EVEN Hotels : Sarasota-Lakewood Ranch (FL)

What is your Priority Club status?
Spire Inner Circle

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Wellness King with Enclosed Shower; given the same on the fifth (top) floor facing the pool and the lake behind the property. Suites were showing available on the app shortly before I arrived, but I was by myself and only staying for one night, so I didn't press for an upgrade.

How are the rooms?
Very nice. The decor is modern and Euro-sleek with high-quality furnishings. The bedding is Eucalyptus Tencel fabric and is very soft. I didn't find the fitness equipment in the room to be intrusive (although I didn't use any of it). There had to have been at least five or six USB charging ports in the room. Mini-fridge was in the room, along with a Keurig machine, but no safe. EO bath products in the wall of the shower. A/C wall unit did a good job of cooling the room down (it was 96 and muggy outside) and I liked that there's a constant fan option so there's always air blowing even if the compressor is off during the auto-cooling cycle.

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A

What was good and what was bad?
Nice and quiet location, just off of I-75 in a mixed commercial and residential area, with mostly shops and offices nearby. Very, very quiet and deserted on the weekends, but there's a mall nearby with chain food. I found decent Cuban take-out a stop up the freeway. Room rates were very reasonable and lots of free parking. Friendly staff, but the front desk was unmanned several times while I was there. Obviously, the health and wellness focus of the brand is appealing for some. I liked the fact that each floor has an ice and water machine for water bottles (each guest is given a free one to use and take home) and lots of spa flavored water is downstairs. There's also a grab n go market adjacent to the restaurant. I was tempted to eat there but opted not to.

Only bad things was that the spa in the pool area had a nasty green tint to the water and there was a group of guests splashing around in the pool and generally having a moderately noisy good time in the evening. I had an early morning departure so I turned in a little after 9 pm and I could still hear them. I just played music on the clock radio to get to sleep.

No any negatives worth mentioning.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Given the free parking, quality of rooms, and relatively cheap prices, I thought it was a good value and will give the brand a look at other locations. I'd stay here again if I am ever in the area.