The Aloft at Tapestry Park in Jacksonville, FL has closed for repairs. After $4 million in repairs, the 2 year old property is expected to re-open in June. That's a lot of repairs on brand new construction. http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonv...apesty-park-closed-for-4.html?iana=ind_travel
And almost half of the construction cost! What a boondoggle. http://jacksonville.com/business/2013-01-09/story/aloft-hotel-forced-close-repairs has some more detail.
Quote from article:“There’s been crazy stuff,” he said. “I’ve got shower tiles with something coming up between them, discoloring them. We’ve got bricks changing colors and doing all kinds of weird things.”There also been some roof and window leaks, but Wellington said there’s no structural damage." Sounds like mold issues.
I've stayed at this property a number of times and can speak firsthand to its shoddy condition. In my experience, this seems to be a common story with many buildings erected in the area over the last decade--slap it together quickly, then disappear once the "inspection" is passed and the final check clears.
I stayed at this property once recently. I commented to my wife after that stay that it seemed as if it was going to become a disaster. It clearly was difficult for them to keep the bathroom tiles and grout clean and in good condition. It made me wonder if the grout was not sealed after installation. I don't just blame the construction, though. I also fault the design. IMO, the Aloft brand's leaders have made a mistake of letting designers and/or architects dictate how the hotels will be instead of bringing in anyone else to apply some practicality to their ideas. In part, the following expectations have not been met because of the design: Bathrooms must be easy to keep clean. Window shades should be easy to open and close. Opaque shades should be provided so that occupants are not limited to choose only either open or closed. Light switches should be placed in sensible locations and should be easy to find in the dark. Bathroom doors should slide and close properly. It should be possible to light the bathroom without lighting the entire bedroom. Showers should not have semi-frosted glass to the bedroom unless perhaps the bedroom is intended for couples only. If space is available for two sinks, then they should install two sinks. Hopefully, they are re-thinking some of the design and not just repairing to meet original standards and plans.
