Sigh.
I really, really wanted to love this hotel.
I love the concept, the funky, hip professional photos of the lobby, bar, rooms appealed to us.
The idea of a trendy, small, personalized, upscale hotel, so close to the heart of our countries working system, seemed perfect for our lifestyle and our visit. It was across from the Hyatt, where a small business congress we were attending was being held, and we choose this hotel as accommodation over the conference offered Hyatt rooms, because of the appeal of this brand.
We went into this with open hearts and minds. We travel and frequent upscale and high end hotels, for the most part. Yes, we have had our share of Hampton Inns, which I greatly admire for the value and their cleanliness and their no nonsense customer service for getting guests up and out of the hotel on to their destinations. Perfect for what they are intended to provide.
We also have stayed at the Ritz, at more than $500 per night. And for that we expect a different level of quality, service and environment.
Our stay at The Liaison on November 28th started out well. We arrived and were valeted promptly. My husband swallowed hard at the $48 per night fee but, hey, we ARE in the city and have paid as much in Philly, New York and New Orleans.
The reception area was easy to spot and not crowded. We were attended to and offered a bellhop, which we accepted gratefully, having our share of a suitcase per person, plus various other bags.
During our reservation process a month earlier, we has asked for an upgrade to a suite if available. At our check in. we received the suite and the upgrade fee of $108 per night was acceptable. This made our three night stay $1300+ with various fees, or average $440 per night. This was in line with other upscale hotels at which we had stayed and was acceptable to us for what we expected based on the website and the reviews found here.
We were given rooms 930 and 931. Top floor, away from elevators. Perfect!
We arrived in our room and were assailed by a horrendous stench when we opened the door. The bellhop appeared unaware of the smell. My husband asked what the smell might be and if all the rooms smelled like this? The bell stated that he didn't know about the other rooms, this was just because the air had not been turned on.
That was our first problem. In an upscale hotel, the guests arrival is anticipated and the room is prepared for their arrival, including air, lights and any ambiance, such as music, that is available.
But wait, the couch bed was unfolded, made and turned down, so they had prepared for us. And no one had noticed the smell and the stale, un-circulated air?
Our bellman offered to bring us ice, which we accepted. I proceeded to explore the room and get acquainted to our surroundings for the next four days. We attempted to close the couch, as we didn't need it as a bed, and we soon discovered it was near impossible to do, because the frame was broken. After fifteen minutes of struggle, we finally got the thing closed. Thank god we didn't need it as a bed, as the frame was laying on the floor, screws and springs asunder.
Beside the smelly, stale, hot air, there was a large white stain on the rug in the bedroom. We then discovered that many of the lamps had broken shades and the light from the bulbs casts a yellow sickly appearance to the rooms. The wall pictures were askew, as if a struggle had taken place previously and the walls were shaken. Lest you think I am picky here, this all adds to the overall impression of the environment, doesn't it?
The nightstand furnishings in the bedroom looked like salvage from a dorm room, with their tops scraped and their finishes worn away. Ditto for the coffee table, with its frosted glass marred by what look like black magic marker lines. The rolling wheels on the coffee table were broken as well. The trendy furnishings for the room could have been marvelous and I wanted them to be so much more.
The windows in both rooms were locked shut (we thought we could air the room out) and had mildew along their metal edges. Also the wall paper was peeling along various walls, the charger plug outlet on the desk was inoperable. A general feeling of shabby, disrepair accompanied everything with the two rooms (costing us $440 a night) including the TV, which had horrible reception, snow, static and diminished, muffled sound.
Their professional pictures on this site and their own website are clearly 1000 better than the reality.
We called housekeeping about the smell and the air. They were VERY prompt in their response, sending a lovely woman up with orange scented spray deodorizer to help cover the stench (which didn't keep it at bay, it returned with a ferocity about 10 hours later), and a mechanic to fiddle with the air. He claimed it fixed, but throughout the remainder of our stay, we had to play with the controls to get it to turn on. Also let it be known the hotel keeps their rooms, halls and lobby unbearably warm for our tastes.
I must stop and say the BEST feature of this hotel are their staff!! Fabulous, fabulous. Very genuinely happy, gregarious, concerned for your welfare, eager to make you at home. I love their staff.
That evening as we prepared to go out, we found that within the bathroom, the robe hook pulled out of the wall when we hung a piece of clothing (the robe) on it. The grout in the shower was mildewed along the bottom and the pressure from the shower head was weak. However the mirror has an amazing non fog feature in the center which I loved, along with just the BEST lighting and magnifying mirror for makeup. Love the lighting in the bedroom bath.
We dined in Art and Soul (their restaurant) that evening (our anniversary) and were amazed at the quality and experience!! Ranks up with many of the 5 star restaurants we adore. Great job on the staffing, both in the lounge and the restaurant. A vibrant environment, the lounge was busy but not too packed, it was fresh, the barstaff were happy and attentive. We did have one lounge waitstaff on a second and third night who was sloppy, spilling our drinks, bringing water with no ice and generally being unavailable for much including our check. But that I believe was an anomaly. The restaurant lead waitstaff were also attentive, seating us promptly, serving with gracious experience. We proceed to dine there again another evening with the same results. I highly recommend this restaurant even if you don't stay here.
Our check out was not smooth, due to a strange invoice system. Credits we had expected as part of our package did not show up as credit on the invoice. The front desk staff, again being very accommodating, spent fifteen minutes attempting to explain the system, printing out various receipts from our bar and restaurant. If you must expense your stay please be aware of this, as it will send your finance team into a fit. I am still not certain we were charged accurately, despite their attempts at explanation, but I have no more time to spend, lol. Also, note they add an 18% gratuity to your ROOM, so if you intend to leave maid service a tip, know that it is already included.
Overall, we would like to try it again, but at this price the quality is sub par. I believe they will get there. We hear they will be renovating their restaurant. The restaurant is fine, I would approach the rooms ASAP. We won't return until we are assured the rooms have been completed to a level of a five star hotel. I think they can do it.
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