Sofy Y.
Yelp
First off I would like to say that I did really enjoy my stay at the HCML. The aesthetic was really moody and so much more visually interesting than any chain hotel. With that said, there was an attention for detail missing throughout the experience.
I suppose I perked up about it being a 4 star lodging, and may have idealized what that means, this is after all a converted motel, in a small college town.
The price is reasonable where ever you book, considering the amenities*
*The large pool is not heated!!!
First thing I noticed is the staff is relatively young compared to other hotels, and definitely were aloof in their attitude, rather than super hospitable, but it was fine because they were all extremely competent. They have a lil general shop (merch, coffee, drinks, snacks), a bar, and dining options which you can order at either shop or bar.
They have a bunch of cool, trendy beverages (alcoholic and non), and straightforward cocktails and beer at the bar. Lounge style seating throughout the space and game room (pool table, foosball, board games in a cabinet). Space would be better with two pool tables and no foosball imo.
2 Queen bed room was cheapest. Room had same cool and dark tone aesthetic, with moody earth tones. So this is where some of the issues came up for me...
-AC unit was really caked in dust, definitely needed to be cleaned regularly and was not.
-Bathroom had no ventilation, so it was always kinda humid
-Not enough outlets in convenient locations
-Bed frame bigger than mattress so always bumped my shins moving around
-TV only had 40 channels, separate app to screen-cast to room TV
Things I liked about the room (w/ caveats): Cassette tape radio/BT combo was really cool, except we had to ask for a replacement because there was some tape stuck in ours. Pillows and sheets were extremely comfortable and felt high quality.
The absolute highlight tho, was the water pressure in the shower. Absolutely insane, so good! Great water quality, hair never been softer.
The large pool, hot tub, and "nordic spa experience" were major draws for us. We visited in May and were not prepared for how cold it is in Flagstaff, as we live in a low altitude, coastal city. The hot tub was sizeable and really great touch, especially for night time star gazing, though I wish they dimmed the lights, as flagstaff is marketed as a certified dark sky city.
The nordic spa experience left much to be desired. There's not much explaining done unless you explicitly ask questions. If you book it they don't tell you when to show up, with what to show up with, how the whole process is gonna go. The facilities themselves are cool, but have an issue with the details as well, that didn't make the experience feel relaxing. First off it's not very private. If you want to sit by the fire pit or cool off under the ice cold shower, the space is shared between two saunas/groups, additionally second floor rooms can see into the "private" space. So there is not enough privacy to be in the nude, as is normal for a spa experience.
Lets talk about the sauna itself...Not super well insulated, there was music in the sauna (which could not be turned off), but we could also hear the music from the other side at the pool and hot tub.
The sauna door was also difficult to open and close.
Overall, if I ever come back to flagstaff, I would probably stay here again.