Bluegreen Vacations Hotel Blake

A very disappointing experience, especially considering the hotel’s supposed five-star rating and my Hilton Gold status. We had just arrived from a long international flight, and the welcome was anything but welcoming. We struggled to figure out how to open the entrance doors, which had a hidden automatic button, while the valet attendant shouted at us not to push them. Seriously? Not exactly the first impression you expect from a hotel of this category. The first thing we were asked was whether we wanted valet parking, at a ridiculous $60 per night, without any alternatives being explained. We were then asked to provide all sorts of details about the car. For $60 a night, I’d expect the valet to take care of that himself. Reception was equally disappointing: cold, robotic and completely impersonal. Not a smile, not a friendly word, not even a little small talk. Hospitality was simply nonexistent. The hotel itself feels dated, although parts seem to have been renovated. Our room was spacious, which was a plus, but the view was literally the wall of the neighbouring building. And the toilet flush was so absurdly loud that it startled us every single time. I genuinely don’t understand how this property is classified as a five-star hotel. Both the facilities and, more importantly, the service felt closer to a three-star hotel, perhaps four at best. Overall, a very underwhelming experience. Being part of Hilton and charging premium prices should come with a certain standard of hospitality, and unfortunately this hotel fell well short of it.

The staff was super nice as soon as we arrived. When we got to the room it was a good size and we had a view of the street and buildings. The bed sheets had little tears in it but it was comfortable. The worse part was the shower, because it had someone else's hair along the shower walls. Not worth cleaning I guess 😕

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We had a wonderful stay! The hotel looks newly renovated, and the room was clean, tidy, and spacious. The biggest surprise was the daily housekeeping service! It was such a nice touch and made our stay extra comfortable. The housekeeping team was wonderful and thoughtful. The location was excellent and very convenient for exploring the city. We truly enjoyed our stay and would happily come back again!

Our stay was enjoyable overall until our final interaction with one of the doormen, Ron. Unfortunately, that experience completely changed how my wife and I felt about the hotel. When we arrived, a younger doorman working on Sunday, July 12, around 3:00 p.m. immediately assisted us by unloading our luggage, bringing everything to our room, and setting it up before I could even thank him. He left before I had the chance to tip him, which I genuinely regret because his service was exceptional. Our experience with Ron at checkout was the complete opposite. That morning, I asked Ron to bring our car around and provide a luggage cart. We had attended a convention for several days and had accumulated many product samples and materials for my wife's company, so we had much more luggage than when we arrived. I told him we'd be ready in about 15 minutes, but he never came. I eventually found him getting on the elevator. During the ride, I explained we were returning to the convention and planned to leave our car with the hotel until around 2:00 p.m., something both the front desk and another doorman had already confirmed was perfectly fine. Ron replied in what seemed like an annoyed tone, "Oh, so you don't need the car right now?" After I explained again, he said nothing. When we reached our room, I loaded most of the luggage myself while Ron only carried a few items. He repeatedly commented on how much luggage we had, even after I explained multiple times that most of it was convention material for my wife's company. On the way downstairs, he continued making remarks and questioned how long we planned to leave our car, despite every other employee telling us it was allowed. After my wife and I loaded the car ourselves while Ron watched, he asked, "Are you guys foreign or something?" We replied that we were from Wisconsin. He then asked, "Was I not helpful? I thought I was very helpful," followed by, "Well, what is it then? You guys should know," and ended with a passive-aggressive, "Thank you for your generosity." It became clear he was confronting us about not tipping him. I explained that my wallet was in my backpack, and he replied, "Oh no, it's fine. I just thought I was more helpful than that." Despite how uncomfortable the interaction was, I still retrieved my wallet, left Ron a $10 tip on his desk, and then spoke with the front desk manager, who apologized for the experience. Later that afternoon, when we returned from the convention, Ron greeted us by saying, "Welcome back. I thought I lost you guys," even though I had already explained exactly where we were going and when we'd return. What makes this especially disappointing is the contrast between Ron's service and the outstanding service we received when we arrived. I later learned that bell staff are typically tipped, which I honestly didn't know before this trip. Had I known, I absolutely would have tipped the employee who provided such exceptional service at check-in. Instead, our final impression of the hotel was repeated comments about our luggage, unnecessary questioning about our vehicle, and an uncomfortable confrontation over tipping. It left my wife and me feeling embarrassed and overshadowed what had otherwise been a very enjoyable stay.