The Prominence Hotel and Suites, Lake Forest

this hotel is at first glance very nice. the bed i had was fairly comfortable. the room had a comfortable couch (comfortable for sitting, i didn't try it as a pull out sofa bed) and a very comfortable chair with a coffee table between. it also had a small kitchen with a stove, fridge, sink, coffee maker and full size microwave. there was also a desk and dresser with a flat screen HDTV and DVD player on the dresser. the bathroom had plenty of counter space and almost adequate space to hang wet towels. the shower/tub combo had amazingly great water pressure for a really great shower. here is the bad part. i called the day i was arriving to let them know that i would be really late. i arrived at 3:06am exhausted. the woman behind the counter proceeded to ticky tack on the computer and spend great chunks of time just staring at the screen. it was taking so long she finally said that she didn't realize i meant to be *that* late and she had deleted my reservation thinking i wasn't coming after all. argh. then she told me that she didn't actually delete it so much as put it in the background so she could perform some end of the night computer task. why was it taking her so long to "find" my reservation and get me into the room? i made the initial reservation for 2 nights. some time during the endless ticky tackying and staring she asked me how long i was staying. i said 2 nights just as my reservation was initially set. it was nearly 4am by the time i was installed in the room. at 10:30AM i was telephoned by the front desk and asked if i was checking out today. argh. NO i was staying 2 nights i say, and by the way the wake up call i asked for at 8:30 never happened so I missed breakfast. the woman asked me to hold on for a minute. i thought she was checking to see if there was some breakfast she could possibly dig up for me. oh Noooooo that would be asking too much apparently. instead she came back on the phone to inform me that her records show that indeed i did get a wake up call but probably just slept through it. hummmm. she actually had me on hold so she could tell me i was wrong! rude, rude and rude. i am a very light sleeper. everything wakes me up. the phone call didn't happen. so this diabetic was left without food. thank you very much Prominence. you know, i gave them 3 stars but i think i'll back it up to 2 stars... so you want to hear the "even worse" part? here goes.... i hadn't been sleeping very well, so i wasn't in any condition to make a 450 mile drive the day i was supposed to check out. i called the front desk, barely coherent, and asked if i could stay another night. i was put on hold .. again. she came back and said i would have to move to another room in half an hour in order to stay. i asked if the folks for this room really had to have this room. she said, "yes, they have to have that room". so, exhausted i spent the next half hour moving as fast as i could to pack up. then the phone rang. it was the same woman telling me i don't have to switch rooms after all. hum. i wonder why she was so adamant that the guest HAD TO HAVE this room in the first place. my guess is that they did NOT and without checking she just assumed. so there i was all packed up and more exhausted than ever. and just to add salt into the wound, the next day when i did check out, once again there was a young woman ticky tackying away at the computer, endlessly staring and wait for it... she didn't acknowledge my waiting there at all! i had to wait and wait and wait until the other folks were finished and wait a bit more when she finally looked up from that infamous computer and acknowledged me. i tell you, the folks in this hotel need to be taught manners, friendly telephone techniques and memory skills. the hotel itself is wonderful, but the staff earns it a D. owners, wake up and smell the feng shui! teach your staff or the lack of repeat business will do it for you.

I have always enjoyed this hotel because it is close to friends, away from freeway traffic and the beds are fantastic. BUT, I found out it's not a good idea to check in too late. If you do you will get a less desirable room i.e. close to the kitchen/noise, a bathroom without counter space, a smaller bed, etc. I may stay here again because I visit Lake Forest often but I will make sure to check in as soon as possible to get a better room.

Hotel staff are very professional and polite. Front desk staff was very helpful and knew every answer to my questions. Oh and the breakfast, oh my god, it was awesome! Full line of foods and the very best COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST I have ever had in life. I would go back to this hotel over and over even if the rate is a moderate rate but WELL WORTH IT! Pool and Spa and free laundry too that helped out my pocket as well as the great breakfast. Parking may have been a little tight but there is more space in the connected parking lot with Starbucks.