I stayed at Reikart House a few times when it first opened. Back then, it was considerably nicer than "upscale" and more like a "luxury" hotel. In 2018 and 2019, it was a genuine 4.5-star hotel. In the context of AAA/CAA, think on the high end of AAA four-diamond. For the Buffalo area, it was one of the finest hotels. Until the pandemic, this high standard was maintained extremely well.
Over the years a few things have changed. And not for the better. The elegant lobby bar and restaurant disappeared as the wonderful adjoining restaurant was built and open. Now, only breakfast is served in the lobby. Then a Hyatt Place owned by the same owner was built behind the hotel. During the pandemic, the standard at Reikart House dropped big time and I stopped staying. I returned recently for the first time in four years.
Reikart House has improved noticeably since my last stay in 2021, when it was downright awful. While it is a genuinely nice hotel, the overall operating standard, service, etc. is somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. I note the CAA/AAA rating is now three diamonds. So while it is still probably the finest hotel in the Amherst-Buffalo area, it is a shadow of its former self.
Things that are missing, not provided or poorly executed:
1) No pre-arrival email.
2) No doorman or bellman. Previously, Reikart House has a doorman/bellman. The front desk did not offer any assistance with luggage at check-in.
3) No welcome letter at check-in explaining anything about the hotel, amenities, services, F&B options, etc.
4) Butler service is no longer provided. It used to be provided.
5) They provide a robe but no slippers.
6) Similarly, the toiletries and in-room amenities are below what you expect. The wall-mounted dispensers containing shampoo, conditioner and body wash are branded Apotheke -- a brand that I've received at Intercontinental and Park Hyatt. That's a nice brand, assuming the product inside the dispenser is, in fact, Apotheke. But like the missing slippers, other toiletries that I would expect at a 4-star or 5-star hotel are not provided. While I did have one small bar of soap and one mini-bottle of lotion, no mouthwash was provided, no dental kit was provided, etc. In short, many of the extras you would expect were missing. Also, the one small bar of soap and one mini-bar of lotion would NOT be enough for two people. Besides the toiletries, there was a stocked mini-bar but it had Kendall-Jackson chardonnay and other grocery store-caliber wines. There are several excellent wine regions nearby. Why does the hotel not have New York wine in the mini-bar? Also, no bottle of water is provided.
7) No turndown service is offered. Again, you expect turndown at an upscale-to-luxury boutique hotel, especially in a suite.
8) The walk-in shower and tiles needed new grouting.
9) No desk. I was twice told by the GM in 2019 and 2020 (just before the pandemic) that the impractical high-top writing table was going to be replaced with an actual desk. Six years later, no desks.
10) The hotel used to have a complimentary house car but I don't if that is still offered. This is why a hotel does a pre-arrival email or presents guests with a welcome letter at check-in.
11) Last but not least, the hotel DOES NOT have a restaurant that's open for lunch or dinner on Sundays. This has been an issue since the pandemic. How is this possible? At least have burgers or something from a limited bar menu on Sundays.
Now, the positives:
1) Bonvoy recognition for elites is good.
2) The hotel has been open since 2017 but rooms are clean and generally well-maintained even though everything is about 8 years old at this point. The only exceptions I saw were the shower, which needed some new grouting, and a few carpets, which had stains (though this is expected after 8 years).
3) Staff while below the overall standard were polite and generally well-meaning.
4) Food in the attached restaurant is excellent. Expensive but excellent. But like the hotel, the service is below the price. No bread offered with the meal. No white tablecloths, which you would expect at the price point. No flowers or candles on the table. They have outside seating but it's not used. The wine list by the bottle is excellent but the wine selection by the glass is awful. How do you not have a New York dry riesling by the glass? I was given a glass of tap water. Never offered bottled water. The glass of water was never refilled.
All things considered, Buffalo and the surrounding area is still a destination with a lot of mediocre hotels. While Reikart House is a nice hotel, it used to be much nicer and much better. Owners and management need to up their game.
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