The Darling Hotel — Hotel in Visalia

TL;DR = I'd actually like to give this place a rating of 4.5 because the staff was kind, polite, professional, and accommodating but there are a few minor issues with the room visitors should be aware of: The room was tight, the shower temperature was spontaneously variable, the shower door leaked, and it should be noted that the first floor is largely subterranean and I didn't see any indication of this at booking.

Full review:

First impressions:

The Darling is a 4 story hotel with a rooftop bar that has been converted from an old government building. The architecture and décor maintains an art deco style and earns full marks for presentation. It's an older building, built for a more mundane purpose, so it can feel "tight" with narrow hallways, stairways, and a smaller elevator. Located in Downtown Visalia - near the CA 198. So accessible.

The positive:

The staff needs a shout out here! Everyone I spoke to was professional and friendly. From check-in to accommodating a spontaneous trip to the rooftop bar, every member of staff made me feel welcome. I find that at most hotels, you check-in and you're just sort of "there". At the Darling, I felt like a guest and at every interaction and I felt like my stay was appreciated.

The Rooftop bar/restaurant: The restaurant maintains the art deco styling and the smaller rooms actually work to create a dinner setting that I'd call intimate. There is additional seating outdoors. The outdoor seating has tall chairs so guests can sit at their tables and look out over downtown Visalia. I went in the evening and the lights of the surrounding area were a wonderful backdrop to a drink beside one of their "fire tables". I'm not actually sure what those things are called...those gas fueled outdoor fire tables with glass to imitate wood chips? Whatever, it was pretty and warm.

Onsite Gated Parking: For $25 a night I used their gated parking lot. Downtown Visalia is probably safe enough, but I liked the security of that tall fence for overnight parking while I was away from home. It did look like there was plenty of street parking if you're so inclined.

The room: It genuinely feels like The Darling sets out to impress with a keen eye for details. Not that décor is high on my personal priority list, but it's hard not to acknowledge the cohesion in style, whoever decorated the place had a vision and executed it well. The massively vaulted ceiling kept the room from feeling too small.

The bathroom was disproportionately large for the room with an overhead "waterfall" faucet that absolutely dumps water on you! Very luxurious.

The minor negatives:

The room, while tastefully decorated, was perhaps overstuffed. Space was tight and even when making use of the closet my wife and I still found ourselves tripping over one another and our luggage. There isn't really space to move around. It's not an easy place to lounge in.

My final "complaint" has to do with that luxurious shower. The water pressure was amazing, but the water temperature had a little too much spontaneous variation. The water never got to scalding hot, but it did go from too hot to too cold, and back to too hot within a minute, and the shower door didn't seal so the floor can get pretty wet.

Final assessment: A great place for drinks and sleep, maybe too small/tight for an extended business trip, especially if you need to work...

So first impression, very beautiful. Easy check in. Didn't have to bring papers or sort went a smoooth process. You get a tag to hang on your mirror to park in the private parking lot. Easy access directly from parking to lobby. Map was provided to show it's amenities. I was surprised to find a gym here. I got a Executive Suite (note this room doesn't come with a tub it comes with 2 rain shower heads, has a nice size living room and small walk in closet, and a tv in the living room AND bedroom. SO MUCH ROOM I'm the bedroom I felt like I was living rich). Idk how fancy Visalia hotels are, but I feel like this hotel gave me the feel like I walked into expensive house to live in. I had a ventage feel like something out of the 50's or something; maybe modern feel idk but it wasn't a plain white room. This has charecter. Beautiful big windows the brighten the room like you live in a light house. Different lighting to make the mood bright and fun and lighting for slow lazy night like your reading a book in a library at night with little light. Good tv shows and streaming! Just log into your account info the tv. Lamps have charging ports do you can FB all day and YT allll night. Pool area was very nice. Sadly small pool. Only goes 4.5ft, but good so it's family friendly. Towles provide on a kiosk to grab to dry and basket to toss the used towles in, so easy self cleaning. The hotel has its own restaurant inside and on a small patio. Service was amazing. We're celebrating our anniversary and wanted to eat at Double LL but didn't check if they were open. They were closed and couldn't think anything fancy to eat I can think of since most restaurants don't eat in. NOTE: you need to make a reservation online at resy.com or their website at the darling. I was told the night before they were booked and didn't make reservations. I called the restaurant to see if they had anything open and did! Saved the date. Interesting menu. Seems that as most things were with fancy cheese and sauces so it was interesting trying something new. Liked the appitizure that was asparugus. I recommend. I ordered a fillet with mashed potatoes. I also ordered a Honey Bee drink (lemonade with honey), I don't like alcohol but it was interesting. Still yucky but enough to keep me interested. Good portion was perfect I wasn't too full to not go swimming but almost like if you ordered dessert you'll pop. Fun swimming at night especially on 101 heat. Enjoyed myself. Room does provide 2 free water bottles and tea lack and kettle. Guess how to make tea instead of soda or alcohol. Fancy feel. Partnee tried from night shift. Guess the couch was comfty enough (he's a big guy) doesn't like couch. Ordered dessert to go and loved it. Supper sweet ordered cake with resbserry filling and a double chocolate cake. Ask for forks! Easy access to ice and great directions. Keys are those NFC cards where u tap instead of sliding your card. COOL. Great hospitality. Enjoying my night wasting time watching TV streaming and social media. Loves wasting time like I want. I...

It makes me super sad to write this review and I actually tried to work with the management to fix the issue I had.

Let me start by saying that I have stayed in this hotel maybe 7 or 8 times and have enjoyed eat one until 8/26/2023. I didn't know that cars and trucks actively cruise in front of the hotel on the weekend and certain rooms are going to be louder than others (I have stayed here enough to know this). Since it was a weekend and they had been booked I was given a room I had never been in before. One that had banging sounds in the wall against a pipe all night long. It was so loud I didn't get to sleep as it happened every few minutes all night. That is the one thing you need when traveling.

Because I liked the hotel and had even become friendly with the former manager Claire Caviglia -- I didn't rush to write a review. I asked to have the manager call me. My room was 261.00 before taxes and I was offered a $67 reduction on my bill. I felt like this was the bare minimum that you would do the keep a customer that comes a few times a year, eats and drinks in you restaurant etc. I told them as much and I sent them a couple of videos of the banging.

I then received a phone call from Ashley Isidro Guest Services Supervisor letting me know how sorry they are and that I would be getting a gift card for a $100 for a future stay. I didn't ask for a full refund, but I did feel that I would stay there again and move forward. When I asked if she needed my address she said "No it will come in your email" after a couple of weeks, I reached back out and was told.

"I have cc'd my upper management team! I am so sorry that your stay did not go as well. This is unfortunately out of my decision regarding the gift card and will have Mike or Jessica reach out to you ASAP"

WHAT? I WAS TOLD THIS WAS WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

I have never heard from them again. The idea that a person handling a customer issue would say they are going to send you something, pass the buck and then have the managers care so little for customer. It's pretty shocking. There are so many ways to keep a customer, but this isn't one of them.

I will never stay at this Hotel, but I have taken a moment to see all the other Charleston Hotels are managed by.

All that over $100 gift card. I tried to not write this as I was a fan...