Just back ( well, last Thurs) from 7 nights at the Dolphin; quick observations:
1. Housekeeping was worse than I expected. We were told "every 4 days". Nothing on our 4th day - I called and they said "it's a holiday". I'm NOT lying - a resort hotel saying they don't clean rooms on a holiday when people are there in part BECAUSE of it??. Is that like a bar closing on St Patrick's Day so their staff can celebrate??
Worse than that, the NEXT day, still no housekeeping. I asked why not and was in effect told I needed to request it. I was NOT told that at check in.
2. Just FYI; we had two alcove suites with connecting king (FANTASTIC views) so in effect four rooms within 2 reservations. all under my name though we split the cost between 4 families. But on check in they wanted to hold $7,200 against my card!! Not a typo. $3,600 for each set.
Now I DID happen to have that much limit, but I forgot to call the credit card company and so it was declined as a potential fraud. One of the people we were traveling with used her card instead and they took it (even though she didn't call ahead either).
I get the idea I should have called ahead - but a hold of over SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS? I was NOT warned of that ANYTIME upon reservations or calls confirming or emails from them. Obviously it based on the room rate but still - be aware. We don't travel a whole lot compared to some (last trip 3 years ago) , but we've travelled dozens of times in the last 40 years or so, I NEVER had a company hold THAT much. Though in fairness the final bill WAS a bit more than that - it was simply a surprise.
3. Speaking of surprises, the hotel was PACKED! There was a "convention" or competition for young girls' dance teams. It looked like anywhere from 5 years old up to maybe early teens. A LOT of people all over. It didnt' impact our sleeping etc (none on our floor anyway as far as I could tell) and I will say they were all VERY respectful. No loud screaming or anything at all.
But it was almost ludicrous to see signs about social distancing and 2 people on an elevator (yeah, right!) and short staffed for housekeeping "because of the pandemic" and yet see the hotel THAT crowded. Much more crowded than our last trip 3 years ago.
And it made the lobby area essentially unusable. All the seats were taken by the kids except at the bar itself - and so the bar was standing room only. It opened at 3:30 (seemed later than last time) and Shulas and Blue Zoo and Il Milano not until 5.
4. I have to say we're thinking our next stay won't be at the Dolphin and maybe not at the Swan either. As much as we liked the rooms we had this trip and last, it's the first time the "convention aspect" of that complex played a part in making us wish we were somewhere else.
STILL - it was nice to walk to Epcot and HS. Especially when the boats shut down for the rain. (Side note - the Skyliner shut down so many times I don't see it as anything one could count on in the summer especially.)
5. BUT all that said - we were at Disney World!!!
When I look at Marriott website or even online travel deal sites, the prices I see for Swan & Dolphin are not cheaper than Disney moderates. What am I missing?
