Blue Iris by Life House

Disappointing Experience at a Five-Star Hotel – Poor Service Overshadowed the Stay I typically expect a high standard of service when staying at a five-star property, but unfortunately, my experience at this hotel was far from what one would expect at such a level. The most glaring issue throughout the stay was the lack of basic customer service and professionalism from the staff. Upon arrival, we were not greeted—in fact, the staff displayed a noticeably cold and condescending attitude. There were no smiles, no warm welcome—just uncomfortable stares and a dismissive demeanor. This immediately set a negative tone for our stay. One of the most surprising elements was the lack of assistance with luggage, especially given the property’s steep staircases and upscale status. No help was offered, and requests were met with indifference. On another occasion, we were left standing at the front desk for an extended period while a staff member, who appeared to be on a personal phone call, completely ignored our presence. Breakfast, which was included with our stay, was also mishandled. Staff were consistently absent, and we were never served breakfast despite multiple reminders. When we asked to speak with a manager—both before and during our stay—we were repeatedly told that the general manager was either “unreachable” or not on property. This seemed to be a recurring excuse rather than a temporary circumstance. At one point during the day, there were no staff members on-site at all. We actually encountered a team member walking down the street away from the hotel. This lack of consistent staffing raises serious concerns about the hotel’s operations. Similarly, although staff were supposed to be available at the front desk until 11 PM, a sign was placed stating they were “unreachable” at 8 PM—after which no one returned for the remainder of the evening. Ultimately, guests are left to fend for themselves, with virtually no support or service on-site. While I could list additional instances of disorganized or inappropriate staff behavior, I believe the above examples provide sufficient warning for anyone considering this property. For a hotel claiming to be five-star, the experience was deeply disappointing, and I would not recommend this property until serious improvements are made to management, staff training, and overall guest support.

The nightly rate of $600 carries a certain level of expectations which sadly, was not met. To start off, your staff seems very unhappy to work for the property. Initially, Casita was quite abrupt and we played along. However, after a few of these interactions, her abruptness got tiring and disruptive. As for the room, although nicely appointed, it did not seem thoroughly cleaned. The floor in the inside of the door was sticky and needed to be properly swept. The toilet seat also felt sticky and not properly sanitized. Further, the bath towels, apart from being quite small, did not seem clean. When we asked for additional towels, we were met with frustration from the staff and we decided to not insist. Sadly, although your property has great potential, the room rate does not match the quality of service and cleanliness (or lack thereof) of the room. We certainly feel that we overpaid.

The location was unbeatable and the hotel oozed charm with updates and attention to detail. Great decor, delicious little breakfast (the croissants were homemade and incredible, the juice freshly squeezed) and the staff was kind and thoughtful (there's a daily drink for guests each evening and when I told them I didn't drink alcohol, they brought me and my daughters a delicious non-alcoholic bottle....so thoughtful). Towels, beach chairs, bikes...they made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our stay. The only downside to the hotel was not knowing that the room we booked was below ground level with small basement windows that made for a pretty dim interior. The photos we saw upon booking show a beautiful room filled with natural light and the booking said "ground level" which is true in that it's a split level so the front room was below ground but the back room walked out onto a back patio. If we wanted some natural light and opened our shades, we were definitely on display to people walking on the street, so we kind of hated being inside, despite the beautiful decor and soft bedding, because it was pretty dark even in the middle of the day. If natural light and sunshine is something you value in your stay, I would recommend asking exactly which floor you will be on during your stay. I just get the icks in basements and a few spider webs and bugs in corners sort of underscored the feeling, even though it was cleaned each day and very updated and polished.

Excellent location charming and very chic decor with lovely staff

"The hotel room was impeccably clean, and the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly throughout my stay

Beautiful property, great location Very nice hotel with clean, comfortable, nicely appointed rooms. Staff were very kind and accommodating. Great location near the middle of town on a quiet street.