Too unpolished and form-over-function. Granted, in terms of the service aspect, the staff may be distracted by the coming weather issues, but still, there've been enough minor hiccups, that I don't think it's all down to the weather. (The hotel apparently isn't very full right now, either.) However, because of the incoming storms, I'd feel guilty bringing any of these issues up to the staff when we don't even know if we'll have power and running water tomorrow. Everything feels very #firstworldproblems and the hurricane helps put our minor issues in perspective. We'll ride it out for 4 more nights.