Ayres Hotel Chino Hills - Ontario — Hotel in Chino Hills

Let me first tell you why I gave 3 stars for the rooms. The hotel has three floors and we were assigned the second floor. I usually request a higher floor in any hotel I stay in; the lady at the desk checked and said they were full. So I gladly accepted the 2nd floor room. The room was at one end of the building on the second floor, but the distance from this room to the elevator was a nice long walk (can be good and bad!). The rooms on the other side of the elevator were closer (hmm...not symmetrical). Soon after we entered the room (my family, i.e.) we noticed the people staying above had really heavy feet! It seemed to us there were steadily walking up and down their room, and the loud thuds of their footsteps were felt in our room directly underneath. It's been a while since I have stayed in a hotel where the higher floor occupants' footsteps can be heard underneath! To add to the inconvenience, there was a strange sound -- audible only in our room, but not outside -- as if water was rhythmically flowing in the pipes, or an exhaust fan was turning off and on constantly.

The adjacent rooms are nicely sound-proofed. Our next door room was like a hotel "supplies" room, and the staff were talking loudly as they were folding towels in there, etc., yet we could hear nothing in our room.

We promptly let the front desk know about the room issues. The technician who came to diagnose the source of the sound had no idea either. So we were offered a room on the 3rd floor (at a "walkable distance" from the elevator). This new room was really good. High ceiling. More posh than the one below. I give 5 stars to the front desk person for offering this (despite the earlier front desk person claiming that they had no rooms left).

The rooms have a microwave and a mini-fridge, which is a boon when traveling with family.

Having sorted out the room concerns, we explored the hotel. It is has an air of 'boutiqueness' to it. No cheap furniture or decorations; all nicely appointed. The gym is small, with minimal equipment -- good for some light exercise. We didn't explore the swimming pool and backyard/patio.

The best part: the breakfast! Perhaps one of the best-quality, fresh, free breakfast that we have had in a while. Made to order eggs, but with the customary scrambled eggs every day. French toast. Sausages. Chorizo. Hash browns. Cereal. Coffee (which was available all day). Waffle makers. Variety of bread. Toaster. Oatmeal. Fruits. Doughnuts. And probably a lot more...we stayed only 3 days.

Overall an excellent hotel if you are staying in the area, especially with family.

Suggestion: Check the ceiling sound proofing of higher floors, or install a heavier/thicker carpet on...

Honestly, I was mostly happy with the room and the pleasant staff that was helpful and nice until I looked at my receipt after I left the hotel. I had called the front desk to ask if the hotel had a wine bottle opener available and they said yes and sent it up to the room. I was very happy with that.

When the opener was delivered to my room I saw it and was a little underwhelmed because 1) it was a really cheap crappy one that had been clearly used many times before. 2) It was a 2 piece wine bottle opener that was missing one of the 2 pieces needed to use properly!!!! So you really sent me a half a bottle opener ( I managed to improvise and use it anyway).

I didn't really have too much of an issue with this at first because the hotel did me a service and I didn't have to go buy one. It would have been a minor inconvenience but still an inconvenience. So when I looked at my receipt after I left the hotel and saw that I was charged $10 for the bottle opener I was pretty pissed off!!! Really??? I didn't even keep that cheap and broken tool. I left it at the hotel thinking it was no different than if I had asked for more towels or an extra pillow. It just really seemed like a really cheap move on your hotel's behalf. I can understand charging me $10 if it was a decent opener, but a crappy one that was missing half of it's components??? Your staff should have either not sent that one up or seeing how crappy it looked, not charged me a dime. Not a classy move at all.

And I wasn't planning to complain about this but since I am taking the time to write the review then I might as well mention it... The view from our room (room 209) is unbelievably terrible. I opened the shades and what I saw was the top side of that awning right in front of the hotel front doors to create shade for the cars pulling up to the hotel. I know I was there for only one night but what a crappy view! Really, you couldn't do better than that for your guests?

I don't think I have ever stayed at an Ayres before and possibly will never...

The housekeeping, kitchen, and maintenance staff were exceptionally welcoming and attentive; too bad the front desk personnel do not carry themselves with the same level of hospitality and professionalism. They weren’t bad, they were just exceptionally mediocre overall for this property type. When stepping away they should post a communication and/or a bell or ringer if staying to work in the back office leaving the desk unattended, especially for arriving guest. There was not information shared on hotel amenities and hours for items such as breakfast during check in, nor offering of other locally accessible amenities. I caught a feeling initially that I was causing an interruption and inconvenience to the front desk personnel for coming to check in for my reservation. The duration of the stay I found it odd that even with coming and going over several days that the various front desk staff seldom offered greetings and acknowledgement (verbal/non-verbal) to guest returning to the hotel, entering or transversing the lobby. Simple warm reception is basic- hospitality 101, for the price and reputation of this hotel this should be met and exceeded. Thank you to the rest of the staff who always offered a welcoming smile and greeting of some nature when crossing paths in the hallways and common spaces. The ladies serving breakfast each morning were sweet and amazing, they made this stay exceptional. It was not just making sure the that the food was out and available, they did so with a positive, respectful and professional attitudes. They must know they are likely the first people guest engage each morning, their efforts at least start the guest’s day on a positive note with a delicious breakfast and good vibes. I appreciated their daily dose of sunshine each...