Sapphire Falls Resort

[twebber55]

Probably, but it seems as if the paying customer was content with whatever the outcome was and that's all that matters.

quoting for posterity

 

[Brian G.]

Back in the day when I loved & drank Moscow Mules, they were always served in a special small copper mug, which kept the drink super cold. Have you ever had it served that way?

I've never not had it that way, until today.

quoting for posterity

 

[twebber55]

I've never not had it that way, until today.

the paying customer is really all that matters.
was the hotel sold out today?

 

[Brian G.]

the paying customer is really all that matters.
was the hotel sold out today?

Got ya.

Seems like it was. Saw people try to book on Twitter for tomorrow and it's not available (Cabana, too).

In addition, all wings are open like I had thought. Just Convention area is the only thing under construction presently (along with last minute fixes and additions to the main hotel).

 

[Brian G.]

I imagine that everyone that worked in the lobby/check in areas is happy to see this first day over and look forward to all the better days to come.

Everyone was.

Gotta commend them on today. 90% finished hotel, check-in issues, pool closure, and they handled it really well.

 

[UNIrd]

I had to call for my luggage 3x before they brought it. Finally got it at 1am. Whatever. Had an awesome dinner at Strong Water Tavern. Some pics from it and today:

 

[GadgetGuru]

Don't quite get the theme, but I can't deny that it isn't a great looking hotel

Edit: Feel like a terrible person. Meant to say it is a great looking hotel. Oh, autocorrect.

 

[BJCool]

Even though I may never stay at this hotel, more than anything, I am thrilled that we have even more great dining options added to the resort as a whole. I always make an effort to stop at Mama Della's everytime I visit Orlando. And now I can't wait to try out these new restaurants.

 

[Scott W.]

Don't quite get the theme, but I can't deny that it isn't a great looking hotel

It's a bad looking hotel?

 

[foodstampsFTW]

It's a bad looking hotel?

It's funny that I completely got what he was saying and if you hadn't pointed it out I wouldn't have know it was incorrect. He shouldn't have put the isn't in there. Unless he thinks the hotel doesn't look good.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

I had to call for my luggage 3x before they brought it. Finally got it at 1am. Whatever. Had an awesome dinner at Strong Water Tavern. Some pics from it and today:

The last image of the rock work and water is stunning. Where were you when you took that shot?

 

[Scott W.]

The last image of the rock work and water is stunning. Where were you when you took that shot?

I love that image too, the contrast and the colours are incredible. If you look at the background you can see Hulk and Dr Dooms to give away the location.

 

[JonsMovies]

This video shows a little more of the property with some of the upscale ambiance. Seems to fall somewhere between CBBR and RPR:

 

[graspthesun]

I didn't want to multi-quote over several pages, so I'm gonna chime in with a couple things.

Ha. I was close when I said there would be lock issues. Wasn't aware that Sapphire Falls had RFID keys. Are all the hotels converting and how do those work for charging at the parks and Citywalk?

It's becoming increasingly common for hotels to be owned as a joint venture or by a completely different company than the management company. It's great that Loew's has an ownership stake because it means that they're committed to good product outside of just the branding and management. It's also not unusual for a hotel to be owned by one company, managed by a second company and then "flagged" or franchised as a third company. Those hotels tend to suffer the most with maintenance and customer service issues because there are a lot of conflicting standards and philosophies on where and how much money gets spent.

90 minutes to check in is rough, but I spent nearly 30 minutes trying to check into the Mirage in Vegas back in April, so it's not unheard of for long waits. I think Universal/Loew's will learn from this and phase the next opening over 2-3 days depending on the size of the property. Pro-active recovery with drink vouchers in the line is going to make the next couple days a lot easier on the staff because it will have satiated the vast majority of people who would've complained. It's great that the crowd was understanding.

 

[Mad Dog]

I had to call for my luggage 3x before they brought it. Finally got it at 1am. Whatever. Had an awesome dinner at Strong Water Tavern. Some pics from it and today:

Nice pictures. The lagoon entrance is stunning. The Rum Tavern looks really comfortable & classy. Love the hallways color pattern......Note to some other postings. CBBR is managed by Lowe's, but it's not a branded Lowes hotel, which makes it a slightly different status than the others.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

This video shows a little more of the property with some of the upscale ambiance. Seems to fall somewhere between CBBR and RPR:

Great video. If anyone knows what the name of the music used in the video was I would love to know.

 

[graspthesun]

Nice pictures. The lagoon entrance is stunning. The Rum Tavern looks really comfortable & classy. Love the hallways color pattern......Note to some other postings. CBBR is managed by Lowe's, but it's not a branded Lowes hotel, which makes it a slightly different status than the others.

Right. CBBR is so far outside of Loews' branding strategy (luxury boutique hotels) that they decided not to put their name on it. The Hard Rock isn't branded as Loews either. It's a franchise property. Lots of interesting hotel industry quirks all in one resort.

 

[Mad Dog]

Right. CBBR is so far outside of Loews' branding strategy (luxury boutique hotels) that they decided not to put their name on it. The Hard Rock isn't branded as Loews either. It's a franchise property. Lots of interesting hotel industry quirks all in one resort.

Yep. And those two don't participate in the You Too Rewards program either. Nice to get free room upgrades.

 

[UNIrd]

The last image of the rock work and water is stunning. Where were you when you took that shot?

I was standing at the end of the lobby looking out the huge windows. There's a few really nice spots for lounging at the hotel with awesome views, including there and the outside seating area of Strong Water Tavern. Also, the room I was given (or booked? I don't remember..) is considered Water View. This is what I see from the window:

 

[Trumen882]

I'm so in love with the lagoon entrance way and also the wonderfully landscaped falls. Although the design is a little plain, I appreciate how unfussy the whole hotel is. It really is an efficient and sleek design.