Amber N.
Yelp
We stayed here for two nights in order to attend an event nearby. Originally we had booked one of the suites two months before our arrival date but the front desk called me about a month before our stay to kick us out. Apparently a convention booked every single suite and the hotel allowed them to do so even if it meant double-booking some suites. Not a big deal, it was just two people for two nights, and we're just simple middle-class country folk, but I found it very rude on the part of the convention if not necessarily the hotel.
Here are some good things about our stay at Found:re:
- The food was really good. We received a $50 food and drink credit as thanks for relinquishing our suite. This was enough for breakfast for me and bar snacks for me and the Mr. I would definitely, definitely recommend breakfast here, the coffee was excellent too.
- In many hotels we have a problem with locating sufficient drinking water. The tap water here was actually potable, plus there is a lot of water stocked at Match downstairs, and there was a fully stocked vending machine on the floor above us.
- The noise level was tolerable. I worried about this after reading prior reviews, but we could not hear anything from surrounding rooms. On the night we arrived there was a full fledged party in the lobby complete with loud club music yet not a sound came up to our room.
- The location was very convenient. Walking distance from our event, just steps from the light rail, surrounded by every type of restaurant you could imagine or hope for. I know there are some nice and some not so nice areas of Phoenix but this neighborhood felt relatively clean, quiet, and safe.
Here are some things that in our opinion could use improvement:
- My alma mater had two LEED-certified dorms built in the 2000's and this is the vibe I got from Found:re, especially because of the concrete flooring. Not that I mind the clean, sustainable dormitory atmosphere, and I know this is supposed to be a concept hotel, but if you are looking for a plush/luxe experience to justify the higher price tag then you will need to search somewhere else. Plus that concrete is cold at night! Bring socks!
- The linens. Oh god the linens. I used to work for a company that manufactured industrial laundry chemicals. I know that some types of stains can be hard to get out especially if you are not willing to use harsh bleaches and sours in the name of environmental sustainability and friendliness. But those towels had some NASTY stains on them. I, personally, figured they were clean but we still tried to use the unstained areas. If we ever stay here again I will bring our own towels.
- The open concept bathroom. If it were up to me to design those bathrooms I would extend the dividing wall between the shower and toilet a bit more and slope the floor a bit so the water would drain faster. The shower itself was super nice but just be aware that water WILL puddle all over the bathroom floor until it dries, which will take a while, because we could not find a bathroom fan switch.
- The clientele. Now I understand that this is not under the control of the facility but I'd advise caution and discretion especially if staying here on weekend nights. On our first night there, our neighbors across the hall laughed and verbally harassed us when we returned to our room after buying snacks. Ok. The clients here skew very young and very artsy.
- The wi-fi kept cutting in and out on my smartphone. I didn't notice this problem in my friend's room on a different floor, nor in the restaurant or lobby, so maybe it was just the location of our particular room.
In any case, thank you Found:re for a lovely stay! We do not intend to return anytime in the near future but will certainly consider returning if we need accommodations in that area of Phoenix again.