Grace N.
Yelp
I booked this hotel using my Marriott points for Friday one night because I had a Hyrox competition at the LA Convention center on Saturday morning. I'm so glad I booked this with points because I don't think I would pay to stay at this room.
I have conflicting and mixed feelings about this place. I've been curious about AC hotels and wanted to check it out so I took this opportunity to see what AC hotel is about. I was expecting a lot actually and my experience was just A-okay.
I don't know if all AC hotel is similar to this one but this one really take to definition about compact and city living! Our corner King was pretty small and a bit cramp and the sink is part of the room. This is more like a studio style. Like other Yelpers mentioned, toilet and shower are sectioned by frosted dark glass walls and not completely enclosed so you definitely can hear and kind of see everything if light inside the toilet or shower are lit up and the room is dark! Not a big fan of this...although I stayed with my partner but we do like our certain privacy...
What I liked: The view was nice and pretty and the bed was actually really comfortable. I know some Yelpers complained about staff but our experience was good. The front desk was very nice and when I messaged to ask for lotion, they brought one to our room. Although their communication was a bit funny and unclear, unlike my usual experience with communicating with hotel via my Marriott app..for example, they greeted me as Greeting Nguyen.. Nguyen is my last name...
The valet service was also very nice and attentive, we didn't get bad valet service at all. If anything our valet guy when we dropped off the car to check in was more informative than the front desk. I think we learned about the layout of the hotel more from him than front desk.
What I wasn't too crazy about:
To get to your room or leave this hotel is a fun trek. AC lobby is on the highest floor, the Sky Room or something, on 34th. So you gotta go all the way to the top to check in to take another set of elevator to go back down to your rooms. I think AC floors are 9th to 33rd. Ours was on the 26th. Then to go to ground level, you gotta take elevator back up to lobby on 34th, go to another set of elevator to go down to ground level. You cannot stop at Moxy floors by using AC elevator.
Despite being a Platinum member, I did not get any of the Platinum benefit beside the option of 500 points or $10 credit. I opted for the 500 points instead and so glad I did because I did not end up eating there at all. You're also charged for a $30 destination fee which at check in they said will be credit if you dine at any of the restaurant/cafes there, but we forgot and it will not be credited back to you if you don't use. So it's a use it or lose it credit. We bought food and coffee at Bluestone Lane but forgot to do this (charge to room) so we lost this $30 credit..
Overall, I feel like I did not benefit any perks of being a Platinum member by staying at this AC hotel at all! They said there was no lounge and no breakfast was given. The high speed internet that supposed to be free for gold or higher level never worked for us (kept saying guest info not found) so we just used the standard WiFi which was okay. But, why didn't it work!?!
Anyway, I would not stay here again. We stayed at the Westin Bonaventure two months ago and it was such a nice experience and lots of perks for Platinum. There's also a JW nearby that I would consider next time.