This hotel is a perfect demonstration of the fact that different people value different things. If you love modern, contemporary design and architecture, Asian flair, unique room layout, then you may well love this hotel.
However, if you value function over form, you may be very disappointed.
If you want to call "Service One" (i.e., the concierge button) for a bucket of ice, and don't mind waiting 15 to 30 minutes for your ice, this is your place. If you would rather walk down the hall and have the bucket of ice in 2 or 3 minutes, you will be disappointed.
If you want to walk out and get into your car and drive away, stay elsewhere. If you don't mind $28 per night for parking, plus a valet tip, plus 10 to 30 minute wait to get your car, this place will be fine.
The room is about the same size as any major-chain hotel, but the layout is quite different. The bathroom is much larger, with a separate tub and really nice shower. The toilet is unique: "half flush" and "full flush" buttons (made by Caroma in Australia, http://www.caroma.com.au/index.html). The shower head is a great Kohler unit that supplies a soft, wide, drench.
The bathroom is separated from the bedroom by sliding "screens": open is nearly useless, as the toilet is visible from the bed. Closed is ok, but the bathroom is not really separate from the bedroom, but more like a toilet with a bed sheet for privacy.
This form/function conflict appears numerous places: a wonderful, round, retro clock that goes tick-tock, but uses "glow-in-the-dark" hands that, about 10 minutes after the lights go out, cannot be read. Wake up in the middle of the night and you cannot tell what time it is.
The bedroom has a contemporary work desk, ergonomic chair (entirely out-of-place with its all-plastic construction), tiny round end table, and "chaise" sofa suitable for one person. We had room service dinner one night, and there was no place to simply sit and eat. Tray on the desk, service on the chaise/chair/bed. Very uncomfortable. Oh, and they forgot to give us any type of table napkins with dinner -- we could have called down again, but used face clothes from the bathroom rather than wait for them to bring napkins while our food got cold.
Finally, the "service one" button on the phone gets prompt answering, but very erratic response. I was here with several acquaintances in other rooms, and we all had ice buckets take from 10 minutes to 1 hour, car valet service from 10 minutes to 30 minutes, etc.
Summary: if you value form over function, you may love this place. If not, you may hate it. We're leaving 4 days early for lodging more to our taste.












