Aloft Beachwood

The front desk employee was genuinely kind and even offered to make us an egg sandwich. That was the one bright spot in a frustrating stay, and my two stars are for that helpfulness. The couch in our room felt unsafe. My husband fell off it, and getting back up was difficult. I can’t see why something like that belongs in a guest room, especially when an older or unwell person could fall too. We’d paid for breakfast when we booked, but were given a list of items to purchase. The choices were prepared in advance and reheated by staff. If a guest has an allergy or simply dislikes what’s offered, are they expected to eat it anyway? At other hotels, we’ve had freshly made food or a buffet with options. This setup was very disappointing. My concern is with the owner and the whole breakfast concept. It feels poorly thought out and unreasonable.

I’d stayed here before and had a good experience, so being turned away from our prebooked room around 1 a.m. on 1/15 was disappointing. They said both parties had to be present, even though that hadn’t been required on previous stays. We eventually booked a room, but the CSR took more than 30 minutes to get it moving. He just stared blankly instead of answering questions or helping. Late night travelers need someone more efficient and trained in customer service.

The staff were professional, polite, and helpful, and the front desk folks were very nice despite being right by the doors where it was freezing. The parlor had a great couch, but was too cold to sit in. It had its own heating and AC, but no way to control either, so we kept the door shut on that large, mostly empty space. Our room was okay, a little narrow, and generally nice. The TV doesn’t swivel, so you have to sit on the bed to watch. One practical tip: if it snows, someone should shovel by the exit doors. I slipped every morning on my way to the lot.

The staff were great, and the room was clean and had towels and toiletries, plus a safe for valuables. There was also a fridge, a coffee maker, and a bottle of water. My only safety concern was the connecting door to the next room. It wouldn’t lock, so I put a chair in front of it.