Hotel Bentley

We were driving home from Orange Beach AL and needed a night’s stay. The establishment was immaculate, and there was so much history. Our room was basic, but it was cool to think military people had stayed in it. I wish we could have stayed longer. It’s a SAFE area too!

The porch, foyer, main staircase, and first floor are something to see, and even the elevators are neat. The hotel has fantastic examples of 1900's architecture, lots of seating, and a little history nook by the first-floor elevators. The room furniture seemed fairly new, and the restaurant and bar were excellent. Rooms have standard amenities but no microwave; there is one in the first-floor coffee lounge, where you can also pick up tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. The rooms are reasonably priced, and you get your money’s worth, though you can see the best parts of the hotel without booking a room. It’s definitely a landmark worth visiting. The guest floors were the downside. My room smelled so strongly of disinfectant that I wondered if they’d cleaned up a dead body. I arrived at 5 pm, and the smell lasted until 7 am. The cleaning crew was in the halls each morning, and the whole floor reeked of cigarette smoke. They smoke, and it gets into the hallways. I’m also concerned that the emergency stairs don’t lead to the first floor. They exit onto the second, where you have to leave the stairwell and take two large steps down to the main staircase, then continue to the first floor. Watch your step. There should be a sign warning people. Old buildings may be exempt from fire codes, and the last renovation favored historical accuracy over updated safety, but they could at least label the door. I’m also pretty sure the emergency stairwells aren’t up to fire code.

We went to the Clairborne Room for a Casino Chic birthday celebration. The property is beautiful inside and out, and everything was very clean and organized. Just watch your step in the bathroom stalls, the floors are so spotless they reflect like mirrors, lol.

My wife and I met at this hotel more than 30 years ago, so we have a lot of memories here. It has struggled to stay open and has closed a few times since then. This may be our last stay, though, because the room cost sets expectations the hotel isn’t meeting. The lobby is still stunning, but much of the rest of the place shows serious wear. The brass needs polishing, the carpet needs replacing, and the upholstery needs cleaning. There’s no valet or reserved guest parking, which is a problem downtown where parking is limited, especially for a hotel billed as premium. The COVID guard is still at the front desk and looks rough. If management plans to keep it, they should clean it up and make it look classy. We’ll try the restarted lounge this evening, and I’m curious about it. I previewed the menu and found it underwhelming, though the food could taste amazing. More to come. This may be our last overnight at our favorite hotel in the US, or maybe our former favorite.