We have stayed at Copperleaf at least once a year for the last ten years. To us it has been a destination hotel. We always looked forward to a weekend at the Copperleaf. The amenities, service and location made it a great value to us. If we had an issue, management was quick to resolve it.
However it seems that Copperleaf may not be the destination hotel on our next weekend in Appleton.
Some changes have been slight, but they add up, especially for a "Boutique" style hotel. The sum of these changes makes me think that we'll try another option on our next visit.
Little things: In past visits you would arrive at your floor and walking to your suite you would smell Aveda Essential Oils, setting the mood that you are in for a special stay. This time the smell was replaced with one that was described best as "sour cotton candy". When we asked an employee about this we were told that they have had other comments about this, but ownership/upper management was looking to "cut corners" with something less expensive.
Spa: Although I realize that Copperleaf does not own nor manage the on-site spa that's one floor down from the main lobby, it has always been a big draw for us. However when we called to make an appointment we were given a rate much higher than what was offered on our last stay. We were told that the spa now has higher "weekend" rates.
Towels: In past stays the bath towels were very plush. This stay the towels were coarse and quality-wise not something that you should find in a "Boutique" hotel. More cost cutting I'm guessing.
Coffee: In past stays the lobby had complimentary coffee available during most daytime hours. This time you better get your java before 11:30 or you are out of luck. Yes, the hotel has in-room coffee makers but only enough coffee for one person.
Big Deal: Room Service. We left our room just before noon. There were two service carts right next to our door and room service personnel were there to greet us on our way out. However, when we got back that evening no one had cleaned our room. We called the front desk and asked why no one had been to our room. No response. I asked if we could at least get some more towels. They did send someone up with towels with an offer to clean the room, but we had to get ready for a function and would clean up ourselves. When we spoke to the front desk when we checked out the next day, the woman said that we should have said something to housekeeping when we left. Seriously? Do we now have to ask for room service even though housekeeping was right there, greeting us and cleaning the rooms right next to us? The women at the desk just looked at us stone faced and never even offered an appology. I mean I get things happen and most of this is small potatoes. But saying its our fault for not telling room service to clean our room is not something I would have expected to hear from a property thats always promoted itself as one that provides "personalized service in a warm inviting and unique atmosphere".
Our next trip we will look at other options, even though we would have loved to continue using Copperleaf in our future trips to Appleton.
