HotelChatter

I had to work at my corporate office this weekend so I decided to try the new NYLO Friday since it was just down the street.

I booked a Pure Glass Loft King and got the discounted soft opening price.

THE GOOD:
The staff was great.  Not your typical burned out service people.  Everyone was eager, fresh and helpful.  A nice change from the chain hotels that clog this suburb.

I was really impressed with the bar/restaurant/lounge area.  When you first walk in you think it is small but it keeps going and going.  Lots of nooks and corners to hang out in with some privacy.  Drinks were strong and the food was suprisingly good.  

The beds are great!  Loved the sheets and the pillows weren't wimpy either.

On a surface level, the decor and design really stand out in this area.  There is simply nothing quite like it in Plano.

THE BAD:
All of the suites were booked for the night so I was in one of the regular sized rooms.  It just felt clostrophobic after awhile.  I don't mind a tiny room if i'm actually in New York City or even Downtown Dallas, but this is Plano!  It was just odd being crammed into a 300 square foot room when there is nothing around the hotel currently but open fields and free land.

The giant glass window was cool but right now there's nothing to look at.  Currently your view choices are the very bland McAfee corporate building, empty fields or an upscale strip mall across the street.  It will probably take a year or two before the surroundings start to get more lively.

The bathroom.  I know open bathrooms are all the rage thanks to The London NYC and W hotels but they are still slightly creepy.  The sliding door didn't close all the way and the open gap at the top lets everyone hear your "activities."  There are two showerheads and ours got stuck after a few switches.  It is also very easy to flood the floor with only a light shower curtain to stop the water.  On the plus side, you can see the outline of whoever is showering through the curved wall in the bedroom, so live out your best Jennifer Beals fantasy!

Light issues.  The giant glass window had terrific blackout curtains.  Unfortunately, the bed was in line with the door to the room and there is a fairly decent gap on the bottom sending in hallway light glare.  Plus the peephole was shooting a tiny beam of hallway light like a sniper laserpoint at my head half the night.  The couch has a blue light underneath (I assume to stop anyone from tripping) and there is a motion-detector set industrial bulb by the door that goes off with any movement.

THE UGLY:
The guests!  Loud and drunk was the order of the night.  Hopefully this place is a lot more mellow during the week for business travellers.  The concrete and the industrial style elevators really up the sound level.

 

i was kind of looking forward to staying at NYLO.  My usual trip to our HQ in Plano has me staying at Embassy Suites or the Westin Stonebriar.  Both were sold out and I happened upon the NYLO after doing an online search.  Anyway, I reserved a NYLO suite online for $199 that had a $65 discount promo already factored into the rate.  When I arrived to check in, the front desk clerk put me in a tiny room with bunk beds.  I told the clerk that I had reserved a suite but she couldn't find my reservation.  She asked if I could go to the back room and print out a copy of my reservation.  Kind of a hassle, but I did it.  As I was walking back to the front desk she told me that I was being upgraded to the LifeStyle suite, whatever that meant.  She assured me it was the nicest room in the hotel.  OK I figured.  The clerk asked me to initial my rate and sign the no smoking form.  When I looked at the rate, it was $279 not the $199 on my reservation.  I told her and she called her manager or something and they resolved it.  I was on my way.  
As for the room, it was cool.  Very funky with a great balcony over looking the pastures.  It really was a nice room.  

Started getting hungry and went down to the loft to grab some dinner and a few drinks.  Bar area was great and the staff very good.  Food was alright, those sliders look better on the picture, but they were ok.  Had another drink then went back to my room to send some emails and do some work.  

About 9pm I called down to the front desk to order a couple beers to my room.  Sorry, we cant do that she said. Why not?  Apparently they have no type of room service at all.  Going to be hard for NYLO to compete with other hotels for business travelers if you cant order some beers to your room.  She did tell me that I could go down to the bar and order some beers and bring them up myself.  Kind of a hassle, but I did it.  
So I order 4 beers to go. The bartender tells me he can only sell me 2.  I'm just going to my room to watch the rest of the basketball game, I tell him.  No deal.  And on top of that, he opens both beers.  Oh well.  

In the morning I go to the restaraunt to have some breakfast.  Typical $13 dollar spread... eggs, potatoes, bacon etc.  I asked the waiter if they had any newspapers.  Most hotels deliver them to your door.  NYLO doesn't do that.  Kind of a hassle, but I got over it.  Anyway about 15 minutes later the waiter comes back with a USA Today.  Nice touch, even if it was yesterday's paper.  I just smiled and said thanks.

Now it's check out time and the front desk person tells me that the computers are down and they wont be able to print me a receipt.  They offer to email me one in a couple of hours once the system comes back online.  So they have me write my email address on a piece of scrap paper.  You know where this is going....  

Now it's the next day and I'm back home trying to put my receipts together to do my weekly expenses and I have no NYLO receipt.  I call the hotel and the front desk clerk promises to send it to me right away.  That was 3 hours ago.  I'll call again on Monday.

As a whole, the hotel is an interesting diversion from mainstream properties and I'll probably give them another chance in a month or so to see if they can get past these growing pains.  They have a long way to go if they plan on keeping business travelers though.

If you have your choice of staying at a NYLO Hotel and ANY KIND OF EVENT is scheduled I would drop your booking immediately. Here I sit in my hotel room at 1:44 in the morning. I need to be up and getting ready to go to work in less than five hours. And what do I hear. But the DJ/BAND playing on.

So a report.

The event was entertaining. I am not staying here for the event in question. I am here because North Dallas is iced over. This means that work needs people to stay the night at the hotel literally across the street. The first time I stayed here during the soft opening for a similar reason the shower was broken and the overhead "rain" head did not work. Today/Last Night the band has been playing. I can hear them clearly. When I asked to change rooms of course the answer is "we are out of rooms." Just called the front desk to ask and was informed that they indeed are "full tonight".

NEVER EVER USE THIS HOTEL. If by some stretch of imagination you want to book a room at a NYLO hotel make sure you are out of other options. I would prefer to be in a hotel with a "questionable" reputation than in a NYLO Hotel. Right now NYLO hotels are off to a screaming start. The flagship location is cheap. They try to make it look nice but really everything screams cheap. From the folding chairs in the dining area. (No really folding chairs. Not metal but wooden folding chairs.) to the Ikea not even straight shelf on the wall. (It tilts toward me so anything round put on this surface would roll right off.) The shower is not separated from the main room. What I mean is the shower stall while nicely appointed (when it works correctly.) actually has an top opening into the main area of the room. This means if you want to take an extended hot steamy shower you are going to pass that on to the entire room.

Sound insulation wise of course it sucks. I at 1:53 in the morning now STILL hear the DJ spinning in the courtyard.

I have stayed at other truly high class hotels during events. Those rooms were deathly silent. NYLO needs to learn to be high class. They charge high class prices for the rooms yet deliver sub par service and amenities. The rooms are not even carpet just sealed concrete.

So again if you have to choose between a NYLO hotel and a 50 dollar a night best western and thing that NYLO would be better. The ONLY recommendation I can make in that matter is to think twice. Choose the best western and get what you came to the hotel for. TO SLEEP.

I will not choose a NYLO hotel again. And tomorrow as soon as other coworkers show up to finish the day I am going home. Perhaps that will teach my employer to not book at this "wants to be high class but is truly cheap" hotel.

One last tidbit.  This "event" was supposed to go until 11pm.  But the owners at the last miniute aparrently decided to stretch this "event" until 2:30 IN THE MORNING

Thanfully the event wrapped up at 2am.  Perhaps it had to do with the call I asked the local police department to make?  Sad that is what it takes for an tenant at this hotel to get some quiet.