Palihouse Hyde Park Village — Hotel in Tampa

My wife and I chose Palihouse for our overnight stay to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary, having heard about this newly opened gem in November 2023. The hotel is undeniably a visual masterpiece, boasting a meticulous and stunning interior design that spans from the lobby to the bar, hallways, rooms, and bathrooms. The attention to detail in architecture, cleanliness, and even the delightful aroma throughout the premises truly reflects a five-star establishment.

However, while the aesthetics and ambiance lived up to expectations, our experience was marred in ways that personally make me feel like dropping our overall rating from 5 to 3 stars.

First, by a disappointing instance of last-minute cancellation of our reservation, just as we were nearing the hotel after a three-hour drive. Initially informed of this via phone due to a plumbing issue, the reasons for the cancellation seemed to shift upon our arrival, later cited as an overbooking issue at the front desk. Fortunately, after a polite request during the call, our reservation was reinstated after a 20-minute wait, but this unexpected disruption tainted our initial excitement and left an unpleasant taste, particularly for my wife, during what was meant to be a celebratory occasion.

Secondly, the aspect where the hotel fell short was in the realm of customer service and hospitality. The staff lacked the warmth and welcoming attitude one anticipates at a high-end establishment. The front desk staff seemed rigid and didn’t acknowledge us as we would walk in and out of the lobby, and the bartender failed to extend a greeting or welcome despite our presence at the bar, contributing to an overall lackluster experience.

Another minor yet significant observation was the absence of Palihouse as a location tag on Instagram. This oversight potentially restricts guests from easily sharing their experiences on social media, which could serve as valuable, organic promotion for the hotel.

Nevertheless, despite these shortcomings, there's no denying the hotel's charm, its reasonable price point considering the exquisite rooms, and its prime location. We do thank the hotel for providing a nice touch of champagne in our room to celebrate our anniversary. I hope that the issues encountered during our stay are addressed promptly to ensure that future guests enjoy a more seamless and...

I recently stayed at Palihouse and overall had a decent experience with a few highs and lows worth mentioning.

I arrived about an hour and a half before check-in, so it was understandable that my room wasn’t ready. The staff kindly took my luggage and I was able to enjoy a coffee next door while I waited. To my pleasant surprise, they called me just 30 minutes later to let me know the room was ready—definitely appreciated.

The room itself was stylish and well-appointed, but felt a bit cramped. The layout, particularly the placement of the bed, made it difficult to unpack or move around comfortably. That said, it still had charm.

However, I did notice a few issues that impacted my stay. Upon sitting on the couch at the end of the bed, I saw a used bandage wrapper—definitely not ideal, and a bit off-putting. I let it slide, but was disappointed to find it still there even after the room had been cleaned again the next day. There were also stains on the blanket which I threw to the side and decided not to use.

What concerned me more was returning from a day of business to find my door not fully closed. I went to the front desk to inform them—not even to complain, but simply to bring it to their attention, especially since I had expensive equipment inside. I was told not to worry because there were cameras and housekeeping nearby. While I understand the reassurance, I would much rather my door be securely shut than rely on security footage after the fact.

Despite these hiccups, I want to highlight one truly great part of my stay: Summer in the dining area. She was kind, attentive, and made the breakfast experience genuinely enjoyable.

There’s definitely potential at this property, but a little more attention to detail in housekeeping and guest safety would go a long way.

Update: I received a call from their management team within 15 minutes of posting—an all-time record. I appreciated the prompt response and explained that I had simply written an honest review for the benefit of future guests. The manager mentioned he would advise the front desk staff to be more mindful when addressing concerns related to security. Overall, I appreciated the follow-up and would be willing to give them a...

We booked two rooms for our wedding weekend in December, Friday and Saturday night. Upon check in Friday neither of the rooms we booked were ready. Check in is at 3pm, we arrived at 3:15. Around 3:30ish we got one room key and the second room wasn’t ready until after we had left. To arrive after check in and neither rooms being ready is unacceptable. However there’s more….We booked these rooms in June after touring the hotel with our wedding planner. The hotel manager gave us the tour, we told him we would be getting ready for my wedding here. The aesthetic of the hotel is why we chose it. Fast forward to the day of my wedding, my photographer arrives at Pali for Bridal portraits etc. We walk into the lobby just us two and are stopped by a girl at the front desk asking if we have a contract to take pictures. We weren’t informed on the tour that a signed contract and $500 fee is required to take pictures with anything other than an iPhone. The girl told us that we can take all the pictures we want in our room but no where else on the property without this contract. Mind you, we were guests of the hotel. There was no one in the lobby/dining area for privacy to be an issue. My photographer had never experienced this besides at a far more established hotel and even then it’s unheard of when you are a guest at said hotel. So to pay $400+ a night per room, the rooms not being ready at check in, paying $150 for a late check out and then being told I have to pay another $500 to snap a couple pictures on my wedding day wasn’t on my wedding weekend bingo card. Most companies want positive social media engagement but I guess an unheard of Palihouse prefers to charge ridiculous rates for their rooms, provide Howard Johnson service and throw some ridiculous LA media contract in the mix to feel ‘exclusive’. The irony of them saying on their website “we don’t take ourselves too seriously”...