Hotel Excelsior

The hotel was quiet at night, though outside I heard cats yelling in the middle of the night and car horns early in the morning. We stayed in two rooms during the week and checked out Saturday, February 25, 2023. I’d stay again, but it wouldn’t be my first choice. Room #119 had a strong damp smell I couldn’t trace. It looked clean, which mattered to me, and the TV worked, though its volume wouldn’t go past a certain level. The air conditioner didn’t work. A lamp was unplugged, but I couldn’t reach behind the bed to plug it in. We were startled to see a young person outside our second floor window, cleaning the rooftop. It seemed he couldn’t see us because the window was tinted, but we closed the curtain. The shower head had calcium buildup, which weakened the pressure and sent water spraying in different directions. I usually bring my own towels, but the hotel’s looked clean. We didn’t complain about these issues since we were only there to sleep. After a few days, our door stopped locking. That was worrying, since anyone could get in and someone might enter while we slept. I suspect we’d unknowingly slept with it unlocked all night. I reported it right away, but maintenance didn’t fix it, so we asked to change rooms. Room #219 was much better. There was no damp smell, the view was nicer and there wasn’t a rooftop next to the window. The air conditioner and TV worked properly, and it had an electric water heater. The paint was incomplete on one wall, there was visible hair in the sink drain, and the shower head was in the same condition as in the first room. The neighborhood wasn’t the best, but we didn’t really go outside until our car was waiting out front. There’s a pool, and a guard was at the door the whole time. Art lovers should consider staying at least one night to see the paintings and other pieces around the hotel. I spotted some on floors 1-3 while passing through, and there were paintings on the stairwell walls too. Staff were friendly and attentive. I had good interactions with Dennis and Jennifer. I’d given the wrong booking date, but was relieved they didn’t cancel my whole reservation even though I checked in 24 hours late. I had called on the day I was supposed to arrive, so they knew I wasn’t simply missing.