I just completed what was, on balance, a positive stay here, but there are definitely quirks and potential annoyances, so it probably won't be everyone's cup of tea.
I TSUed to an interior suite; this didn't seem that bad to me, possibly because I had reviewed the thread beforehand and was mentally prepared for how dark and isolated it felt
As described upthread there is just the one "window" into what is essentially an interior hallway...
In case this helps anyone, in addition to a few lamps, the bedroom has recessed lights which are apparently _not_ controlled by the switch on the wall just as you enter the bedroom (which did nothing, as far as I can tell) -- the switch for these is on the wall next to the headboard.
Cherry-picking some other things from the thread:
Originally Posted by
txhyattlvr
2. On a busy road with NO Porte Cochere (driveway). You'll probably be honked at as you quickly try to exit your vehicle, handover to valet, pull your bags, etc., literally on the street in front of the hotel. Suggestion: Just be ready.
Definitely still true at peak times. There were slack periods though where there were actually ~4 car lengths worth of space at the curb in front of the hotel.
Originally Posted by
ElevatorEnthusiast
I wish I had photos - I didn't take them as I pretty much immediately was having a moment of panic due to the darkness and terrible service. There is a skylight over the internal hallway, but even on a cloudless sunny day, that light was not getting into the room (plus, you would have to draw the curtains open and expose yourself to all of the guests walking between the elevators and their rooms on the Magazine side). If you like dungeons, this is the hotel for you....
... to give people an idea, in
platbrownguy's post at the top of the thread, the 3rd post down titled "Fourth Floor" with the open beams, shows this hallway -- on the left are the doors to the suites, on the right are windows to the internal courtyard.
During the afternoon/early evening, there was a jazz combo playing on the first floor, but since it's essentially an open atrium...
Originally Posted by
bsdstone
Once word of caution is the "desk" is basically an extension of the dresser with a stool for a chair. Not ideal if you have work to do in the room.
... I did a bit of work from this "desk" Friday afternoon and even in the back of the bedroom the music was quite loud and intrusive. Shutting the door between the bedroom and the common area helped considerably though. Sleeping at night with the door closed was also very quiet.
Other misc. items
- I did not get hit with a credit card surcharge
- had breakfast ($30/pax allowance) at Couvant -- fantastic entrees, extremely erratic service. Dined at the bar the first morning, bartenders were friendly enough while taking orders and when the food was delivered but thereafter passed by multiple times paying zero attention and had to be flagged down for refills, and later the check. Second morning I requested a table, the host asked if we had reservations, said "let me see if we can squeeze you in" and started doing what felt like an excessive amount of tapping on the iPad, then as we stood there looking at a row of empty tables he added without looking up "I know it may not seem busy, but we are" and then finally seated us at one of the empty tables. A couple did later show up for the table on one side of us, but the other tables were still empty when we left
I would have completely understood if he'd said "we're short on staff" or "we're booked full starting in 15 minutes" or something like that, but the way he acted about the whole thing just felt bizarre. Monday morning, no trouble getting a table, and no complaints, server actually seemed to understand that they were in the hospitality business, came by frequently to check up, proactively brought the last coffee refill in a to-go cup for convenience.
- the bar/lobby/"library" space is gorgeous; the interior courtyard also seemed like a nice oasis though I only walked through it long enough to have a look at it. Probably a great place to sit and have a drink (provided it hasn't rained recently, a lot of the cushions looked wet...)