Takiyah W.
Yelp
The level of hospitality we experienced at this place was unmatched. From the valet who greets you by name, and the warmest most inviting champagne welcome and tour from Teresa. You feel like you have just arrived home.
The concierge was busy checking in other guests, so Teresa promptly set us up in the library for a work meeting and Kyle set us up for tea. We arrived during the last 1/2 hour of teatime, but we were never made to feel rushed. We were instantly transported to The Ivy Experience without us realizing it.
After about an hour or so, I went to check-in while my sister finished her meeting. I sat at the desk and greeted James, he responds, "Hi, but I don't know who you are." Slightly off-putting, but I didn't read too much into it, because soon after he pursed his lips, Teresa appeared to inform him. James goes over amenities and our itinerary, reviews our spa reservation, 1pm the following afternoon. He reminds me checkout is at 11am, and informed me that late checkout was not an option because our room was booked. He said he would let us know if anything changed, but based on his delivery, I took that as a futile promise. Now, when we booked the spa prior to arrival we were informed that late checkout is typically offered, but I understand that things are not absolute, so I was only minimally disappointed. James goes on to explain that we can enjoy the common areas for the 2 hours between checkout and the spa.
We finally make it to our uniquely designed room, and we love it! While we are raiding the snack bar like 8-year-olds, we get a craving for potato chips. LOL! We call to see if there are any available, they first offer to cook us some chips. We promptly decline, we were not trying to be fussy. Long story short, they arrive to the door about 5 mins later with a generous-sized bag a kettle cooked chips. Aaaahhh...The Ivy Experience.
Dinner was great, service is stellar, cocktails packed a punch and the ambiance was beautiful in the courtyard at night. After dinner we head to the bar room where a crowd of guests have already begun to gather. The guests we encountered during our stay only enhanced our experience, everyone was so welcoming. It's hard to be any other way in The Ivy.
Breakfast was awesome. Amanda took great care of us. She made excellent recommendations, when we were torn between selections, she brought both. Our water glass was hardly ever below the rim. I asked for coffee, she reminded me they had lattes...I went with the latter. The food, the service, and again, the courtyard in the early morning was EVERYTHING.
After breakfast, we return to our room to gather our belongings. James takes our bags for holding as we wait for the spa. The wait wasn't too bad, we sat in the living area for those 2 hours. But here's where we have our first official sour moment at The Ivy.
While waiting in the common area, the bar is being prepped. They finish setup about 12:30ish, so we have roughly about 15mins left. We walk to the bar to make a little cocktail before the spa. James appears from nowhere, hands clasped, lips pursed, "May I assist you with something?" I'm slightly taken aback by the offer, because up until this point James has not offered to assist us with anything. Has not offered water or anything else. I look at him with a slightly confused face, he goes on to say, "Amenities end at 11, with checkout." I respond, "Oh, I did not realize that since we've been waiting here to patronize the spa. That's fine, am I able to purchase a cocktail?" We finish making our cocktails, I walk over to settle the tab. He says it will be added to the spa bill. See how easy that was, James?
My issue with James is not what he said, it's how he said it and then his failure to offer an alternative. He said NOTHING for 2 hours and the first time he engages is to check our behavior, wrapped in a false offer of assistance. Teresa would never. Amanda would never. Kyle would never.
So thankful that Damani (sp) came shortly after to rescue us. He escorts us to the spa and all the bad energy instantly melts away. When I tell you that spa exudes good vibes, love, care, concern. That team spoke light and love and cared for our bodies in a way that made us want to stay. It was such an enriching spa experience; it was just so much love in that space. I cannot describe it, it felt like family.
If not for James, this would be a 5-star rating. Do not get me wrong, James was not explicitly rude, his service was not bad. James would be a shining star at a Marriott of sorts, but he did not add to The Ivy Experience.
Oh...how thankful were we that our last impression was the spa. We will definitely return. Quarterly retreats to The Ivy would be ideal, but we may revisit the spa a little more frequently.