Hotel Arts

I booked a recent stay at Hotel Arts for myself and two friends, hoping for a relaxing and enjoyable time, but unfortunately, our experience fell far short of expectations. One of the highlights of our stay was meant to be the massages we booked for the three of us. However, the reality was far from serene. The 'spa' room barely accommodated the three massage beds, the lights were bright and harsh, and the only 'spa' decor in the room was a little fireplace, creating a cramped and uncomfortable atmosphere. The setup of the room could make it an awkward experience, especially if you're not comfortable being naked in front of your friends in such close quarters. When the massage therapists flipped us onto our backs, we had small towels over our faces (mine was placed over my whole face, making it difficult to breathe and causing me to have to reposition it) but we could still see the bright lights in the room - they weren't even slightly dimmed. Additionally, there was music playing but it was so quiet that we could hear every breath anyone took and hear the massage therapists whispering to one another or to us at times. To make matters worse, two of us were very dissatisfied with our massage therapists, who seemed to lack the necessary skills. One friend advised her therapist of pain in her left shoulder, only for the therapist to spend the majority of the session working on her right shoulder. Plus, when they handed us papers to fill out for payment and tip, they stood over us and gave us no privacy, making it extremely uncomfortable. The whole 'spa' experience left us feeling more stressed than relaxed. Our reservation included a brunch buffet at Yellow Door Bistro, and I had called ahead to arrange a pool-side dining experience. The front desk assured me it was not a problem, but when we went to enjoy our brunch, we were met with a different story. A female staff member at the restaurant rudely informed us that this arrangement was not allowed and proceeded to complain about the front desk noting that she will have to "have a talk" with them, displaying a lack of professionalism. She said she would let it happen this one time, but proceeded to make us feel like an inconvenience as we were rudely told they had to find plastic plates because glass was not allowed by the pool, as if it were our problem. Then, the service by the pool was abysmal, with slow greeting and response times and constant delays in receiving the drinks we had ordered. To add to our dismay, the condition of the pool was a major letdown. It was not clean and well-maintained, and seeing it in the daylight revealed issues that were not apparent to us when we swam in it the night before. The lack of cleanliness left us feeling disgusted and questioning the overall standards of the hotel. From the disappointing spa services to the extremely unprofessional behaviour at the restaurant, our girls' night was less-than enjoyable.