The Sunny

My wife is very sensitive to scents, and a smell in our room gave her a severe headache on the first night. It didn't bother anyone else, but the hotel staff took the problem seriously. Manager Matt especially was sympathetic and accommodating. We had booked two nights but said we couldn't stay the second night, and were willing to pay a cancellation penalty. They didn't charge us for that night and also waived the first night's resort fee. We appreciated how attentive they were and how far they went to help, even though it meant losing a booking.

Wesny was so friendly and helpful on the beach today. His great energy and willingness to help made the time there with my husband wonderful. Since checking in, I've also found the hotel very clean. The lobby looks like a comfortable lounge, with swings, couches, and beautiful plants, and smells amazing. I'll definitely be back this summer.

The pool and beach were fantastic, though I suspect that was because only 2 or 3 of the 10 floors were operating. I can't imagine how crowded it would be with the whole hotel full. The employees were clearly trying their best with a lot of angry guests, but management gave them a bad start by opening before things were ready. For the price, the lack of attention to detail was completely unacceptable. This is marketed and billed as a premium place, but this time it failed to deliver an experience better than a roadside hotel. Maybe things will improve in a few months once the kinks are worked out, but for at least the next month or two, be cautious. The renovation was still underway, with power tools audible from the floors below and adjoining during business hours. Of the restaurants shown on the website, only one was open, with maybe 10 menu items at most. That was frustrating and inconvenient for a stay of several nights. A 20% service charge was added to everything. When I asked if it was a tip, staff insisted it wasn't, which I later found was a straight-up lie. The room was cleaned only twice in our four nights. Each time, towels and sheets were changed, but the glasses, shower, floor, and sink were never cleaned. Half the outlets didn't work, and we tried three mini fridges before finding one that worked. The tea machine was broken, there was no minibar, and the lobby store had very limited food, drinks, and toiletries. Filtered water and ice machines hadn't been delivered to the floors, so water wasn't easy to get and the concierge had to bring ice up. Keycards stopped working before checkout, leaving lots of guests locked out. Room service wasn't operating at all, the phone line disconnected when we pressed its button.

Our room was sold as an "ocean view," but it looked toward a run-down building and window-washing rigs, with just a peek of the pier beyond. The beds were firm, the pillows felt like air, and both were awful. As a high-end builder, I can say the hotel's renovation was just "lipstick on a pig," with plenty still wrong. And The Sunny is sinking into the ground, so Google that and decide whether you want to risk a building collapse during your stay. The hotel is purposefully misleading people, with many undisclosed, misleading, or inaccurate charges. We weren't told about a $50/day resort charge, a $50/day valet charge, or a $35 beach umbrella charge for one hour. What does the resort charge cover? We were told valet was the only parking option, though there is a public, secure 24-hour garage across the street. Poolside drinks for kids were $26 each, and an 18% gratuity was built into every charge without proper disclosure. The pool bartender also made a bad, awkward pass at my wife. No one at the hotel, including restaurant staff, could recommend a local restaurant. We can call this review the "Not so Sunny."