John W.
Yelp
My second stay at the Hotel Vendome. I really enjoy the vintage properties and know right away what I'm getting myself into - not everything is 100 percent right, some of the fixtures are dated, but I'm not there just to snooze. I want some atmosphere to go along with it. The Hotel Vendome has that piece down in spades.
Nice as well to be close to everything downtown Prescott has to offer. Walking distance to great food, the courthouse park area, and all the touristy stuff you can handle.
The bed was very comfortable. Plenty of pillows and not the super squishy type that you have to stack one on top of another just to get your head at the right position. Bathroom I had the first stay was "period correct". The bathroom I had this time was updated. More on that in a moment.
There are some things the hotel management and the City/County/State need to work on to preserve the Hotel Vendome while still retaining it's charm. The carpet throughout the first floor needs replacing. It can't go "all wood floors" because of the noise, but the carpet has reached it's end of useful life and needs to be taken out. Secondly, the upstairs balcony and the overhanging roof are in dire need of structural work. If it's not addressed soon, the property could reach a point of no return. Third - Get a carpenter and plane down each and every door - entrance, closet, bathroom - so that there is a better fit. Yes, doors are wood, and wood swells, but you can work around that by just shaving a bit off in the right places. Fourth, the updated bathroom I had is a lottery ticket for a litigator. No grab bars in the shower? That's a slip and fall just waiting to land in some 2nd rate lawyers lap - ol' "Slippin' Jimmy" comes to mind...... This, along with the balcony/roof really really REALLLLLLYYYEEE need to be addressed ASAP.
Finally, there have been some grumble reviews smack talking the front desk. This is a very small, non-chain, boutique hotel. They run this place the best they can. I've not yet had a bad experience with any staff on-site and would be surprised to hear of a legitimate gripe.
Oh, one last thing - a legitimate gripe - How is it that the front desk sells wine by the bottle or glass, but not bottled water? Prescott is a dry, desert community and a bottle of water for sale or in the room would be nice to have. Raise the price by $5.00 per night and include a couple of $1.00 water bottles in the room when you check in. It should pencil out in your favor.
I'm looking forward to staying again at The Hotel Vendome - but will ask before booking to be on the first floor with a period correct bathroom.