Honestly, I do not understand why the Brown Palace gets such raving reviews. I've stayed there three times now and each time it has been average to down right terrible. What am I missing that everyone else raves about?
I will say the hotel is so rich in history and has great stories to tell. The intricacies of the decor is truly beautiful and transports you to another time. The lobby/atrium bar is a great place to soak in the atmosphere...especially during the holidays. Gorgeous!
Now, if you want to stay at the Brown Palace...that is another story. The Brown Palace has a reputation for luxury, class and comfort - and you pay for that. So, when reading below, I suppose I should qualify my statements by saying I expect A LOT from a hotel whose tag line is "The Elite Choice.." and whose prices reflect that.
We were there for two nights. The first night, the bed was so extremely uncomfortable (lumpy, yet hard, no pillow top or mattress pad) we switched rooms for the second night.
The second room had a much more comfortable bed, but our much needed good night's sleep was interrupted at 6:30am by LOUD banging -- pipes? Construction? Radiator? Who knows what it was...it continued for about 20 minutes. Even if there were no loud banging noises at that ungodly morning hour, I still don't think I could have slept in due to the housekeeping staff knocking on doors down the hall, or the neighbor's TV. The walls and doors are paper thin. And I'm not a light sleeper...really!
Second major problem -- no hot water. Personally, I like hot showers in the morning...and after waking up WAY too early due to crazy banging noises I was looking forward to a hot shower. Nope....luke warm was the best I got.
Again, I expect a lot from a high-rated, high-priced hotel, so here are a few little things that I felt were unacceptable (as they say, "the devil is in the details"):
* No shampoo...there was conditioner, but no shampoo.
* No "Do Not Disturb" sign to hang on door. Other rooms had them, so I know they exist!
* The cool Kuerig coffee maker wasn't plugged in. I had to crawl on floor to find a working outlet after discovering two outlets didn't work at all. Please, don't make me work for my morning coffee....that's just cruel!
* There were small holes in the sheets
* The towels were not plush, and they didn't match (I know, that's kinda petty. But seriously...it's all in the details!)
I'm not a complainer (really, you can read my previous reviews!), I just know what makes for good service and a good hotel stay. And the bottom line here is that I have had much better hotel stays and been in more comfortable hotel rooms for half the price. Lesson here: You don't always get what you pay for!
Sorry, Brown Palace...I thought the third time would be the charm. Sadly, I don't think we'll be back.
hotel reviews