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| - I've stayed here 3 times while on business in Phoenix. Each time was a different experience. The number of stars I'd give this place varies with each experience but I'm going to settle on 3.
I was spoiled during my first stay at the Grand. I checked in, and was given a full sized Villa room. Holy crap! This room was so nice, I was completely shocked. I didn't understand how this place could have anything but 5 star reviews. The bathroom was absolutely amazing (almost bigger than my bedroom back home!) with a huge beautifully glassed encased shower and a large Japanese soaking tub. Also had standard double sinks and plenty of towels and toiletries. The room also had a full living room and FULL kitchen. This was no kitchenette. Full sized refrigerator/freezer with ice dispenser. Dishwasher. Fully stocked with dishes, cutlery and cooking utensils (not that I would cook while there, that's what per diems are for). And then the separate bedroom. All in all, wowzers!
I also checked out the gym 2 of the 3 days on my first stay. Really nice full service gym. Plenty of cardio machines, 2 or 3 different weight room setups, and a group fitness class area. They even had some TRX ropes set up in there. I was very pleased that there was such a nice area to enjoy a morning sweat session.
Fast forward to my second visit. After the luxurious experience I had the first time around, I check in and head to my room, fully expecting the same setup. But when I walk in, I am literally shocked at the stark different between the Camelback rooms and the villas. None of the nice, modern conveinences existed here. There were 2 tube tvs (one in the small entry way living room, and one in the bedroom). The bathroom was absolutely tiny. So cramped that the toilet was crammed next to the shower and the sink was outside the bathroom. Blah. I called the front desk and was like, woah, this is definitely not the same room I stayed in last time. I was informed that on my previous visit all of the Camelback rooms were full so I had been automatically upgraded. Wish I had known that in advance so I could have reset my expectations! Because anything less than the villa was just a disappointment. Only good thing, again, was the gym (the saving grace of this hotel as others in the area don't compare).
The last time I was in Phoenix for work I decided to give the Grand one more try, hoping I would get lucky enough to be upgraded to a villa again. I halfway got my wish. I was upgraded, but not to a full villa, it was a villa guestroom. It was definitely much nicer than the Camelback rooms, no complaints there. But it was less than half the size of the full villa, the bathroom shared only a few of the qualities of the full villa that I had loved (no glass encased shower), and there was no ice in the room. The full villa had spoiled me! At least this room had a TV from this century, and it was certainly cozy enough to suffice. Again, the gym saves the day.
Given the rates my company has with this place, I'll likely be back. Hopefully I'll get to live the high life in the villas though, because the thought of slumming it in the other rooms makes me shudder.
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