SERVICE & TRANSITIONS -- Early checkin was available @ no extra charge.
They're equipped but tap payment which was convenient.
Hospitality is generally on-par with the other Sonesta properties in the bay area (Emeryville, Pleasant Hill): inefficient, unprofessional, & rude.
Despite the over-staffed reception, checkin was slow.
The cackling & gossip by staff carries all the way to the 2nd & 3rd floor walkways, but this doesn't dissuade them from making negative comments (pro tip: save the gossip until you're off the floor or until the guest has actually checked out...).
The website mentions dry cleaning & laundry services being offered, but according to the employees those amenities do not exist for guests. Quite confusing & misleading.
Lots of room for improvement in management, customer servicing, and general self-awareness.
Elevators are unusually slow for a 3 floor property, but they're spacious.
ROOM (suite) -- The renovation is beautiful, design-wise, & primed with functionality: full-length mirrors, lots of tabletop space, comfortable couches, wireless charging mats built into the tables, stylish gold lamps, sliding wood doors, and soothing floral paintings.
But it's poorly maintained & going downhill fast...: Stains on the carpet, ceiling, wallpaper, & lampshades. The walls could also use a touch up; scuffs on paint & dirty/stained wallpaper. None of the charging mats actually worked....
FWIW the cleaning standards are "ok" in many parts of the room, management is just not invested in the upkeep so the reno has a premature worn-down look.
Flaws aside, it has ample drawer and closet space for personal items and was comfortably spacious for 2.
BED -- Also aesthetically pleasing: More gold lamps in the bedroom; Sturdy leather headboard and base with a gold center piece; wireless charging matts bedside (also didn't work).
Their King mattress sleeps well & they provide plenty of right-sized pillows.
The duvet and sheets are quite generic and not particularly cozy nor insulating but they're clean.
The bedrooms have functional windows (varying views) that open for fresh air.
BATH -- The "bath area" is a half-bath (walk-in shower + toilet) in a closet space while the sink+vanity+towels+etc are across the walkway, in-between the bedroom and living room. It's unintuitive & an uneven distribution of space.
The layout is 100% non-Accessible, so those units have a different arrangement AND are your only option for a bathtub.
There are (generic) bath products provided in the Kohler walk-in shower. Water pressure from the sink & shower was adequate, but the toilet (also Kohler) has a very weak flush.
The cleaning standards are particularly low here: stains on wallpaper, showers aren't cleaned thoroughly.
Maintenance is also lacking: dirty grout lines, depressions in wall, toilet paper holder loose, auto-exhaust & motion-sensor light are too sensitive and turn on randomly.
TV -- 50" Samsung smart TVs on swivel base.
Preprogrammed hotel UI/OS with traditional informational menu items.
The cable is very choppy but streaming services are also available.
Wi-Fi -- Unencrypted high-speed network with great QoS, behind a member login portal.
Performance:
Video streaming: Great
Online Gaming: Great
Video Chatting: Great
Nerd Stats...:
93-105 Mbps Download
90-117 Mbps Upload
0% packet loss.
FOOD -- In-room dining services are "...still temporarily suspended due to Covid..." which wasn't communicated until AFTER we checked-in (another bait n switch) & doesn't align with the general conduct by staff: maskless, lack of physical distancing, no identifiable hand sanitizer dispensers, no contactless check-in offering-- no safety protocols were actually observed or encouraged during the 2 nights I spent here. Very disingenuous & tasteless interpretation of "concerns about Covid".
Despite the lack of convenient on-site food service, it's also NOT DoorDash/UberEats friendly in a major way:
Delivery person's aren't permitted entrance to the rooms, the overstaffed front desk won't bring deliveries to the room & your food will be thrown away when they deem an appropriate & arbitrary amount of time has passed before being picked up. This is the first time in 70+ hotel stays that I've seen such an obtuse practice and counterproductive policy implemented at a hotel. If the information on the website was accurate and this was a written policy I would not have stayed here. The representatives said they would reimburse me for the food, but I'm still waiting on this.
Whoever is managing this location and/or website: please get this 'policy' posted online & distributed to the 3rd party platforms so we can avoid this location and save everyone a headache.
✅coffee-bar
❌mini-bar.
❌wet-bar.
Snacks are available for purchase downstairs & breakfast is offered.
NOISE -- The receptionist are the worst offenders, followed by housekeeping staff.
A few instances of kids running through the hallways above us, but generally no complaints with actual guests or exterior noises, even with the window open 24/7.
VERDICT
Sonesta properties are notoriously weak on customer service or management in the Bay Area and this one maintains the status quo.
Quality, consistency, & hospitality training needs work.
Very uncomfortable stay.
1/5⭐️
@mrstaycation
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