Stay Report - 10/25 - 10/27
Location: The hotel is located on the northern part of Seven Mile Beach. It's about a 20 minute drive to GCM through at least ten roundabouts. Just down the beach are a really fun dive bar called Calico Jack's and a decent seafood/BBQ joint called Duke's. A little to the north by Governor's Bay is an excellent seafood place called Morgan's. The island is small pretty much everything is an easy drive away. And if you don't want to drive, there are usually cabs out front.
Hotel: The hotel staff boasted about their hotel as being the newest resort on the island and while I haven't seen every other one, I can't imagine one being nicer than this. There's an incredibly lobby with seating areas, a library area, pool table and nicely free coffee and tea in the mornings and of course the wine happy hour from 5-7. There are two fine dining restaurants as well as a casual Mexican place on the beach. The lobby also has a coffee shop which sells some quick bites and snacks as well. Outside there is the main pool which is several different levels, the wonderful beach and on the lower level a health club and spa. There are also villas which are currently being renovated to bring them a private pool. Thankfully the renovation doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the resort.
Check In: I have never felt so valued as an IHG Spire. My fiance and I were given sparkling wine when we arrived, I was thanked for my status no fewer than a half dozen times, and we were told I had been upgraded to a one bedroom ocean view suite which was of course the best part. I was also offered a $15 bar credit or 600 points.
Room: Absolutely lovely. Huge living room with desk, large TV, couch and another chair plus a small kitchen area with a Nespresso Machine and separate refrigerator from the minibar. Two closets, one a walk in. Massive bathroom with tub, shower and separate toilet area and two sinks. Large bedroom with another large TV. Balcony that went between the two rooms and had a table for four and separate arm chairs. The wifi even worked well. There was also a very nice cheese plate welcome amenity waiting in the room. It's one of the top ten nicest rooms I've had.
Dining: We had breakfast at Ave one morning. The food was good but service was bad. The waiter forgot several items so I ended up with my latte 40 minutes after I'd sat down and after I had finished my entree. Drinks on the beach were strong but expensive ($14 pina coladas). Food in the coffee shop was fine but also expensive.
Buffet is $35 a day, there's also a fixed menu.
Pool/Beach: As I mentioned above, the pool area is very nice. There are a lot of chairs that are first come first serve and cabanas for rent (starting at $249 a day). The beach is also lovely with a similar chair/cabana arrangement. Staff were easily to find at both and it was no trouble getting towels and drinks.
Resort Fee: The one really sour note. It's a staggering $70 a day, the highest I've paid anywhere. As a Spire I got a $5 daily credit because Wifi is included. What really burned is the Saturday I was there it thunderstormed most of the day which meant I wasn't going to be doing anything resort-y. There are a lot of beach things you can rent (kayaks, water bikes etc.) and the free valet is great (they got my car out to me quickly every time) but it's still hard to feel you got value out of an extra $65 a day, even on award stays.
Verdict: The staff, minus one waiter at breakfast, were all friendly and helpful. We received texts throughout the stay asking if we needed anything and they were helpful about making us reservations and getting us around. The location was perfect. The resort and rooms itself are great. My fiance took advantage of my spa credit and said that the spa itself is nice but the wax she got was awful (take that for what it's worth). My only complaint is of course the fee but hey, it was a vacation.