Cyrus Hotel, Topeka, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

The place is clean and very trendy, but walking in felt like entering a cave because it's so dark. It didn't feel welcoming. The bar staff were really rude, and I don't think the two women at the host stand understand customer service. I can only give the restaurant one star: there isn't a vegetarian choice beyond a sad looking garden salad.

The staff did try to help, but I still haven't received the right refund on my card, and none of the managers I asked to call me ever got in touch. This was in November 2025. My husband and I had a horrible stay, and I asked for a refund. They couldn't find our reservation when we arrived, though Athena did find us a room. The mattress had a dip in the middle. The bathroom towel rack came off the wall, and after my shower the door handle fell off, leaving me stuck inside. Luckily my husband had only stepped out for a few minutes and let me out. The breakfast buffet was terrible, and the restaurant was expensive for the very low quality. Getting to the parking garage meant going through an alley and climbing eight flights of stairs. It was very dirty and creepy at night. Save yourself a lot of stress and don't stay here.

Wesley made our stay feel special from the start. I couldn't find a room with a bathtub through the Chase app while trying to book with points, so I called. He said changing the booking to a room with a tub wouldn't be a problem, and when I asked about a crib, he said it would be set up in the room for our arrival. He greeted us with a smile and was so welcoming. The hotel is beautiful, with a really unique, cool look, almost like a modern speakeasy. Later, I ordered crème brûlée to go and asked Wesley if I could borrow a charging cable for my Kindle. He went out of his way to find one. Management, please give him kudos. He was awesome. And don't miss the restaurant's crème brûlée, it was so good.

I have status, so this was especially disappointing. I tried to cancel more than 24 hours ahead because a storm was approaching, but they charged me anyway and didn't even email a receipt. When I need to return for this event, I'll recommend that my team stay somewhere else.