Stay literally anywhere else. The Ambassador Gold Coast is a textbook tourist trap masquerading as a 4-star hotel, but delivers all the charm of a rundown airport motel with a side of corporate gaslighting.
I booked a 3-night stay through Capital One Travel for $440 -- taxes and fees included (or so I thought). Upon arrival, I was hit with a completely undisclosed $415 in "hotel fees." That's almost doubling the price of the stay, and yes, I brought this up at the front desk. The woman working didn't even blink. In fact, she seemed so used to the complaint that I suspect this is part of their business model: rope guests in with a low rate, then extort them at check-in.
When I asked what exactly these fees were paying for, I got the following insult to my intelligence:
Breakfast each morning (more on that tragic meal in a moment)
One "drink" at the bar (more on that scam below)
And -- this is real -- a "gift bag" with six bottles of water, but only if you come to the front desk each morning like a sad trick-or-treater.
Not convinced, I asked to speak with a manager. She seemed to agree I had a point -- after reading my confirmation email and acknowledging the extra fees were not mentioned anywhere. She asked me to forward it to the hotel and promised a refund.
Of course, that never happened.
What followed was a comedy of silence and evasiveness. I followed up multiple times via email, phone, and even text. Crickets. Eventually, some guy named Brandon Falor, the Vice President of Asset Management (a title that really screams "I avoid accountability for a living") told me the fees were valid and that I should've known better. He essentially implied it was my fault for getting scammed. Never mind that even their own front desk staff admitted this happens constantly, and a quick scan of TripAdvisor shows a graveyard of angry reviews from guests burned the same way.
Now -- the breakfast. Imagine prison food, but more expensive and less nutritious. My wife referred to it as "slop," which frankly feels generous. Think watery scrambled eggs, soggy toast, and bacon so thin it probably qualifies as a transparency sheet. But hey, we figured we paid for it (twice), so we choked it down.
And that free drink they proudly advertise? You get one well spirit mixed with a basic mixer like club soda or Coke. Want an actual cocktail? That'll cost you extra -- because apparently this place believes charging full price for half-service is a luxury experience.
This hotel is a scam wrapped in mid-century wallpaper. It hides behind a "boutique" label to justify charging exorbitant "resort-style" fees for shamefully bad amenities and then gaslights guests when they push back. The rooms are average, the food is terrible, and the staff -- while sometimes sympathetic -- are clearly worn down by being the front line of a con.
Avoid this place at all costs. Spend your money somewhere that treats guests like people instead of walking revenue streams.
I will never stay here again. You shouldn't either. read more