We were once good friends. But like all relationships, things change.
For the first six years or so, I went out of my way to stay with Artisan. It's difficult to find friends who share the same interests, quirks, values, and sense of style. The vibe here was relaxed and without pretense.
Perhaps it's the distance between us, but Artisan has betrayed this friendship. What once was a hotel concept is now a club-event driven space, elements of which I even supported and mentioned to family run management before it sold to current ownership group. The problem is, this venue no longer has the Hospitality part of hotel ownership in its personality.
It's not the little things I'm concerned with. I can live with a non working remote for TV, no coffee service anywhere in hotel because the club still hasn't finished the night at 8AM, the special All Night event on 3rd floor that spills up to 4th, where two out of five people I recommended this place to are staying this weekend. It's not the restaurant that's been closed since check in (yes, I'm still here, writing from the spectacularly overblown Aria @ City Center) or increased costs of taxi service getting in and out of this industrial area, not under Artisan's control. No, these things are silly. The breach of trust with this friendship has to do with commitment and lack of communication, even with a flashy website and extra doormen each night.
Promises broken, reservations for things like a cabana party lost, dismissive staff in bar who rightfully look at their jobs as a Bar gig and not Hotel environment, the list goes on but you get the idea.
2.0 stars and doubtful of a reunion anytime soon.
We can't even be Facebook or Twitter friends.