I didn't know what to expect before I stayed because the reviews on here were limited.
On the whole, it's a nice old hotel that's more on par with an average J.W. Marriott or Intercontinental than say a St. Regis, despite the hotel marketing itself as a luxury hotel that's the "grand hotel of the South."
At check-in I was greeted by name and after completing the formalities was escorted to my room by a "VIP specialist."
My room, a deluxe king, was actually quite spacious, but as others have said the bathrooms are absurdly small. No coffeemakers, no refrigerators, no mini-bars, and no newspapers. Supposedly, you get complimentary shoeshine but the old school shoeshine stand was never staffed. Turndown service is by request only. Robes were stocked but no slippers.
All of the rooms, except the 11th floor, are fully renovated but I was surprised by the wear-and-tear. The sofa in my room had a couple of visible stains and the walls in the entryway had visible scuff marks. I don't know what the rooms looked like before so I can't comment on what was changed, but in some cases they just haphazardly slapped on a new coat of paint instead of sanding down surfaces or replacing old worn fixtures like door knobs, etc.
I would never pay for the club lounge, but I got access for free by asking for an upgrade at check-in. The only good part of the lounge were the open bar from 5 to 7 p.m. and the egg station at breakfast.
The complimentary alcoholic drinks were:
Beer
Bud Light
Miller Lite
Michelob Ultra
Tiny Bomb
Ananda
Ghost River Gold
Whiskey
Crowne Royal
Jack Daniels
Scotch
Dewars White Label
Vodka
Tito’s
Gin
Tanqueray
Rum
Bacardi
Wine
Louis Perdrier brut sparkling wine (not champagne)
Louis Martini cabernet
Storypoint pinot noir
Beckon chardonnay
Kendall Jackson pinot gris
A to Z rose
Both the bar and egg station were staffed and they, of course, had tip jars in front of them full of $10 and $20 bills. Daytime snacks were cookies and chips. That's it. The evening food consisted of chicken on skewers and fried artichoke and then carrots, cucumbers, and a couple of cheeses with crackers and fruit. Pretty basic. You could take both food and drinks (coffee, alcohol, bottled water and mini-bottles of Coke or Diet Coke) back to your room.
I probably wouldn't return because the $200+ per night room rates just aren't worth it. Especially with no points.
