Kellen York
Google
Overall
Housekeeping: 5
Wellness: 5
Service: 4
Food: 4
Housekeeping
The housekeeping staff was absolutely the most impressive part of our stay. The room was always spotless - the staff constantly went above and beyond our expectations. Refilling the minibar, cleaning the balcony, folding laundry - fast, invisible, and nearly always flawless. Although they often seemed sad when meeting them in the hallways, these people were the backbone of our experience at My Arbor. I can only hope management treats them as well as they treated us. Without the housekeeping staff, this review would be a star lower.
Food
The dining experience was the biggest misalignment of expectations on our visit. It’s clear that a great deal of effort goes into the planning and execution of meals at the hotel, but the staff lack the experience (or maybe the incentive) to deliver on all the promises they make.
Although the quality of ingredients is fantastic (many are local to the region), they’re wielded with a kind of thoughtless nonchalance that was often disappointing. Food would arrive at the table unsalted and unseasoned, and the rusted-shut salt and pepper shakers required a pipe wrench to operate. Plain flavors dominated the menu every night. “Nut foam” was ubiquitous. Potatoes, meat and other hearty yet bland fare filled out the cast of culinary characters. Tomatoes, spices, and acid were barely in attendance.
To be fair, the hotel is wellness-focused and many seasonings and strong flavors are incompatible with some medical needs, so I understand if this is their general rationale for the menu. However, I still think a few options for those with punchier appetites could be accommodated.
Service
Regarding dinner service, the front of house in particular needs leadership - orders were regularly misunderstood, even after multiple explanations. One server was so pushy about our refusal to order alcohol (which I don’t drink) that he simply resorted to smirking and saying “really?” until we insisted that he go away. Claudiu (a server we met at breakfast once or twice) is a massive exception to this - he was professional, fast, conscientious, kind - and he deserves to be singled out for his excellent work.
Service outside of the dining room was also hit or miss. Reception staff, depending on who you get, can either be incredible or border on patronizing. One day, when we returned to our room after a walk, we found a lovely bouquet of flowers with a handwritten message about our honeymoon. I called down to reception to thank the staff, which they accepted graciously. It wasn’t until my mother sadly asked if we had received her flowers that we realized that the hotel didn’t send them at all - they had simply omitted any mention of where the flowers were from or who sent them. To be blunt, this pissed me off.
Wellness
The spa experience can’t be overstated - the amenities and general ambiance of the two wellness floors was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I wasn’t a big fan of sauna before I went to My Arbor, but I get it now. Steam sauna, wood sauna, bio sauna, inside/outside pool, jets for your back and booty - what an incredible adult playground. The housekeeping and spa staff worked together flawlessly to keep the shared wellness spaces spotless and relaxing. We spent most of our time outside the room making use of their hospitality. The massages were also very good. We did have one incident where the spa forgot to bring something to our room and, when reminded, simultaneously suggested we had never asked for it in the first place and blamed it on reception. Strange, but an anomaly considering our overall experience.
