I was there 9/21-28 Some of this has already been stated or is in trip reports on TTR but I figured it’s easiest to include it all for your reference. Short answer- I’m really excited about the potential of the new resort! Almost everything that is negative can be fixed or is in the process of being fixed/finished. First and foremost- the vibe was still the same, but of course I'd expect this during soft opening and certain times like Halloween and Labor Day. If the vibe were to change after the new year the groups: April Addicts, Mayhem, Dirty Dozen, June Junkies, Chaos Crew, etc. could just perhaps make a more concerted effort to make sure most everyone's dates overlap... The positive- The view from the lobby bar is amazing!! The big apple overlooking sexy pool and at Bash looks great, Score has potential including a stripper pole and small raised dance floor, and is nice for when it's raining in Bash. I like the stage in Bash for performances and dancing. (Timber!) JJ is back and the entertainment staff are great. they're doing a great job with branding- the Ents staff have been supplied with multiple sets of coordinating bikinis/bathing suits, t-shirts, caps, and skorts. They look amazing on theme nights! The staff everywhere were great and so professional during the "blackout". (They got out their personal phones as lights and kept serving food and drinks...) There is now (semi) dry storage under the pool chairs. They did not run out of towels, even with it raining. It's nice that the Thursday foam party is in the sexy pool but does not take it completely over the way it did the sports pool. They are now offering/encouraging toplessness on their beach. They brought back tostadas for lunch. The glassware and plastic wear are improved. Hibachi was nice. Members/Referrals have a butler which can be a great benefit. But when they want you to do everything through your butler (eg, book restaurant reservations) and it's hard to find him, this can be a drawback. You can request who you want as your butler. Bracelets- it's so nice that they aren't tacky or scratchy. Black bands are for members and Referrals not in the tower. Blue bands are for those in the tower and white is for everyone else, though for whatever reason Gunther Mal and Susannah Mally got pink bands. The grilled provolone at Flame (steakhouse) is to die for if you love gooey cheese. I thought overall the music was much better. Bash quits playing music between 2 and 3. They alternate a bar staying open either in Bash or in the adjacent lobby bar. There is a printed schedule of activities and shows for the week. The member robes are nicer/softer than before but you may have to ask your butler to make sure you get them. The negative- No, I’m not trying to sound nit picky, just being informative! There was still a lot of construction going on. Paint smell, noises, AC not keeping up, sound systems too loud, some of the public toilet plumbing was not keeping up at times. And there was a fairly short power outage one evening. But this was a soft opening, of course they are working the bugs out. Floors incredibly slippery (I took a spill and many others did as well.) They did not yet have their soda guns installed so for example the room temperature club soda lost its fizz when it hit the ice. They are not allowing Anguie to do tattos/painting in public spaces. I agree that Rashim put form before function. Eg I loved the rooms ones with the sink outside the bathroom and the long counter. There were no drawers and only a couple of shelves, though the larger shelf in the shower was handy for shampoo, etc. The shelving/closet storage is sleek looking when closed but impractical. The refrigerator and tv and inside in large box type things which is a big waste of space so the older rooms seem smaller. There was basically no counter space except by the sink which did have a shelf underneath but that was pretty low... The full length mirror and refrigerator were put in unhandy locations with the doors opening the less practical way. It was hard to regulate the temperature of the room and the default is in Celsius. The TV was cumbersome to deal with and porn costs $10 a stay for the cheapest package. I like that the blinds now keep the sun out (mostly) in the early am, but they are either open or closed; there are no curtains or sheers. Water pressure was good. They no longer have V8 anywhere. The refrigerators don't have freezers and the bottles of water are now small. (Back when the freezers worked I’d stick the water in there and drink ice water as it melted by day at the pool and by night at PattyO’s.) My door didn't seal around the edges, this led to bugs, mainly mosquitoes especially after the rains. Rain (the buffet) looked more like a cafeteria and I didn't realize the two sides of it had different food options. It was really noisy in there (not from the music but from voices echoing.) There is now a clock in every room but no longer one in any public space I saw (they took down the one at the towel station) someone said the time is on the TV at the pool bar but I looked and couldn't find it, probably depends on the time and station... The lighting in Bash is too bright! Recommendations: Make the music quieter everywhere. Decrease (again) the level of water in the sexy pool. Install a clock over the sexy pool. Decrease the lighting in Bash to give it more of a club feel. Fix the seals around the older rooms to prevent bugs and light from seeping in. Add full length mirrors in the restrooms. Make the floors less slippery (I believe they are doing this already.) Heat the “hot” tub. Check that the shower heads and positioned/pointed in a way that all of the water stays in the shower. Adjust the acoustics in the buffet. Consider making the light under the bed red for that sexy feel… Make the default of the thermostat in Fahrenheit. (Just my two cents, Brits ) I was told they will be installing soda “guns”. But like I said, almost all of this is surmountable and much of it is being dealt with as we speak.They are having their "grand opening event" October 16 so I am confident much will be done even in the next two weeks and better shape to know how much power and generators they will need, etc.. If you ask if I’d go back, hell yes, I’m back October 24 of this year!!
Thanks for the review spicy. We'll be there 21-27. And from Joliet. About 1 1/2 from you. Small world
there were no organized trips from the resort. I was afraid with the 5 star status there would be even more upselling. ways in which they were asking for money, but actually there were less. Wasn't even any advertising/selling kiosks for sunscreen, for example. I'm hopeful this is because they're getting the money they need through the rooms and don't have to do it anymore. Or it might just be that these things will happen once the soft opening is over. Time will tell...
Thanks for taking the time to write up a trip report Spicy! I agree with many of your recommendations. Hopefully we actually see some of them implemented in the near future. Timber!!!
Good report Spicy and it was nice meeting you. I agree with all your positives especially the music being better, better by 10x. My first room's floor never dried after taking a shower and ways a bit dangerous (2724), second room 3922 was perfect. Had an absolute blast and all the folks I met were top notch!
Great trip report! Agree with you, especially on the music being so loud. We still had a great time! Looking forward to going back!
Well stated. You can push a button and simply change the thermostat from C to F. Or just remember... 1.8 x C +32=F Yeah right...do this when you are drunk or hung over!
