Flamingo Resort Hotel and Spa, Santa Rosa

Following ratings are misleading. This resort is built in the middle of an upper middle class neighborhood that is very safe. The fitness center is one of the best in the area. If you want to stay at a place that is NOT run of the mill and has some wonderful private garden scapes around a swimming pool, this is a great deal.

The beds were extremely comfortable. The bathrooms were very nice. Just didn't like 2 storeys with no elevator.

The old adage is true - you get what you pay for. I booked a night at the Flamingo for $57.00. I was hoping it would have a quirky appeal, but the hotel is just nasty! The official hotel's website has very misleading photographs - even the rooms have different lamps / furnishings pictured than what are actually in the guest rooms! Calling this place a resort is laughable. The hotel is right off a busy highway and next to some rough looking apartment complexes. The hotel's property line is divided from the apartments with razor wire atop a wire fence! There is plenty of free outdoor parking for guests, but the mature landscaping is overgrown (as a female, I would never stay here alone - I would feel unsafe). The common grounds are well kept with a very large pool area that has a decidedly vintage Vegas feel (think late 1960s / early 1970s). There are several tennis courts that are well kept too. The front desk staff was so friendly that I wish I had liked my stay more! I was "upgraded" to a special "executive building." That means our room was supposed to be "nicer" than the standard buildings. The good thing is that in the executive wing, there is free (albeit spotty) wireless internet access. I could tell that the rooms had been renovated, but it seems they stopped short of the furnishings and the bathroom! The shower was fine, with new tile, but the counter / sink was just gross. The floor appeared filthy, too - just dark tiles. The towels here are a joke - PAPER THIN and very, very rough. I guess they are afraid their usual clientele is the type who likes to steal towels from the room! We kept on our socks the entire night just to avoid having to walk barefoot on the dirty carpet or disgusting bathroom tile floor! The rooms aren't that bad, but they are comparable to a roadside motel like a Best Western. I will say that there is NO WAY this hotel is a 3 star property. It is a 2 star at best.

Far from a resort, this place needs to be bulldozed, with the staff inside, and rebuilt from the ground up. We spent $200 a night for 2 nights for a room that was 20 feet from the entrance of our building and across the hall from the stairs, so we had the pleasure of hearing the wedding party above us run up and down the stairs all night, followed by the slamming of the spring-loaded door. When that ceased, the antique hot water pipes of this 50's era building began making high-pitched groans as other guests started showering at 5:00 in the morning. When we complained, the only decent human being employed by the company upgraded us to a suite. Only problem was that this was a Sunday night and apparently this hotel is constantly under construction (something that they NEVER told us at the time of booking), so we had the pleasure of waking up Monday morning to men setting up ladders in our patio and slamming their hammer at god-knows-what at the exterior of the room above us, just after 8:00 in the morning. We complained again upon check-out and the sorry-excuse-for-a-manager offered us a whopping $50 off for the last night and horrible excuses about how the construction isn't supposed to start until 9:00 a.m., and they were supposed to have finished months ago. All of these things would have been important to know before I booked the hotel or at check-in, but these inconsiderate people didn't bother. The "suite," by the way, had a standard 24" tube television (not even a flat-screen, not to mention flat-panel) with a grainy analog reception. The bathroom was 3 times smaller than the other room we were in, and the bed was a queen when our original room was a king. The mattress was adequate, but for a room that was going for $300 per night, I was severely disappointed. I would have trouble justifying paying half of that. My recommendation: Stay at the Best Western Garden Inn. No where does it smell musty like in all of the breezeways and some of the rooms at the Flamingo. Those rooms come with a fridge and mircrowave (only get those in Flamingo's suites), are just as nice on the inside as the Flamingo, and are only $120 per night during peak season. If you are wanting a true 3.5 to 4 star experience, then go to the Hyatt, Hilton, or Courtyard by Marriott. Hilton is definitely a cut-above the other two, but any of these are far better than the Flamingo.

Our rooms were newly refurbished -wonderful mattresses and linens including down quilts. The service was excellent and we would not hesitate to make this a regular Thanksgiving stop. The location made it possible to walk for sundries and for breakfast. Food at the hotel was reasonable and the service was good there too. Towels were plentiful. Parking was outside the rooms and the front desk was helpful when directions were asked for. The WiFi was pricey and that was the only negative we found. A microwave might have been a good addition.

The word Spa and Resort is very deciving. This hotel is nothing close to being a resort and the spa is very unspa like. The photos on the websites are very decieving. It looks nothing like the photos. We went in a group of 50 people all arriving at different time. The first thing each couple stated was that this must be the wrong place, it looks nothing like the photos we saw. A few couples even drove some more thinking they were at the wrong place. Upper staff were helpful but the lower staffs were very rude, however, housekeeping made up for the rudeness. They were very willing to change the bedsheets when we asked as it was dirty. We would not stay at this place again for the staffs are below par and the rooms are not clean and smells.

We were very disappointed with the Flamingo and will not stay there again. The word "resort" in their name is grandiose; the pool was out of order, the walls and ceilings were too thin, the mattress was cheap and lumpy, the bathroom fans were unacceptably loud and the service was slow and amateurish. We often stay at low-budget hotels and that's what this place felt like. To top it off, the restaurant was empty and pricy for small portions and the "atlantic salmon" was definitely not fresh. There are so many other hotels in the area we see no reason to stay at the Flamingo again.

This place is unique. Newer properties would not build like this, leaving such a great garden with pool as the main attraction of this resort. Had one of the best steaks ever in their restaurant. Rooms are spacious and offer feather comforters. The spa is out of the world. Eventhough the hotel ranks between a 3 and 4 Star property, the spa certainly ranks as a 5 star. Their Health Club offers truly the latest equipment from weights to cardio machines. This place has it all.

For one of my son's games we had to travel to Santa Rosa. I wanted to leave when I first saw the Hotel's exterior. Very Reno ish. The inside does look a lot better. Rooms were updated and clean. Pool wasn't heated though. Montecito spa was ok but compared to other spa's I've been to this spa was a 5. They had 1 shower. 1 bathroom and the lockers were right in front of the cashier. No privacy at all. Overall, the hotel was clean and comfortable which is very important when travelling.

We stayed at the Flamingo twice in the past 18 months when visiting family in Santa Rosa. The room was comfortable and clean and a decent size. We ate at the restaurant several times. There was a good selection at the breakfast buffet, and the three dinners we ate there were delicious! Service in the restaurant was friendly and courteous. What the Flamingo excells in is their great pool and fitness room. The fitness room is much more extensive than you normally find at a hotel. So no big backup lines at the treadmill!! The pool is large, heated, and has lap lanes which is a rarity in hotel pools. I enjoyed three early morning swims during my stay. I would definitely stay here again next year when visiting family.