Just completed a 4 day stay here booked through Amex FHR. They were running a 25% room rate promotion, which was cheaper than anywhere else I could find!
The pros:
the hotel is brand new so everything looks new and modern. The hotel itself is beautiful. The lobby is perhaps the most inviting I’ve ever been in. It’s filled with plenty of comfortable seating, and outdoor areas with fire pits. Some really nice views. The room itself was very comfortable and felt very clean. Service was very good and the staff even remembered me by name at breakfast. Food was above average overall. Available “house car” that can drive you up to 2 miles. Free colombe coffee and tea in the morning.
the cons:
The layout of the hotel was downright confusing and took me a few days to get used to. Even finding the entrance to the hotel is confusing, as it isn’t clearly marked. You could either walk down an unmarked corridor and take an elevator up to the lobby in the 10th floor. Or you could stumble through the valet entrance and take the elevator up. Uber drivers / delivery people were constantly confused during drop offs and pickups. To get to the rooms themselves, you have to go to another bank of elevators.
The food / drinks were decent, but incredibly overpriced. A burger was $32, a chocolate chip cookie w/ scoop of ice cream was $22, a side of toast was $10, a small bowl of fruit was $17. Luckily to offset this, you can book through FHR to receive $30pp for breakfast and a $100 property credit, or book through the honors program with status and receive $25 per person per day. The hotel charges a destination fee, but it also includes an additional $30 dining credit per day.
the area around the hotel is a bit boring in my opinion. There is the Disney music hall and a few art museums, but not very lively overall.
Lastly, I enjoyed the room, but I had two pet peeves.
First peeve I had was the trendy open bedroom / open bathroom design. The bedroom and bathroom are separated by sliding wooden panels rather than a wall and door. If you are staying by yourself it’s fine, but if you are staying with a family member, a friend, or even your significant other, they don’t really need to hear what’s going on in the bathroom.
The second peeve I had with the room is that the lights are controlled by a panel of labeled buttons. It’s not all all obvious what controls what and there is a learning curve involved. The other problem with the buttons is that they are not illuminated, so you can’t read them at night. There should be a proximity sensor that detects when your hand approaches the panel. Otherwise you just have to randomly press buttons or use your cellphone flashlight to see them.
Overall, despite the flaws, I strongly recommend this hotel.