Lenny's Phallic Flaws

November 29, 2005 at 9:52 AM | by markj | Comments (0)

We are back, live from Miami. Let's start today's coverage with a close look at the Setai, shall we?

Let's face it, when you pay $1000 a night for a hotel room, your expectations are justifiably high.

There is no doubt Adrian Zecha's Amanresort-esque Setai is gorgeous, and we will get to that.

However, issues abound in paradise--how do you get to the bottom of what is really going on at a hotel? Ask a New Yorker what they think of the place. That is exactly what we did, and here is what we heard:

For $1000 a night I expect near perfect service, but these folks border on rude. The wake up call service was terrible and it seems like no one is ever at the front desk. When a concierge is available they don't always give you the right information.

Setai dissection continues post break

Another guest adds...

There was one thing that annoyed us at the hotel...daytrippers. Not sure what the hotel�s policy is regarding day-passes but the beach and the pool seemed half full with people that were not guests of the hotel. Not to sound like a snob, but the last thing I wanted to hear is a gaggle of women from the Midwest alternately planning or reliving their nighttime escapades between quick runs back to their hotel (presumably the Days Inn next door).

This is an interesting conundrum for the Setai and other Miami Beach hotels. The pool areas usually open up to the beach boardwalk, which means foot traffic can get in and gape at the gorgeous pool areas, not a bad thing, but a challenge for the more exclusive resorts.

Most hotels have signs saying "guests only please", and other hotels, including the Setai, routinely check for a room key before letting you walk from the beach to the pool area. It surprises us a bit that the plebes penetrated the Setai pool area, but surprises us even more that they stayed for the day once inside. There is a definite crowd at the Setai and a non guest/resident would stick out for sure in the sparsely populated Setai pool area.

A couple other Setai notes:
· The Setai Hotel is closer to Collins Ave than to the beach. It is kind of a trek to walk through the hotel lobby and the pool area to the beach. Not a huge deal, but for $1000 a night, probably good to note that condo residents get prime position while hotel goers occupy the street side of the property.

· The rooms are drop dead gorgeous. Flat panel televisions, teak and stone everywhere.

· The service is the big problem here. Stakes are high and these guests rightfully demand near perfection; however, thus far the Setai has been disappointing on the service side.

Related Stories:
·   Beware of the Fancy Balcony [NY Post via Luxist]
·   Setai Reviews [TripAdvisor]
·   Setai Coverage [HotelChatter]

HotelChatter

Select a Destination:

Hotels / → All Tags