One & Only – Bahamas

October 2007

Above & Beyond

• Rooms – Section 2000 called the Crescent Wing
  Very large and spacious
  Very comfortable bed
  Big bathroom
  Nice size closet
  Plenty of drawer space
  Safe large enough to store laptop computer
  Easy to connect to internet
  Large flat screen TV
  Beautiful balcony overlooking the ocean
  
• Dune Restaurant
  Food is very good
  Excellent service
  
• The Cabanas
  Go over to the Cove at the Atlantis and get a cabana. Cabanas 7, 8, 9 and 10 are the best. Request one of the odd numbers as they reserve the even numbers for casino guests.
  Forbes recently rated these cabanas as the Best Poolside Cabanas in the World…And they are. The Ocean Club would be wise to create a similar setup at the Ocean Club property, which is under common ownership as the Atlantis.
  
  
  

A Matter of Taste

• Rooms - Hartford Wing
  Rooms are very small
  Bathrooms are very small
  
  If you must stay at the Ocean Club and are trying to budget, stay only in the Hartford Ocean View wings. Do not stay in the Hartford wing, especially if you do not have an ocean view.
• Cellular telephone service is spotty. The closer you are to the beach, the worse it is. This is probably by design and I do not view this as a negative. However, those thinking that they could sit by the beach and work the phones should think about another resort.

Needs Improvement

• Gym did not have alcohol wipes or another substance for cleaning headsets and handle bars.

My Conclusion

This is a great example of delivery not meeting expectations. On hotels that are a step below the ultra luxurious, these comments would be made as suggestions on how to get this hotel to the next level. However, the Ocean club positions itself as “ultra luxurious” and therefore they fail to deliver.

Disappointments were inconsistent service and lack of attention to detail.

• Upon arrival, we wanted to have lunch as rooms were not ready. We wanted to eat outside. They said it might rain. We said we would move inside if it did. They fought us rather than trying to accommodate us. We eventually ate outside, had a delicious meal and the rain did arrive – 4 hours later.
• The room did not have hand towels on our arrival
• Rooms did not come equipped with bathrobes; we had to call for them. They normally do, but housekeeping service failed to have them on arrival
• Internet connection was missing plug.
• Balconies were not swept clean on a daily service.
• Outdoor corridors – same thing. One day I returned to my room at 6 pm only to notice a piece of paper and cotton swabs lying on the ground.
• Cushions on chairs and lounges on balcony were dirty. A simple fix would be a great towel freshly placed on the chairs twice per day.

The Hotel at Mandalay Bay – Las Vegas

December 2007

Above & Beyond

• Rooms
  All suites, but not just your ordinary suites. They are legitimately two rooms and the best business room that I have stayed in. One person can go into the other room, work, use the separate bathroom, watch TV and talk on the phone while the other person can sleep without hearing a thing. Many beautiful suites at hotels are incredibly large rooms that have distinct areas. This suite is two rooms.
  Plenty of closet space
  3 TV’s (one in the bathroom)
  1 ½ baths
  Wet Bar
  Internet works flawlessly
  Desk is positioned so that one can watch TV, work and look at the beautiful views, all at the same time
  
  
• Pool Areas
  Adult Pool
  Water Playground that is both crowded and fulfilling
  Something for everyone
  
  
• Restaurants – Red Square and the Strip Steak
  SERVICE was SUPERB—
  Food was excellent
  

Did I tell you I love great service? When I get great service in a restaurant, I leave a better than 20% tip. It is my way of telling people how good they were. Hats off to the service at both these restaurants

A Matter of Taste

• The Spa/Gym - Adequate.
  I can’t stand that the fitness center doesn’t open until 6 am. Many guests are from the east coast and we have early morning conference calls as well as naturally wake up early due to the time difference. It would be great to get to the gym, return, and shower and start the day. All this needs to be done by 6 am (9 am on the east coast).

Needs Improvement

• Front Desk/Check-In
  When I arrived the check in line was steady. This is not good at a premium property. It was impossible to miss the statement being made, in uniform, to those checking in, “We do not have any Kings left on a high floor. I resisted falling for this line and asked to speak to a supervisor. I explained to the check in person, who was very professional, that I frequent the hotel once to twice a year and made this reservation months in advance. She went into the back and magically came back with the comment, “I found something”. I received a King on a high floor with magnificent views. Mind you, I am not a gambler. My comments about visiting the hotel and making the reservations months in advance were true. I truly believe that this is the first line of offense at the front desk for non VIP (big gamblers) when checking in. Mild persistency will get you what you desire.
  
  The Spa/Gym
  During this visit there were too many pieces of equipment that were out of order. I always arrive at the gym early to try and start the workout early. Two out of the three mornings I was successful in picking up 15 minutes. On the third morning – the middle day of my 3 night stay – I arrived and was stopped by a rude young woman. She said I could not go in early as they were mopping the floor and no one can get in before 6 AM. I said I did yesterday. She told me that was impossible as they did a photo shoot. I told her that I was here yesterday and started my workout at 5:45 AM. She did not let me in. I asked her if I could use the bathroom which is adjacent to the fitness room. When I went to use the bathroom I did not see anyone cleaning the floors and one guy was working out. I started my workout. I cannot understand a poor attitude anywhere, but it is especially disconcerting at a property that purports itself as “upscale”. I have a simple definition for upscale. It is one word. It is called “Service”. The best physical property in the world cannot overcome poor service.
  
  
  Room Service
  Each morning I would order room service. Each morning (3 in a row), delivery time was estimated at 75 minutes. This was both accurate and totally unacceptable.
  

My Conclusion

I have stayed at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay several times while in Las Vegas so I can confidently say I have been a fan. The Hotel at Mandalay Bay is not for everyone. It makes it on its rooms – the overall décor of the hotel is dark and modernistic. It also is attached to the Mandalay Bay, which can both be a blessing and curse. I am returning to Las Vegas in March, 2008 and have now booked the Wynn in an executive suite.

The London Hotel – New York City

January 2008

Above & Beyond

• The service at The London Hotel is EXTRAORDINARY.
• The Rooms -The views are great, I stayed on the 46th Floor in a corner suite. Easy to connect to Internet. Fabulous desk.
• The Cocktail Lounge - Attactive and happening, even at midnight during the week.
• The Fitness Facility - Open 24 Hours - State of the art equipment.

Needs Improvement

• No door to enclose closet…From my bed, I was staring at my hanging clothes, an umbrella, et cetera.
• The room did not have ANY drawers for folded clothing.
• The shower did not have a closure…in spite of attempts to keep the water in the defined shower area, the floor got flooded.
• Nightly turn down service did not include emptying the garbage cans, this was a little bizarre.
  
  

My Conclusion

I look forward to my next visit to The London Hotel in New York City.