4/10 Rating
Not for business travel.
My review is based on the $239/night rate that my company was charged for my 2 day stay for a site visit. I found this experience to be lackluster (particularly for the price) and more in line with a hostel rather than a hotel. I work in tech and found the tech was, in my opinion, poorly implemented to guest detriment.
Check in: in a nutshell, if you never receive check-in instructions via text, you will be stuck outside the hotel indefinitely (this happened to me). After traveling 7+ hours, I arrived at Kasa Niche and found a locked exterior door and sign with a QR code and phone number. I called the number and kept getting an error. Tried the QR code and kept getting an error. I was stuck outside for over 15 mins with my luggage until a fellow guest took pity on me and let me in. An older lady was in the lobby. I explained I had been unable to check-in and she said that was because they hadn't been able to send me a text as the booking was made by my company. My cell phone number was included in my booking so not sure why there was an issue. She walked me to my room, asked IT to send me a text and then, an hour later, had to manually send me the code for the outside door and my room. I was able to finally access check-in instructions on the website 3.5 hours later after many chats with the support team.
The key issue is that Kasa Niche's system relies on technology which is far from perfect and can leave travelers stranded. Staff should monitor the cameras outside and help guests that can't get in. I later realized I was lucky to run into staff when I first arrived as I never saw staff again for the remainder of my visit.
This experience felt like an experiment more than a business that charges normal hotel prices. The owners appear to have tried to squeeze staffing expenses out of a hotel at the expense of guest experience, even potentially leaving guests stranded outside.
Room: Clean, small and contemporary. Uncomfortable bed and pillows. Room has a smart tv and you stream from your own device and use your own apps. If you run out of anything, you must get your own supplies from a storage closet and text for the code to access supplies. Room and hotel were very clean which was pleasantly surprising as I never saw cleaning staff. This place has thin walls and I routinely could hear other guests' tv and loud snoring almost as if it was in the same room. There was a handwritten note in the room which I found odd.
Location: great location- a block from downtown- bars, restaurants.
Overall, this place isn't for me. People that have been traveling for several hours don't want to troubleshoot basic tech issues for hours just to enter their hotel room while paying full hotel prices. I also couldn't get a good night's sleep due to the uncomfortable bed and pillows and significant noise which impacted my ability to perform at my best for the site visit.