Grand Galvez Resort, Autograph Collection

This is one of the most beautiful hotels I've stayed in anywhere. It's like stepping back in time. The room was a bit small, but it was just the two of us so it didn't matter. The bed was very comfortable and well appointed. The shower head system was a bit too complicated and there really wasn't enough pressure for all the different shower heads on it, but I was able to figure it out. Still I would have preferred a simpler shower head. The lobby, the bar, the pool...everything is beautiful and classy. The new renovations look great! Love, love LOVE this hotel!!!!

My mom booked a room for us to stay in before going on a cruise, $436. Very standard (if that) room. When we arrived we pulled in at the back when we could not find any parking. We ran in and found out that the only parking was valet, $35, access in front. There was no access to the front due to a biker rally in town that weekend. We circled around for about an hour until a railing was finally opened up to get in! We found out upon checking in that another $25 would be added (non refundable facilities fee.) I got online that night and saw the room was available at $244. We gave them the opportunity to make things right but they were not interested in improving our negative experience.

Manager Darryl Hill spoiled our quick stay at my favorite hotel. We excitedly walked to the beach this morning to use the nice, complimentary beach service only to find the chairs chained up. The weather was perfect, as was the forecast so I called the Galvez and was told Manager Hill cancelled beach service for the day because of weather. The Weather Service noted the chance of inclement weather as a “1” - the lowest risk of thunder storms and wind. I asked if he would at least allow the chairs to be unchained so we had a place to sit, but he refused. So no beach day for us unless we sat on the ground in the sun. I took screen shots of the sky, and the weather forecast to show him, but facts did not seem to matter. I am so disappointed by such shoddy customer service at the beautiful, historic Galvez. I’m a history major, native, huge fan for decades, and highly recommended it to scores, but must now caution folks that Manager Hill will cancel beach service for the slightest of excuses, thereby ending your opportunity to enjoy a beach day. The front desk staff were very kind, however and attempted to help us.

I recently stayed at the Grand Galvez for two nights before a cruise in room 456. The hotel is lovely although it does need a little bit of TLC here and there, and overall, the service could be better, especially from housekeeping, the bartenders and the restaurant. I did not mention some of these issues while I was here for the simple reason that I'd had a bad week and I just kind of needed to decompress. I did, however, send THREE emails to hotel management and over 2 weeks, hence, have gotten crickets as a reply. Cleanliness-wise, the shower stall in the bathroom has quite a bit of mildew on the bottom and on the ledge as you step in. Had I reported this, the solution would have been to scrub it with bleach, which literally would have caused an asthma attack and sent me to the emergency room. Having been a prior housekeeping manager for Marriott hotels, I determined that it was best for me to just ignore it rather than risk my health. Also, there's a lot of peeling paint above the towel rack near the shower. Next, the service in the bar is terrible. The drinks are not that good and they're very expensive. I live an hour from Manhattan and an hour from Philadelphia and I’ve paid less for drinks in those cities. On the first night of my stay, I attributed it to the fact that I had been awake since 3:00 in the morning Eastern time and it was probably 7:00PM local time when I was at the bar. For the first bad drink, which was a Cucumber martini, I simply asked the bartender for a bit of club soda and ice so that I could dilute it myself. The male bartender seems to need some additional training and making drinks. I drink that exact same type of gin at home and out, Hendricks, and I've never had a drink taste like that. I don't think it was properly shaken to achieve proper dilution. Saturday, I noticed that you had both crème de Violette and Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, which are two of the ingredients in one of my favorite drinks, an aviation cocktail. Again, I asked the same male bartender if he could make it and he kind of looked at me strangely. I showed him the recipe, which also had pictures of the drink. I'm not sure what he did but the drink is supposed to be pale purple and mine was green. Oops. I felt ignored at the bar, probably because I was by myself, and the bartenders (male and female) were spending more time either looking at their phones or helping couples. The bar wasn't super busy either night. I was out having dinner elsewhere Saturday night just before the wedding being held in the hotel began, and I waited until all the wedding guests cleared out of the bar before I went back for my second drink, an espresso Martini, which was not very good. Finally, as a Lifetime Titanium Elite Marriott Bonvoy member, I opted for breakfast as my amenity. Why can I only get coffee and juice included if I take the continental breakfast as my option? In hotels that have concierge lounges or M clubs, this is not an issue. Bu

This is the Crown Jewel of Galveston. The renovation was spectacular. It is truly a 5 Star hotel. All the rooms and common areas are the best of the best. The restaurant first class and the staff is great. The view of the Gulf is amazing and you won't want to leave.

My husband proposed to me at the Grand Galvez last year, and we returned Oct 20–22 for a mini-moon, hoping to start a tradition. We booked Room 612 and paid roughly $2,000 in cash for the stay, dining, spa, and valet. The lobby remains lovely, and both bartenders plus valet were genuinely kind. Unfortunately, most of the experience made us feel like an inconvenience. Check-in set the tone. The front desk, including the floor manager, didn’t ask about the wedding or offer any guidance, and gave us incorrect information about the pool bar (we were told there wasn’t a bartender on weekdays; there was one all day). When I asked if the pool was cold, the response was an eye-roll and “well, good luck if it is.” Our room had maintenance issues: a bathroom light that was out the entire stay, a mini-fridge that barely cooled, and shower controls that spun with poor temperature control. Lunch was from a limited menu, and the arugula salad was missing key items (candied pecans, maple bacon vinaigrette), so I just got fries. That evening we were seated at a dark table with no overhead or table light; after 15–20 minutes without a server, we left, and I cried. Last year, this restaurant was the highlight of our trip. The spa cost $480 cash with an automatic $80 gratuity. A walk-in was called “too much of a hassle,” our next-day services were still wrong after extra calls, amenities weren’t stocked, the steam room lights were out, one shower didn’t work, and no one checked on us for nearly two hours. My husband had to walk the halls in a robe to ask for water and supplies. No one said thank you when we left. Billing and management added to the stress: we were almost charged for two nights of valet (we used one) and learned about a $25 per night facility fee at checkout. On Day 2 we were told we couldn’t see a manager; on Day 3 we waited about an hour and a half for an assistant manager who offered nothing and didn’t follow up. I truly wanted this to be special. We spent our entire honeymoon fund here and went home sad. If you’re newly married and deciding where to celebrate, I’d read recent reviews carefully before booking.