The Doyle appears to be an example of what happens when tech bros decide they want to disrupt the hospitality industry. Here’s what I mean: There’s no front desk. No one is there to greet you or give you your keys. Check-in is via text message. Room keys are 4-digit door codes, also sent via text. The hotel sent me the wrong key code for my room, which, after a long drive through dense nighttime fog, was frustrating because my call for assistance wasn’t to the front desk but a call center somewhere off property, probably overseas. The correct key code was finally sent and we gained entry. Nothing sounded better than a hot shower, but the water was cold and there was no soap or conditioner. Normally, a call to the front desk or housekeeping would address these concerns, but as there’s no staff on property, we had to wait until the next day for refills. There’s also no daily housekeeping unless you want to pay extra. I didn’t think to check for that when booking. There’s no on property parking, but there is valet. Sometimes. We left our car with valet, and to retrieve it required doing so via text, which we did, but that night, the valet stand packed up and gone. Luckily, when we did find someone who worked at the hotel, he found our keys and told us where to find our car. This person was never seen again. Imagine we needed our car and he wasn’t there? He suggested we write a review sharing our experience. Hospitality via text doesn’t work. You still need the human touch.
