We stayed there for 4 nights earlier this month and had mixed feelings. The entire property is getting a thorough make over after two years of using the existing Westin hardware. So far so good, from the looks of it they are investing serious cash into the resort.
What I would have expected of Hilton is to downgrade the property in the interim. I was aware what we were going into and got a very nice room rate (pay 3 stay 4 nights) and booked a sea facing room from the beginning, but imagine someone going by the category 8 ranking and booking this place.
Anyway, I checked in online to snag a high floor room and got a room on the 33rd floor (other choice: 11th) which later was changed by the hotel to the 35th. Glad I didn't get the 33rd, as it looks directly onto the former lounge space, which now is a sushi bar. The guys at the longhorns steak house conference partied pretty hard there.
Gold get a daily 15$/adult credit for breakfast which can be used for the cafe at the landing or for the 'fresh' store near the elevators. We went to the cafe the first day. The cafe has a really good buffet (no ala carte in the morning) but its 24$+tax+18% gratuity/adult, so your credit vanishes fast. Kids eat at 1/2 price, so the tab for the 4 of us was 86$. Getting to the cafe involves a walk to the landing as if you were going to the parking garage. Nice to see that that they are going to use that side again, back in the Westin days it was rather forlorn.
Resort fee is not optional, no amount of discussion at checkin would change that. In fact the previous email I sent to the property went ignored, and when I checked in I was told that online checkin shouldn't/doesn't work ('thats just an automatic email sent by corporate, we have not activated it yet'), followed by 'oh I see you checked in already' and 'wait you were the guest that was discussed at our staff meeting today'. But the only result was that I got an envelope with the usual welcome note from the manager.
The pool area is open, and most of the balconies are open too, as most of the outside facade work is finished. The pool restaurant is very reasonably priced, especially the kids menus. (aprox 6-8$ for kids 12-17$ for adults). The beach is packed now since the loungers are included.^
Looking forward to staying there again when the property is fixed. Launch of the new resort is November 2016.