My wife and I purchased tickets for the 2019 New Year's party. We were extremely disappointed. The event kicked off at 9:00 PM which is when everyone began drinking alcohol. Everyone there drinking alcohol for 4 hours straight with zero food accessible. You would think there would be at least a cheap pretzel to chew on to soak up the alcohol but not even that. Eventually when 1:00 AM rolled around they brought out minuscule amount of food. People were so hungry and desperate for food that it was a stampede with zero organization from the hotel that made mega bucks that night. Survival of the fittest is what it was. People muscle their way in to grab food literally with their bare hands because there was no organization from the hotel. 3/4 of the people there didn't get anything to eat whatsoever and had to get in their car and drive home completely drunk and because nothing to eat. I saw one of the guys coming out of the kitchen with for pizza boxes, I thought to myself are you fucking kidding me? Instead of for pizza boxes they should've been bringing out 14 pizza boxes for the prices they charge to people. General admission was $120 just to walk around in the place which nothing else was covered. Yet they were advertising food food food for everyone around 12 to 1 o'clock. The ticket prices upscaled much more from there. This cheap place that offered nothing basically raped the patrons blind and offered very little. Also, this place had the nerve to not offer water to anyone as a Standard complementary. I mean people were drinking like crazy because of New Year's eve and they didn't even have the decency to walk around with water or make it accessible for anyone so that people don't get plastered off their ass. We are extremely unhappy with this place and will never attend ever again, and I would not recommend anyone to go to this establishment!! Dave.E read more

Stayed here a few times. Rooms, service, food - just perfect. People are helpful and friendly. Always great!

This hotel is a great stay. Located in a great location. The hotel was extremely clean and comfortable. No issues with the room. We ate at the Rugby Grill and the food was wonderful. The staff was very attentive. Birmingham is a quaint little town with plenty of shopping and restaurants. Very safe to walk around day or night read more

My one complaint is the WiFi. Normally I would downgrade by 1 star since in our world WiFi is important but the staff is just too lovely. I wouldn't want to take anything away from how lovely they all have been. From Gary, bellman, to the Paiges at the front desk, housekeeping and turndown service - all welcoming and lovely. The restaurant hostess is average or normal - which is noticeable since everyone else is above average. -Beds are comfortable -Bathtubs are deep mini-swimming pools that are relaxing -Decor is traditional but comfortable and engaging -Afternoon Tea I attended as part of a bridal shower event was perfect. Thanks for a wonderful weekend that could have been more stressful but was very serene. read more

I have a long timeline with the Townsend. My wife and I got married in the hotel ballroom, stayed there about every-other-year while visiting Michigan, have had drinks/dinned at the Rugby, and have had an array of positive experiences with the staff. All positive until my last stay. I've almost always been upgraded, which was amazing, especially returning for our anniversary. But on our last visit, we got to the room we paid for, a junior suite and found it below average. The room's AC unit kept me up all night (clanking on and off), the room had obvious signs of a left-over party (bud light box scraps in room, cigarette butts between the balcony floor boards, and the Bose music player didn't work even after having an engineer come up to the room). I didn't want to let any of this ruin the night, so I ignored until my wife noticed an extra $29 charge on our folio. She called to ask what that was and they said it was for an intimacy kit and a bottle of patron. They then said that housecleaning would follow up with us on the charges because apparently, the front desk can't make things right. WTH, we certainly wouldn't be arguing about an intimacy kit and tequila if we were the guilty party. It's such a disappointment to have so many good experiences and then to have a one poor experience ruin it all. At this point, I'm really kind of over The Townsend and don't plan on returning. The premium price you pay, isn't worth what it used to. I didn't feel that this reflected my memories. :( read more

The Townsend Hotel easily has the potential to have a five star hotel rating, and you could have a five star stay, just as long as nothing goes wrong... The property is beautiful, and the location can't be beat. The bellmen are always so so kind and greet you with a smile. We have stayed at here more times than I can count, so I was particularly appalled by our last experience. We were put in a room where the air conditioning unit was not working. The thermostat temperature slowly climbed higher and higher, and we knew there was a problem. I called the front desk and spoke with Edward who said they would send someone right up. I asked that they call my cell phone when they got here, as to not wake my four year old who was sleeping. I sat by the door waiting, about 30 minutes later, I received a call (no one came up), and by now it was almost midnight. Upon taking to Carl, we discovered that the curtains block the intake vent almost completely, and that vent was warm to the touch. To prevent that from occurring, a chair needed to be placed in front to hold back the curtains. Carl explained that the temperature should drop one degree each 30-45 minutes. He seemed to think this would fix it. He offered to come take off the whole unit, but I worried this would wake my little one, and the wait time would be about the same, so I waited. He was right, almost exactly 45 minutes later (now almost 1am), it had gone done 1 degree. It was hot and uncomfortable still, but I was exhausted, and finally fell asleep. I woke up a few hours later terribly uncomfortable, and guess what? The thermostat had never gone down any further, and certainly didn't go down the five extra degrees it was set to. The next day my husband spoke with Joseph (who we were told would call first thing around 7am, but instead called over five hours late, after we reached out to him). Joseph felt comping the room wouldn't be enough, so he would call back when he knew what more they could do. Next call, Joseph decided they would do nothing. What?! We were as surprised as you were. Finally, we spoke with Zachary, who was professional. He apologized and comped the night, but never fulfilled the original promise. All and all it was so much work to get to this point, so much stress, so much time wasted (it took nearly two days to "resolve" this). This hotel could have been 5 stars if only they had the "exemplarily customer service" that they promise. This was anything but. In actuality, I have never received worse customer service than this, at any hotel. read more

Great place for anyone to stay coming in from out of town. We had family that came in from Chicago and we were attending an engagement party that evening. The staff here was amazing, and the rooms were very nice. At check-in they were super friendly, and the atmosphere felt like we weren't even in Michigan. Such a nice place, with decent shopping just in walking distance! read more

The Townsend Hotel....what can I say? All class, a beautifully maintained, up-scale hotel in one of the nicest towns in the entire midwest USA. Very personable and accommodating staff, and a real treat for anyone you may have coming into town on business. A+ read more

This place claims their beds are so comfortable, people frequently ask where they can buy them for their homes. Do not believe the hype. Do not stay here if you are looking for a good night's sleep. There was bass booming in our room late into the night. We got three different excuses from the hotel (wedding, private event in the corner bar, party at restaurant across the street), and no attempts to solve the problem. Next time I'll stay somewhere else. read more

I enjoyed my stay, I love the HUGE Marble bathtub that was in our room I usually don't think about using a hotel bathtub but it was great on a very cold Febuary night : ) read more

We were very disappointed in our recent hotel stay. We checked in late Tuesday night and were given our room keys and went up to a room with 2 double beds. Our confirmation from AMEX Platinum was for a King bed. We came downstairs and after much delay we were given room keys to a room with a king bed. It smelled awful! A very strong scent of lingering perfume. Down again and after being told there were no more rooms, they found another king room. We explained we were exhausted and in MI under sad circumstances but no one seemed in a rush. The room we were finally given was at the end of the hall with lots of electrical equipment and near some air condition equipment. The room was super noisy from this and freezing all night. The next morning we altered the desk and they said they would look into it. Nothing happened and again the next night we were miserable. The room is literally so cold and feels like wind blowing at you. The following morning as we were checking out we saw housekeeping and the friendly housekeeper said she knew it was not an ideal room. However the woman at check out said she had never heard complaints. My guess is housekeeping knows more about the room and has spent more time there. Further at check out nothing was offered for our unpleasant stay under sad family circumstances which we had said over and over again except " I am sorry and next time when you come back IF Available, we will upgrade you." Wondering why we would want to come back? The unfortunate thing is we have stayed here before and its been wonderful. I don't know what happened this stay with their front desk. I would give the hotel zero stars except that the housekeeper was so kind, the women at the coffee every morning was welcoming and warm, the waitor at breakfast outstanding and the valet and bellman when we left very helpful. The front desk needs empathy training, interpersonal skills and over all help. We had 2 miserable nights and didn't even get our requested Journal to read to make up for it the 2 mornings we were there. Thankful for the little kindess I was shown by wonderful support staff. read more

Was promised an early check in for the bridal party to get ready. Had emailed confirmation. Arrived and it was not ready for over an hour and a half. Rude staff, very rude general manager. read more

I have never experienced such horrendous service at a supposedly "high end hotel" before. Where to start... The valet claimed my car would not start so I didn't have a car for a day. But the next day when my sister went to get her car the valet had lost her key so they brought up my car which mysteriously seem to be working all of the sudden? The maid reprimanded me in my own hotel room after no one came to service our room all day. Then when I went down to the front desk to discuss this matter with them they blamed it back on me for having the privacy on my door even though I did not have it on. All and all my stay at the hotel was far from a "high end hotel experience." read more

I've never bothered to review before but joined up today to do so. I'm not sure whether this falls under the 'don't judge a book by its cover' or if it's a 'Pretty Woman - Big Mistake' moment. I run our family-owned multi-million dollar businesses. In that capacity, I've travelled extensively throughout North America and Europe. Having stayed at many high-end hotels, (Langham, Ritz, Plaza etc), I can honestly say that I've never stayed anywhere more pretentious nor had the humiliating hotel experience that I had at The Townsend. My grown children and I planned a fun weekend, traveling from the Toronto area to Ann Arbor to see a show Saturday night and then drive afterwards to Auburn Hills to see the Toronto Raptors (our NBA team) play the Detroit Pistons the next day (we had tickets to the Michigan Univ. Spartans game the morning of the Raptors game but decided we were tired from the drive the day before, so we passed on going). We checked in late Saturday - around 10:30pm - and my son and I grabbed a late bite and drinks in the Rugby Grille while my daughter chose to head to bed. Early the next morning, my daughter was still sleeping so I threw my hair up in a top bun and told my son that I was going to head downstairs for some coffee. I went back to the Rugby Grille and sat at the bar and had a lovely breakfast and had a terrific time chatting with the bartender while he folded napkins. When my son texted that he was coming down, I took my coffee and orange juice and joined him on a chair by a sofa near the fireplace in the lovely lounge/reception area. He was wearing the Raptors gear that he planned to wear to the game later that evg. The Raptors were also staying at the hotel and we started seeing the team's trainers and coaches, who my son immediately recognized, so we decided to just hang out in the lounge and see who we could see come by. At no time, did we approach anyone for an autograph or picture. Each Raptors representative that we saw, and even the tv broadcaster who was staying there, saw my son in his gear and initiated a friendly hello and asked how we were doing. We exchanged pleasantries and they carried on their way and we did not seek a 'selfie' or autograph. Perhaps I hadn't dolled myself up to look like a Real Housewife of Auburn Hills but, throughout the morning, I could see the front desk staff looking at us with concern and they seemed to be discussing our presence. I started to feel uncomfortable, especially when one particular bellman kept circling me in my chair although he had no reason to come to that area of the lounge. As people who weren't even staying at the hotel began showing up for brunch, they, too, were sitting in the lounge sofas/chairs, waiting for others to join them or changing/feeding their babies etc. Staff approached these visitors and asked whether they would like a beverage while they waited in the lounge right next to us. At no time, throughout that morning, were my son or I who, again, were paying guests, offered a beverage. Finally, around 11am, the clerk at the front desk, who'd been watching me, came up to me and said that 'security' was becoming concerned that we'd been sitting there throughout the morning and she asked that I leave to wait with the fans and autograph seekers waiting outside the hotel. When I advised her that I was a guest and would go to my room, she immediately backtracked to say that I could stay but not take pictures. Again, throughout the entire morning, my son and I sat and chatted with each other and at no time approached ANYONE for pictures or autographs and did not initiate any conversations. But instead of simply confirming whether or not I was a guest, or even saying that it appeared that we might be fans of guests staying there but that there was a no picture policy - no, instead they assumed we weren't guests, made us feel uncomfortable all morning and asked us to leave. I went up to the room and showered and we gathered our belongings and went down to checkout and get our car out of valet. Upon checkout, when the 'desk manager' asked how my stay was, I explained the treatment from that morning. When he asked who it was that had asked me to leave, I looked at the woman standing beside him and I believe he said her name as 'Lisa'. They both kept apologizing by explaining over and over that they were just looking out for their guests - as they would do for similarly for us. Which was ironic since they clearly chose NOT to take care of us as guests. They chose to sacrifice our experience as guests for the sake of another guest's experience. I don't usually like to discuss money but I spent over $650 (Cdn) at this hotel over the 13 hours we stayed there and, for that, my family and I were presented with the humiliation of by being asked to leave. read more

Outstanding room and service- top to bottom. Needed a late check out for an in room massage and they put us in a suite for the day. Definitely stay here again. read more

Love it! they remembered us from the last visit and called us by name from the moment we stepped off the car. nice touch

Truly a high class hotel. Everything was taken care of from the moment I stood foot on the property. The bar was amazing for a late night cocktail as I checked in late. Bartender even brought out some hot chocolate chip cookies! read more

Wow Wow Wow we stayed 2 night in suite 401 with a connecting suite. Very roomy, well layed out and we ran into detail after detail. Bath towels plush thick, pillows perfect, newspaper in a cloth bag (you know so ink does not get on you while handling), robes so thick and soft, tooth brush holder wow a first for me, slippers very cool, balcony overlooking park, bell hop perfection. We really felt like celebrities. Rugby grill very nice. Again details beyond your imagination. The manager very nice, down to earth, funny, not stuffy at all. Food was very good. Flatware was a highlight. Blown Glass, and artwork just so much fun. Front desk very helpful. I mean we had a couple kids and a couple of guests and like 12 bags everyone was made to feel welcome. This is our hotel. When we walk through the door it's like "ahhh were home" So So nice. Words don't do it justice. Located right in the heart of the city, shopping and great restaurants near by. If you want to drop a few bucks and feel like a King,..Go...NOW. Drop everything but the phone and make a reservation. From the staff to the updated decor and back to all those details wow wow wow. This definitely gets 5 big ones Woohoo! It is as good as it gets. read more

Incredible Staff. the building is a little old but that doesnt mnin bauhkeit, the staff is so kind and they make you feel taken ccare of at every turn, especially if you're spending money. Oh i love money. read more

A high teas at the Townsend Hotel is alovely way to spend an afternoon. I like "teas" becasue you an talk and catch up unlike a "lunch" where once your meal is over its time to go. Not so with a tea. the Townsend does a lovely job and I will be back! read more

My son and wife chose this venue for their wedding. The hotel did an absolutely wonderful job from top to bottom. The service was impeccable and everyone was so accommodating and freindly. read more

I travel a lot for work and have done so for many years. This is the first travel that I have ever felt compelled to write. The Townsend Hotel uses an automated system for controlling all of the lights in the rooms - so, theoretically you should be able to hit one button and turn all of the lights in your room on or off. As I was going to bed on my first night, I was unable to turn the lights in my room off. I called to ask them to repair the controller in the morning. Throughout the night the lights in my room kept on going on and off waking me up without explanation. The following day I returned to my room and noticed that the controller for my lights still was not working properly. I spoke to the front-desk manager named Lisa and she told me that the problem had been fixed and that the issues I was experiencing were "user error." In a very condescending manner, Lisa then told me that she would send an engineer to my room to "teach me" how to turn the switch on and off. While waiting for the engineer, I then called to order room service on my room's cordless phone and the operator addressed me by the wrong name. I asked the operator what room they thought I was in and they listed the wrong room #. I realized that all of the systems in my room (my phone, the system controlling my lights, etc) were somehow connected to other rooms in the hotel. My lights were probably going on and off because someone else in the hotel had the controller for my room and was using it throughout the night. When I called back to learn what I had learned, Lisa continued to be condescending and rude. I then asked to speak to her manager at which point she hung up on me. I then called the front desk back and Lisa answered again. She told me that the Guest Relations Manager or the Hotel General Manager would be unable to help me because they were away for the holiday weekend. In addition, the hotel's lead engineer who was the hotel's expert on their lighting systems was also away for the holiday weekend - so, no one could fix my problem. I then asked Lisa if there was anyone else I could speak to at the hotel as I did not appreciate the way in which she spoke to me. She then started arguing with me and went so far to tell me that if I did not feel comfortable dealing with her I would be escorted out of the hotel by the Birmingham police. The conversation had gotten so ridiculous at this point that I told Lisa that I was started to record it. At that point her tone became less threatening and she offered me an "upgraded" room. When I arrived at the upgraded room it had a view of garbage dumpster and I think it was actually smaller than the room I left which had a beautiful view. Based on the reviews on here it sounds like other people had great experiences with this hotel but from my perspective their systems are messed up preventing you from having a good night's sleep, their condescending when you tell them about it, they threaten you when you ask to speak to upper management and they punish you when they promise an upgraded room. I regret to say that this was by far the worst experience I have ever had at a hotel. read more

I took my daughter to the Townsend a day after Christmas and was very disappointed. Not sure if it's always the case but on that day they only had two teas. Other High Teas that I have attended have had several that you could enjoy. I was surprised that the tea sandwiches were not really tea sandwiches but more like hors d' oeuvres. I know that everything is petite servings for High Tea but seriously, three tiny hors d' oeuvres of about four differennt kinds (not even enough for each of us to have two of a kind). The tray was so skimpy I couldn't beliveve my eyes. And when our server brought out the desserts, my eyes nearly feel out of my head. I'm sure the bakers are so proud of how small they can make these desserts but honestly I know their fingers must hurt from putting these little things together. Aside from the food, the ambience was a little iffy too. During our meal people from the outside (literally coats and boots attired) cut through the room and I found it to be very disturbing. All and all the food wasn't great, the ambience was not good and it was too expensive. I expected a lot more from the Townsend. I will not be returning for High Tea there again. read more

Last Monday evening after having dinner at another restaurant I stopped in at the Rugby Grill for a glass of wine. I asked what Pinot Noirs you had. The bartender named 2 and highly recommended one. I said OK I'll take your recommendation. Wine was perfect. What wasn't was the fact that he did not tell me that a single glass of wine was so expensive. I believe I paid, with tip $23.08. I am in the service industry and if I ever suggested the most expensive anything without giving the price I know I would be wrong. Also, twice before, I have asked for a cab and was secured a Townsend driver at no charge. I tipped each time $20,00 to thank him. This particular evening I asked the same bartender to secure a cab. I was given a Townsend driver (not a cab at $12.00) and tipped (I thought) $20.00. The driver said "the fare is $20.00". I paid $25.00. Won't be back. Where is Gene. He was and is the most trusted employee of the Townsend Hotel. When rating you, I am rating the service read more

My partner and I are from Ann Arbor and attempted to have a romantic getaway to The Townsend this past weekend; we were very disappointed. The music from a wedding taking place in the hotel was so loud that it literally shook our room until well after midnight. In addition, our (non-smoking) room reeked like cigarette and marijuana smoke, we are guessing from the guests staying on either side of us. The newspapers we requested were never delivered to our room. Worst of all, upon checking out we made our disappointment clear to the young woman at the front desk (who never asked us how our stay was, by the way), and her response was "well, you've already paid...". While the Townsend's location is fantastic and the interior is very lovely, overall the experience there is quite tacky. There is a charge for absolutely everything--even McDonald's has free wifi these days...and the service is just sub-par. We will not be returning and would encourage others to look elsewhere. read more