The Brownwood Hotel & Spa — Hotel in Wildwood

The room safe would not unlock. I called the front desk to ask for maintenance to come to my room and open the safe. After waiting twenty minutes, I called the front desk several times to ask when maintenance would be arriving. When no one at the front desk would answer the phone, I went to the front desk to ask when maintenance would come to the room. I asked them to call maintenance and get an ETA. I did not state that opening the safe was an emergency. I just wanted to know how long I would have to wait to get my billfold with cash and credit cards, as well as other valuables out of the safe. I said that I did not want maintenance in my room opening the safe unless I was in the room. While I was at the front desk, maintenance entered my room and opened the safe. I arrived back in my room as maintenance was closing the safe. I asked him why he was in my room opening the safe without anyone else in the room. He said the safe needed a new battery. He had opened the safe with no one in the room, but had locked it back until he could change the battery. I told him I left explicit instructions that a maintenance worker was not to enter my room and open the safe unless I was there. He became irate and started yelling at me that he was not a thief, even thought I had not called him a thief. I asked him to step out into the hall where there were video cameras in place to document his behavior. He went into the hall, yelled at me again and left. I called the front desk and asked for the maintenance supervisor to come to my room to unlock the safe. He arrived in about five minutes, opened the safe, and changed the battery, The maintenance supervisor told me that the safe should not have been opened unless a member of security was in the room with maintenance. So, not only did the maintenance worker violate protocol with regard to opening the safe, he lost his temper when he was caught in the act. ||||Originally, I called the 800 number for The Villages to book a Lifestyle Visit. I was told Lifestyle Visits were all reserved, but I could stay at The Brownwood Hotel and receive the same amenities as guests on a Lifestyle visit When I arrived at The Brownwood Hotel, I was told I did not have access to any of the amenities available to Lifestyle guests and I would have to go to a Villages Sales Office and request a Guest Pass. I went to the Sales Office and requested a guest pass. I spoke with three men who each said they didn’t know anything about guest passes and handed me off to another employee. Finally, I was told there was a woman who knew about guest passes, but she was busy and I would have to wait for her to talk to me. I was told there were was no one else who could help me. After waiting, I explained to her what I needed. She printed a guest pass for two days and gave it to me. I asked for a guest pass for another day because that was the length of my stay. She said she would have to talk to her supervisor about getting a Guest Pass for me for one more day. I told her I would drop by later in the afternoon. When I arrived and spoke to her several hours later she had not talked to her supervisor. She left for a few minutes and when she returned, she said I could not have a guest pass for another day. I asked to speak to her supervisor. She directed me to Stephen May, who stated he was in charge of the Sales Office Guest Services, but he could not authorize a Guest Pass for the remainder of my visit. I explained that I had been told by The Villages Lifestyle 800 number representative that I was entitled to all Guest Services since I was staying on The Villages property at the Brownwood Hotel. All I wanted to do was play a couple of hours of pickleball the last morning of my stay. He said that the representative answering the phone for Lifestyle Visits was mistaken and I was not entitled to a guest pass. I asked to speak to his supervisor and he directed me to Jeff Zimmerman who he said was his supervisor, but he did not know Mr. Zimmerman’s phone number and he didn’t know how to find it. |||| I had had such a miserable experience at the hotel with rude check-in employees, a screaming maintenance worker caught in the act of opening the room safe without security or me in attendance, and at Guest Services trying to get a Guest Pass that I checked out of The Brownwood Hotel. I left The Villages having stayed less than 24 hours and having endured an abysmally low level of Customer Service. ||||There was one excellent interaction with an employee at The Villages and that was with Salmah Evans, Guest Manager at The Brownwood Hotel. She was polite, professional and accommodating. After listening to my experience, she said she would not charge me for the night I stayed in The Brownwood Hotel or require that I pay a cancellation fee for the remaining nights. It helped my feelings of disappointment to not to have to pay for the night I stayed in The Brownwood Hotel, but it could not compensate for the nine hour drive one way and the disappointment at not experiencing what I expected would be a fun and relaxing vacation in The Villages. ||||I had originally thought that I would purchase a second home in The Villages, but after this miserable visit, I will not purchase...

EDITED AUG 27, 2024: Management reached out to me in response to my original review. Very nice phone conversation, during which they explained how the $75 SHOULD have been discussed at check-in as an amount charged & "held for incidentals" which would be refunded if not used (which I would have understood, but knew had NOT been done as I was AT check-in with my guests). Management said they'd do a review and re-training of staff that evening to prevent future confusion due to language/words-used, and refunded the cost of the breakfast to my credit card. We agreed that the restaurant staff were not at fault and did not reverse their tip. I am satisfied, and impressed with how well this hotel watches these reviews and follows up! Note: I'd calmed down considerably between date of review and today's follow up, so was able to discuss it more calmly.

ORIGINAL: I'm rating this hotel only 2 stars for something that isn't really on the list of Rooms/Service/Location. Hear me out - it's a long story. I reserved a room (in person) for a couple who were guests of mine that I couldn't put up in my own small retirement home. Price was fine, perfect location, lovely hotel, and nice room. Front desk clerk when I made the reservation assured me there would be no problems doing it this way, took my credit card info, & explained the charge would be processed upon the couple's checking out. She had me sign a form, part of which required my checking off whether I was paying for the "room only", or "room and incidentals". I questioned whether incidentals meant things like items from any in-room minibar, or the lobby snack shop, and was assured that was so. So, I said sure, I'd cover those things "if they use them." The couple arrives, checks in, we meet for dinner and had a great visit. About an hour after they went back to their room for the night, I got a text message from them saying "When we came in she said we have a $75 credit on our room account. What in the world???" I texted back, "Seriously? I only paid for the room. Some promo thing maybe?" Overnight I thought about it, & texted my guest in the morning: "Did the hotel tell you to spend that $75 "credit" on incidentals like food from their shop or restaurant? Because I did say I'd cover "incidentals" which would be fine if you'd spontaneously picked up something. But I'd be angry with THEM if they worded it like they were GIVING you $75 to spend on anything." She confirmed that's what they front desk told her; that they'd eaten breakfast at the restaurant, and tried to pay themselves, but were told it had already been processed to the room bill ($85 +tip for breakfast for 2!). WHAT A RACKET! The hotel on their own decides that my "and incidentals" should put AT LEAST $75 IN THEIR POCKET by telling the guests they have "a $75 credit"! It's human nature to spend 100% of a "free credit" vs. "Hmmm, maybe a nip from the minibar is worth a few bucks to me." I'm too mad to directly confront the hotel as yet, but had to vent somewhere!

CONCLUSION: All's well that ends well, and thank you to Brownwood Hotel and Spa for...

I almost didn't want to post this. In fact, I made another appointment before I left thinking... what if I can't get in when I need to next time. Maybe I should just keep this to myself.

Brownwood Spa. This is without doubt a high end resort experience. In fact, I'm going to say, out of my 30 years of being a spa junkie, this place is at the top of my list!

The ambiance is so pleasing I wanted to stay all day and considered booking a room in the future even though I live nearby.

The robes were extra fluffy and comfy on the inside. The relaxation room boasts 6 very comfortable chaise lounges with curtains for privacy. Gentle piano and classical guitar music permeating, and lights down low, creating the much desired relaxing mood. Earth tones, and woodwork give you a grounding feeling that puts you at ease. Have some lemon/lime water, or tea. Nuts, fruit also at your fingertips. Very Zen, for those that get it.

I was guided down the beautiful wood trimmed blue hallway to the private massage room. I had Himalayan salt stone massage and added the works. Moise, the master masseuse, is a 5 star experience! Need those scapula knots out? Yep, that's happening for sure. Maybe just relaxing more gentle massage? No problem.

The massage table is heated, and the stones were perfect temperature. But, also got scalp massage and treatment, extra foot massage, scrub, reflexology, and warm towel treatment. Face massage included sinus areas which releases all that allergy build up and pressure. Neck stretch with a moist warm towel was much needed for my neck condition. Best of all, I had Cbd cream massaged into areas of pain. Yep, that absolutely works!

The experience was topped off with a complimentary adult beverage, (mine was a mimosa), and back to the relaxation room. Ahhhh.

The option to shower is available in the locker room, with complimentary hair dryer.

Take your time coming back to reality or have a designated driver bring you home because the best massage experience always leave you loopy, and this was absolute one of the best ever! Lol

UPDATE: went again and got a facial and dermaplaning by Naomi. Yes, I was skeptical and nervous about dermaplaning, but WOW WOW WOW amazing results. One week later, and still baby smooth. Amazing! The facial I thought would be typical, and boy was I wrong. Naomi doesn't just do facials...it felt like she was an artist sculpting a bust of me. The moves she did on my face I have never experienced... Seriously... she's an artist of facials! It was beyond obvious that this woman loves what she does. So much so, she's truly an artist.

I then decided to get my brows done. I'm older and brows are now graying and not growing back as fast and in some spots not at all. (Aging is weird), with her expertise, my brows made a serious come back. She fixed missing areas, tinted them and shaped. Love it! ❤

So, guess what I did when I was done? Yep... mimosa and chill in the relaxation...