O:live

The room was stunning, with a beautiful bathroom and an excellent view of the lagoon. Staff were some of the friendliest I've ever met, and people we encountered elsewhere were extremely nice and helpful too. There were some issues during our stay. The rooftop pool was beautiful, but the hot tub jets didn't work, even though the water was pleasantly hot. Construction was underway in the rooftop bar area, and the restaurant kept running out of basics. We paid $50 per day to include breakfast, but they had no breakfast meat for two days. They only had coconut milk, and there was no room service, so we had to collect our food and carry it back to the room.

I can't recommend this hotel. The room was lackluster and badly arranged, with no luggage rack or chair, so our bags sat on the floor and we went out on the balcony to put on our shoes. We were given an “upgraded” room with a “private” balcony, an outdoor tub, and a shower, but there was no view at all. The only daylight came through a narrow gap in the roofline, and the balcony door looked onto a marble wall. If the balcony fan was on while we used the outdoor shower, the blades caught the water and splashed it onto the walls. The bathroom setup was especially awkward. The pedestal sink had nowhere to put things, so the hotel provided a cheap, rusty wire rack that blocked the hand towel ring. The toilet door was frosted glass, offering almost no privacy. The only towel hook was inside the enclosed toilet room, so after showering you'd have to leave the glass shower, open the toilet-room door, and get the towel there. The shower was also frosted glass and essentially part of the room, leaving a lot of humidity inside. The plunge pool is inside a bar and restaurant, not outdoors at all. The rooftop pool and hot tub at the sister property across the street are great, but entering means walking all the way around the building. The hotel also sent a survey with a broken link. Do yourself a favor and stay at the Vanderbilt.

Aside from the noise, this was a lovely little boutique hotel in a perfect spot near the strip. The rooftop bar was loud, and the garbage trucks came by every morning by 6 a.m., so sleeping in was impossible. Staff and amenities were wonderful. I booked the most expensive room, which had a soaking tub on the balcony, but used it less than I'd expected. The balcony wasn't as cozy as I thought it would be, and in hindsight I'd have chosen a regular room and saved the money.

The location was good, and the sister property's rooftop was amazing. Our own hotel, though, was loud all night. The room had no outside windows, and the bathroom's frosted-glass door offered very little privacy. The hotel is small with low ceilings, and it smelled musty. My sinuses made me suspect there was mold somewhere.