Seriously, this could easily have been a 4-star review instead of 3 if I hadn't had so many silly mishaps with the front desk. I take responsibility for SOME of the irritation in that I clearly threw their entre system into a tizzy by paying for my room in advance and informing them I'd be paying for everything else during my stay in cash. Apparently they're not set up for that.
It started at check-in, and continued on throughout our 3-day stay: phone calls from the front desk saying they MUST have a credit card on file; in-room movie purchases and room service requests denied regardless of the fact we'd left a more-than-substantial cash deposit at the front desk for such incidentals; and (ahem) uneven customer service: one person would be sunny and sweet and bending over backward to iron out the problem, the next one cranky and impatient, the next helpful, the one after that downright surly, and then - right at the end - a hero who finally said, 'This is ridiculous, let's get you credited, here's your deposit money back, we're really sorry'. It seemed, frankly, to be a classic case of the left hand not telling the right hand what it was doing. In the end it was sorted out, but it put a bit of a damper on what I'd hoped and planned to be a hassel-free vacation with my grandchildren.
That being said, the rest of the staff - from the maids to the bell crew to the top-hatted doormen were absolutely lovely. My 7 year old granddaughter was SO impressed with having the doors opened for her everytime we came or went! LOL!
And the room: we upgraded to a larger room with a balcony and the view was outstanding - 36th floor, city with ocean on either side, just remarkable. I'm not sure I'd choose that option again, as the fog didn't lift until like 10 or 11 in the morning and floated back in around 4 (exactly the times we were out sightseeing), but the impact of that gorgeous view when we first walked into our room the first day was well worth the extra $$, just to be able to step out and take photos!
Note: You can ask, as we did, to have a mini fridge and microwave brought up to your room. The microwave is complimentary, and the fridge is a one-time charge of $15 for your entire stay - so if you're going to be there for a few days it's totally worth it. We bought yogurts, instant oatmeal packets, cup-of-noodles, canned soups, juices and bananas plus disposable bowls and flatware at the Walgreens about 1 block up from the hotel, and it really saved our bacon. Travelling with children who are starving at all hours can be a challenge ;-)
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