Inevitably, along with pleasure and excitement came frustration and disenchantment. The following highly rated hotels stand out as my most forgettable of 2013.
We had very much looked forward to staying at this storied South African wine property south of Cape Town. A lovely setting and a warm greeting put us in a fine mood for our visit. But close examination of our quarters undermined my initial favorable impression: The cream-colored fabric on both sitting chairs was stained; the base of the closet in the dressing area nearest the bath had suffered water damage, as had the adjacent carpet; and in the bath, the towel holder threatened to come loose from the wall. Clearly, standards here have slipped, and a thorough restoration is in order.
The potentially chic 20-room Heidelberg Suites looked like an ideal choice, with a picturesque riverfront setting across a historic pedestrian bridge from the old quarter. But after an odd welcome — the front desk employee seemed distinctly surprised to see us — we discovered that our Superior Suite suffered from inattentive housekeeping and poor maintenance. Cobwebs decorated the living room’s chandelier, the walls were scuffed, and the wood floor in the bath showed water damage. Our terrace had stupendous views, but its floor was filthy. And only at checkout did we learn that the front desk is not staffed 24 hours a day. Had we stayed out late one evening, we would have been stuck.
La Posada de Santa Fe bills itself as a luxury resort, but problems began before we checked in, and continued. We used the hotel's website to contact the concierge, and although we received a formulaic email confirming the receipt of our communication, no one ever responded. On arrival, we found that our Spa King room lacked the promised balcony, and its only window was covered by a shade that could not be raised. We switched to another room, the broken gas fireplace of which was fixed while we dined on pathetic lettuce wraps and gloppy “jambalaya risotto” at La Posada’s restaurant. The fame of this Santa Fe resort is truly baffling.
Some travel publications have expressed great enthusiasm for Charleston’s Zero George Street, an 18-room inn comprised of several historic buildings around a shady brick courtyard. And indeed, the restoration looks beautiful: The well-chosen furnishings and décor wouldn’t be out of place in a stylish Provençal bastide. Regrettably, our compact Harbor Suite did not live up to its press. The promise of a “private outdoor sitting area with views of Charleston harbor” was a wild exaggeration. In fact, we shared the porch with another room, and only a sliver of the harbor was visible off to the side. Loud traffic noise and music from the room across the hall interrupted our sleep, and just over the road stands a giant construction site. This hotel may look splendid in magazines, but it is a poor value.
Canyon Ranch near Tucson has long been regarded as America’s premier spa resort, so I expected its Miami sibling to be similar. I was disabused of this notion on arrival. The property is located on a rather obscure stretch of Collins Avenue. Having been kept waiting for 10 minutes in the noisy lobby, we were finally summoned by a receptionist who proved comically disorganized. Our suite itself was spacious but soulless. We opted for lunch beside the odd oval pool. This was virtually inedible, so we ordered two glasses of white wine, only to be told that the bar was out of stock. At breakfast, we waited an eternity for poached eggs, only to have the waiter spill coffee all over them. True, the resort has impressive spa facilities, but I strongly recommend that you pursue your quest for physical refinement elsewhere.
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