One Night in Sonoma Valley Inn, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton
My dear Polite Travelers,
The beauty of hotel loyalty
credit cards is the ability to earn free nights. Since
we live relatively near Sonoma, CA, and I’ve always wanted to spend more time
perusing the unique downtown core, we chose the Sonoma Valley Inn, a Tapestry
Collection by Hilton,
for that free night. After all, it’s
right on Second Street, just steps from the core. So, I couldn’t wait to check out this
once-humble Best Western, now reborn under Hilton’s wing as a Tapestry
butterfly.
Now, I’ve stayed at Tapestry
hotels before and know some of what to expect. But here is what I found that
each of these hotels should offer.
- Unique design reflecting the locale
- Culinary offering inspired by the locale
- Personalized service that offers a “boutique-like experience”
- Cultural experiences that connect with the destination
- On-site dining and bar services
Unfortunately, this hotel lacks
these distinct qualities. None. Zip. Nada.
The closest amenity would be – if closing one eye and turning my head to
the side – the beverages for purchase at the check-in counter. Beer and wine are available at the front
counter, but it is not a bar. Nor is
there a restaurant. Breakfast is a few
packaged offerings. The packaged choices
were stale. The exceptions, at the time,
were the lackluster fruit choices and the yogurt parfait.
Traveling to California?
Embassy
Suites by Hilton San Luis Obispo, CA; The Good & The Meh
Sonoma,
California: Touring Creameries
California
Travels: Solvang, CA
Typically, most lobbies offer
free tea and coffee during the day, or at least for part of the day. There was no free tea — ever, and none in the
room – and the usual free coffee is available at the front counter if the
“coffee lady” is there to make it for you.
Yep. Odd.
What about the rest of the hotel
amenities? Well, the hotel did have a
small outdoor pool and one ice machine on the rear of the hotel.
But what about the room?
Due to my husband’s mobility
issues, we chose an accessible room on the first floor. At first glance, the room is lovely. That’s if you can open the door. It’s so heavy that I had to use both hands to
open it forcefully. I can’t even imagine
someone in a wheelchair or using a walker attempting to open it. That is an accident waiting to happen.
Inside, there was a king bed,
table, desk, fridge… a typical hotel room, minus a microwave. Also, missing was adequate counter space for
toiletries and a grab bar next to the toilet.
The lonely sink was outside the bathroom. Bare.
Naked, without anything surrounding it, except a small glass shelf to
the side. On first glance, this might
have been viewed as appropriate for wheelchair users. After all, it is easy to roll the chair under
the sink. Still, where does one put a
toothbrush, toothpaste, and so on?
And what about that missing grab
bar next to the toilet – a toilet that is much too short for the mobility
challenged? Interesting question. Who designed this room? My husband found it impossible to sit on
the toilet without using his walker or cane.
Additionally, access to the only
window in the unit (besides the bathroom's glazed window) is difficult for a
wheelchair user. In fact, my husband,
who uses a cane and walker, couldn’t navigate around the furniture to access
the window. This lonely window overlooks
the busy walkway that guests use to enter and leave the reception area.
Will we return?
Uh…no. This is more of a slightly dressed-up basic motel,
rather than the ‘boutique’ property it is advertised to be. It falls well short of that goal.
Comments
Post a Comment