Hotel Hale

The soak was exactly what I needed, and breakfast was lovely, especially the homemade pastries. We were a bit unsure about parking, but Pat and Sully helped us unload and find a space right across the street. Hotel Hale is perfectly placed for walking around Bathhouse Row. We were really glad we stayed and will be back.

The room made a great first impression: lots of space, exposed brick, and nice furnishings. We chose a premier room and got a personal tour. The hotel is an old bath house with only a few rooms, right on the main road and close to the town's main sights. The bed was comfortable, though the small shower had the kind of built-in bulk soap and shampoo dispensers I'd expect in a cheaper hotel, not a spa. That wasn't a major issue. What made the stay rough was the noise at night. On the first night, a loud mechanical clanging, almost like pipes, woke us every half hour or so. It hadn't been happening during the day. We told the front desk the next morning; they didn't know what it was and hoped it wouldn't happen again. We were so tired that we took a three-hour nap that day, and there was no noise during it. The following night the sound returned even louder. At breakfast, we told the owner, who brushed us off and suggested it was street noise and that we were light sleepers. I'm not a light sleeper, and it didn't sound like traffic. It was strange that it only happened during sleeping hours. After that conversation, the noise didn't return on our last night. We also used the hotel's valet. After getting home, we found damage around the rear passenger-side tire well. I should have checked the car before leaving. The owner said he'd speak with the valet when he returned to work and call me, but he never did. I called again and left a message, with no response, then reached him on a third call. He said they couldn't do anything because the damage wasn't their responsibility. The location and attractive room initially had us excited, but the stay itself was below par. The nighttime noise was bad, and the food was average at best. My medium-rare steak came out medium well. I wouldn't recommend staying here.

The hot spring tub and restaurant were the best parts. The food was amazing, but it's a shame management has let this historic hotel down. This isn't a five-star boutique stay, and the staff could use hospitality training. We'll be choosing somewhere else next time. I called ahead because we have twin toddlers and wanted to make sure they were welcome. The valet attendant on arrival was great, but check-in dragged on with explanations of how to use the elevator, key, bathtub, and more while my wife and I were juggling the kids. From the moment we arrived, the owner and staff made us feel unwanted. We requested maid service during our two-night stay and never got it. The place also seemed understaffed. After breakfast on checkout day, the owner seemed to be pushing us to leave, even though checkout was at 11:30 and my wife had planned one last soak. We decided to go. I asked for the luggage cart to be brought up, waited 30 minutes, then had to find it myself. We were leaving without staff help when the owner chose to push the cart to my car, which felt ridiculous.

Parking was the hardest part. There wasn't free parking, and I didn't know where my car had been taken, so I couldn't get to things I'd left in it. I'm sure someone would have helped if I'd asked. Inside, I loved all the tile and how beautiful the hotel was. Having a hot springs bath in my own room was amazing, and they sell salts, bath bombs, and other things to make it more fun. The staff quickly learned our room and brought the breakfast we'd picked each morning, including homemade quiche and fruit. Bathhouse Row is right there. We stayed at the hotel across the street too, but I'd pick this one again if I returned.