The Seagate Hotel & Spa

An Exceptional Employee Who Truly Represents Hospitality As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member, I stay at many hotels, but I rarely write reviews. My experience with Eddie Negron at The Seagate in Delray Beach was so exceptional that I felt compelled to recognize him. Eddie is one of the most remarkable hospitality professionals I have ever encountered. From the moment he greets you, he makes you feel genuinely welcomed, comfortable, and at home. His warmth and compassion are not rehearsed—they are simply part of who he is. What impressed me most was Eddie’s extraordinary ability to understand his guests. He seems able to recognize what someone might enjoy simply by speaking with them and paying attention. His restaurant recommendations were personalized, thoughtful, and absolutely perfect for me. Every suggestion was spot-on. Eddie does far more than provide excellent service. He creates a connection, makes people feel cared for, and transforms an ordinary hotel stay into a memorable experience. Employees like Eddie are rare, and he represents the very best of The Seagate and Marriott hospitality. I sincerely hope hotel leadership and Marriott formally recognize Eddie with an award or other meaningful acknowledgment. He deserves to know the impact he has on the guests fortunate enough to meet him. Eddie is an extraordinary asset to this hotel, and he is the reason I will remember—and return to—The Seagate.

There is a lot to love about The Seagate, and so much potential for this to be an exceptional luxury hotel. Unfortunately, inconsistencies in service, staffing, and attention to detail kept it from reaching that level during our stay. Rooms The rooms are beautiful, spacious, and well appointed. We had a balcony room and really appreciated having both a couch and table, as well as a large bathroom. One of our rooms did have a noticeable stain on the headboard that looked like wine, which was surprising at a property of this caliber. Twice-daily housekeeping was a great touch, and we especially appreciated the automatic evening turndown service, which is becoming increasingly difficult to find without specifically requesting it. Our only housekeeping issue was that we used the robes one evening and they were never replaced for the remainder of our stay. Staffing & Operations This seemed to be one of the biggest issues throughout the property. There simply did not appear to be enough staff. At one point, we tried to close out our tab at the hotel pool bar and couldn’t find a bartender. During our stay, we learned that new management came in approximately a year and a half ago and that there has apparently been significant staff turnover since then. We were told five employees had given notice just the day before our arrival. There is also a 20% “operations fee” added to checks throughout the hotel and Beach Club. We were told this had previously been a 20% gratuity but was changed under the current management structure. Several employees indicated that the way the fee is now distributed has been a source of frustration among staff. Obviously, as guests we can’t independently verify the internal details, but it was concerning to hear and seemed consistent with the staffing challenges we observed throughout our stay. Food & Beverage We had some truly excellent service throughout the property’s restaurants and bars. At Mr. Seas, both Torrence and Stephen were fantastic and took great care of us. We tried quite a bit over the course of our stay, including the oysters, shrimp, shrimp fried rice, fruit plate, poke bowl, truffle fries, and chicken Caesar wrap. Overall, the food was very good. My only suggestion would be adding avocado and some type of sauce or drizzle to the poke bowl. Dessert, drinks, and service at Venetian Street Bar were also excellent. Ricardo served us in several areas of the property, but primarily at Venetian Street, and he was wonderful. There was also another bartender at Venetian Street whose name I unfortunately didn’t catch—a younger gentleman from Pittsburgh—and he was excellent as well. I wish I had gotten his name because he deserves the recognition. Kennedy at Gate also provided excellent service. Unfortunately, breakfast itself was fairly mediocre both mornings. The first morning I ordered the chorizo burrito, which was good, but the accompanying “chipotle aioli” was unlike any aioli I’ve had before. It wasn’t particularly creamy and didn’t seem mayonnaise-based. The second morning I ordered the BABES sandwich. It was okay, but the avocado didn’t seem particularly fresh, and it was served with the same chipotle sauce from the previous morning rather than the garlic aioli listed on the menu. We also noticed that both Gate and Venetian Street were frequently out of ingredients and requested items. It gave the impression that inventory and ordering aren’t being managed as well as they could be, which I’m sure is frustrating for the service staff who then have to communicate those shortages to guests. We had dinner at Bourbon Steak one evening, and the food, drinks, and service were excellent. One frustration was the lack of communication about what was included with the meal. The opening explanation from our server was quite lengthy, yet the complimentary French fry service wasn’t mentioned and didn’t arrive until after we’d ordered. The menu also didn’t indicate that the steaks were accompanied by broiled tomatoes. Had we known about the fries and tomatoes, we would have ordered fewer sides. Instead, we ended up with far too much food and quite a bit went to waste since there isn’t a way to reheat leftovers in the hotel rooms. For a restaurant where the staff provides such a detailed introduction to the menu, mentioning those inclusions would be helpful. Hotel Pool — Day 1 We spent our first day at the hotel pool, and unfortunately this was probably the weakest amenity for us. It felt surprisingly disconnected from the luxury experience The Seagate advertises. There are no pool attendants. When you arrive, you grab your own towels from a rack and find your own chairs, much like you would at a standard Courtyard Marriott or similar hotel pool. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that setup at a typical hotel, but it felt very out of place at a resort positioning itself as a luxury destination—particularly when the Beach Club offers such a different level of service. There is also no poolside food or beverage service. If you want something, you have to go up to the bar yourself. There appeared to be only one bartender responsible for quite a few things, so they were frequently away from the bar. At one point, we were ready to close out our tab and couldn’t find anyone behind the bar. The Bali beds didn’t help the overall impression. They were stained/discolored and covered in leaves, which made the area feel poorly maintained rather than elevated or inviting. The contrast between the hotel pool and the Beach Club is significant. At the Beach Club, there are employees to set up your chairs and umbrellas and, when service is operating as intended, amenities like drink service, chilled sunscreen, and misting. At the hotel pool, you’re essentially on your own from the moment you arrive. For a property explicitly marketing itself as a luxury destination, the hotel pool experience just doesn’t seem to match the rest of that positioning. If we stayed again, we would skip it entirely and spend our pool time at the Beach Club. Beach Club — Days 2–4 The Beach Club was where we saw both the best service of our trip and some of the biggest inconsistencies. First, I think the hotel’s description of its beach service could be clearer. There is drink service directly to your beach chair, and you can order beverages without getting up. However, there is not food service to your chair. If you want food, you have to walk up to the beach shack or pool bar and order it yourself. The property advertises beach service alongside a food and drink menu, so we went into the stay expecting that both food and beverages could be ordered from our chairs. Had it been communicated more clearly that only drinks are available through chair-side service, it honestly may have affected our decision to stay here. It’s a relatively small distinction on paper, but it’s significant if you’re choosing a resort specifically because you want full beach service. Our first beach day, Day 2 of our stay, was underwhelming. We were on the beach from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Someone came by roughly every hour or so to ask if we wanted drinks, but from about 1:00–3:00, no one checked on us at all. Day 3 was a completely different experience. We were told that the two employees assigned to beach service hadn’t shown up for work, so the employees who normally set up chairs and umbrellas would be checking on guests whenever they could. We were warned upfront that service might not be great because they were short-staffed. Ironically, they were phenomenal. We were offered chilled sunscreen, asked if we’d like to be misted, and checked on approximately every 30 minutes. They were friendly, attentive, and created exactly the kind of elevated beach experience we had expected from The Seagate. The contrast between Days 2 and 3 was striking, particularly because Day 3 was the day they were technically understaffed. On Day 4, we opted for the Beach Club pool rather than the beach, and service there was attentive as well. The Beach Club manager was also extremely friendly and genuinely interested in hearing our feedback. That really sums up my primary complaint with The Seagate: the experience is too inconsistent. If we had received the level of service we experienced on Days 3 and 4 throughout our entire stay, this easily would have been one of our favorite hotel experiences. And we weren’t the only guests who noticed the inconsistency. When chilled sunscreen was offered at the Beach Club pool on Day 4, a woman sitting across from us said, “This is great! Where was this yesterday?” That comment really captured the issue. I think something as simple as a consistent service rotation or checklist for Beach Club employees could make a huge difference—regular drink checks, drink samples, chilled sunscreen, misting, and other touches offered on a consistent rotation—so that every guest receives roughly the same experience regardless of which employees happen to be working that day. The other detail that really needs improvement is the towels. They were surprisingly thin and inexpensive-feeling, and every day at least one person in our group received a towel that was stained or had holes in it. Those may seem like small details, but they matter when a property explicitly positions itself as a luxury destination. Shuttle & Valet The shuttle service itself was great in terms of availability and comfort. The drivers weren’t particularly friendly or conversational compared with what we’ve experienced at other luxury properties, but transportation was reliable and convenient. The valet staff, however, were consistently very friendly and helpful. Front Desk & Concierge We had a miscommunication regarding our late checkout that resulted in housekeeping coming to our room twice asking why we were still there. It was a little stressful and seemed like something that should have been communicated internally once the late checkout was approved. We also had an unusual experience with the concierge. My mom went to ask about booking a massage and was simply told to walk over to the spa. At other luxury hotels we’ve stayed at, the concierge would typically call the spa, check availability, and assist with arranging the appointment. It was a small interaction, but again, those are the service details that differentiate a true luxury experience. Overall The Seagate has so much potential. The rooms are beautiful, the Beach Club is a fantastic amenity, the property has some wonderful food and beverage options, and we encountered several individual employees—including Torrence, Stephen, Ricardo, Kennedy, and the unnamed bartender from Pittsburgh—who provided truly excellent service. The problem isn’t that The Seagate can’t provide a luxury experience—we experienced moments where it absolutely did. The problem is that you don’t know which version of the experience you’re going to get. Our four days around the pools and beach illustrate that perfectly: Day 1 at the hotel pool was disappointing, Day 2 at the beach was underwhelming, Day 3 at the beach was fantastic, and Day 4 at the Beach Club pool was attentive and enjoyable. For a property at this price point, and one that explicitly positions itself as a luxury destination, guests shouldn’t have dramatically different levels of service from one day to the next. Better staffing, stronger inventory management, clearer communication about amenities, and consistent service standards—particularly at the Beach Club—would make an enormous difference. If those inconsistencies were addressed, The Seagate could very easily become one of our top recommendations in Florida. For now, though, The Ben in West Palm Beach remains our go-to recommendation because, in our experience, it delivers that elevated level of service much more consistently.

Juan is the best! Great service.

Eddie Negron made my time at the Seagate amazing. From the moment I stepped in he was welcoming, friendly, and helpful.

Had an amazing stay for our friend’s birthday! Eddie Negron was the highlight of our trip, he remembered us every-time we walked in! He is so incredibly inviting to everyone. Thank you for making our stay extra memorable Eddie!