Hotel AKA West Palm

We were upgraded to a gorgeous, bright two-bedroom corner suite with everything we needed, and the whole stay felt just right. The Circuit shuttle made getting around easy, the food at A.market was excellent, and the service was great. The location is ideal, with lots of downtown shops and places to go within walking distance. To skip the steep valet price, we parked at the nearby city-owned Evernia garage. It was $5 per day on weekends and $20 per day on weekdays.

AKA was a convenient home for the two weeks I was in town, even though I only had one day off. I’m a chef from Dallas and was sent to help train new staff at EATALY, which had recently opened at City Place just a few blocks away. The rooms were clean, and the staff were friendly and supportive. Restaurants and nearby sights are easy to reach on foot. I’d get up early to enjoy the area, including the bars on Clematis Street and Skinny Louie’s, a fun smash burger place open late. Each weekend there’s also an impressive big farmers market by the waterfront. The beach is an easy walk over the bridge, and the hotel has bikes plus a Circuit vehicle for getting around the immediate area. Very convenient. Thanks for the hospitality, AKA!

The room was very nice and the location was perfect, but the service was disappointing and sometimes just odd. We arrived early on Friday before our room was ready, which was understandable. The desk took our number and said they’d text when it was available. At 4:00 p.m., the official check-in time, we came back and were told it was still being cleaned and would be ready shortly. We waited in the lobby until about 4:40, checked again, and heard it still wasn’t ready. They then said they would “take the hit” and give us someone else’s room, which was confusing and concerning. We’d requested a cot when booking, but it wasn’t there. After we called, it arrived about five hours later without pillows or blankets. We called again for bedding, but nothing came up. Around 11:45 p.m., we woke to someone knocking and trying to unlock the door with a key to deliver pillows. There was still no blanket. If we hadn’t engaged the deadbolt, they could have walked in while we slept. We asked again the next day for blankets and never got them. Then, about an hour before our scheduled checkout, someone tried to enter without knocking. A staff member asked if we were checking out, though we still had an hour left. Given the repeated attempts to enter and the lack of follow-through on basic requests, we felt very uncomfortable. For a hotel at this price, we expected much better. We wouldn’t stay again.

The room charge is only part of the cost here, so read the full booking details. Valet parking is the only parking at the hotel and costs $45 each night, though you can retrieve your car as often as you want. Street parking down the road is $20, but taking the car out means paying another $20. There’s also a refundable $100 per night charge for anything damaged in the suite, plus a nonrefundable $39 nightly destination fee that isn’t included in the booking price. Housekeeping is charged each time you request a room cleaning. We used the zzz tag to keep them out, and you can also tell the front desk you don’t want service. Even with those costs, I had a wonderful five-night stay and would come back many times. The area is expensive, so just be mindful of what things add up to. The hotel gives a $75 credit toward the shuttle, the blind monk, or a.market, all of which are owned by the hotel. From the moment I entered the lobby, I loved the scent and the lavish, carefully chosen decor. My suite felt like a comfortable, stylish little apartment, with a dishwasher, fridge, washer-dryer combo, dishes, dining area, and bed. Service was impeccable. Everyone I met was warm, attentive, resourceful, and sophisticated, including the valet. The location is amazing and everything is walkable. AKA made the stay unforgettable.