Our recent stay here was a disappointment.
We've been coming to the Dolphin for over 15 years. We've been platinum most of those years and became Lifetime Plat a few years ago during a stay at the Dolphin. To mark it, they had balloons and hand made chocolates in our upgraded suite as well as a nice note congratulating us. We were married there and always go back around our anniversary.
In the past, whether we were celebrating anything or not, they always sent something to our room (and often something to our other family members' rooms that I have reserved), with a nice handwritten note. This time, the woman at the desk handed me two buttons that say happy anniversary. I realize they don't have to do anything, but it is just different.
I responded to the email that we were arriving very early and would love an upgrade to a suite. My preferences ask for a quiet room without a connecting door. I got an email that said they couldn't promise a room before 3:00. I checked in early anyway, dropped off our bags and was told they would call me when my room was ready. I called at 2:45, and they said it is almost ready; they are putting the finishing touches on your room. Returned to the hotel and stood in the platinum/gold line for 20 minutes and got to the desk at 3:45 and was told my room was not ready; they are putting the finishing touches on it. I asked what kind of finishing touches those might be that take over an hour. The man at the desk said my guess was as good as his. I asked him what time check-in was and he said it's between 3 and 5. I had never heard of that as a check in time for a hotel before.
The hotel was not sold out, so I don't know why my non-upgraded room wasn't ready till 4:45. Our room ended up with a connecting door and a loud family (several kids) on the other side. No one in the process was apologetic about the wait.
While I was waiting till 4:45, I looked online for reviews and learned about the resort fee. When I picked up my key, I asked the woman about it. She had no idea. She said i guess that's true if that's what they told you. I told her nobody told me but I learned it on the internet and people weren't happy and were giving the hotel a black eye. She said, "Oh, I know."
There was a loud whining noise in our room. I called maintenance after the first night of very little sleep to come check it. I don't think they ever did because it was still there when we left. Someone used to call and check to see if the issue was fixed, no one did. I bought earplugs for the second night, but that really shouldn’t be necessary.
The surprise resort fee and additional parking fee adds too much. We haven't gotten late checkout in years; last time our room wasn't ready until after 6, but we had to get out by 11. We spent the first two nights this trip at the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista for a fraction of the cost of the Dolphin. The room was very similar to what we had at the Dolphin. The bathroom was bigger at Lake BV. There were more in room amenities at the Sheraton. The Dolphin only had plain Sheraton shampoo and conditioner, soap and lotion.
The Dolphin used to have upgraded amenities, bathrobes, and turndown service. We had none of that this trip; that combined with the staff's indifference, the resort fee and the parking charge (used to have neither) makes it a choice of save a lot of cash and stay at the Sheraton or stay at a Disney hotel where they do care about service. The Dolphin's location is great, but the hotel isn't what it used to be, and the added expenses make that difference feel even worse. It feels like a hotel that doesn't care about you or improvement because it will be filled with another convention next week.