Problem: What would be an example of an positive review?

Answer: I dragged the manfriend here so that we could get a bit of the "country" experience in Phoenix, so this review is based off of only one visit (please keep that in mind!!). It was a bit of a drive from our hotel, but felt like stepping into another world, my perfect dream land of a gentlewoman's farm, where the faint whiff of pony poop does not imply that I will have to clean it up, where the sage and the stars and the dust conspire to make you hungry for a big dinner of country food. What I most liked about Quiessence was that it was country food the way I would want to live in the country. Less biscuits and fried stuff, more fruit of the land. +1 Star - Atmosphere. Its sexy sexy sexy here. More or less. The fire pit on the way up the walkway (a walk lined with flowering vines, lush plants and the like) was so inviting. The dining space was a tad over-lit, and you know how we ladies like our flattering lighting. + 1 Star - Organized staff. They had my reservation all squared away and they had saved a nice table for us, even though we were 15 minutes late (being Spanish, that means on time to me). We were swiftly attended to, but never felt rushed. - 1 Star - Beers and wines by the glass. Not quite as much selection as we would have liked, even though the list is not meager. Quality was good. I would like to see more than one sparkling by the glass and a few more up-market selections by the glass. They have an excellent list by the bottle, though. + 1 Star - Food sourcing. Its one thing to serve good food, which I demand (!). It's another to care about where that food came from. I can't recall exactly what we had (I had found some wine I liked!), but some of the standouts were the vegetables that came from the property that were a part of each dish. + 1 Star - Menu. We did the tasting menu ($65 a head) which was an alternative to ordering ala carte. I was thrilled with my salad. It was probably the best I have had in... forever? He loved his entree, lamb with vegetables. He looked at his place setting after finishing and commented that he had not used his knife! Lamb was like butter! - 1 Star - Dessert. Talk about a let down. He had a white tiramisu that was okay, but not great. I had pears on a shortbread cookie. Not good at all. The cookie was inedible. These guys need a pastry chef. + 1 Star - Romance. It was so romantic here that we were inspired to go make out in the bathroom for a while. Should have seen the looks on people's faces. Geez. Prudes. But it is one of the most bodice-ripping inspiring places I have been in a short while. - 1 Star - Pricing. Overall, $65 per head is not outrageous, but seems high for what was received. I was not blown away by my entree - a poached egg with veggies. Really? Not so much. I am torn whenever writing reviews if I should be rating them (via the yelp star system) against their potential or against the overall establishments in the world or if I should rate them against those in their home town. I feel very conflicted about rating Quiessence only 4 stars, as I believe it is likely one of the best that Phoenix/Scottsdale has to offer. However, I would like to see them improve their desserts and also pay a bit more attention to lavishing on the guests (for example, it was a cold night, but they could have up-sold he and I to a drink by the fire pit outside if they had offered blankets or the like) before I give them 5 stars. These guys need to be a little less precious in my view, keep their focus on the local sourcing, and get away from the overly fluffy presentation. I liked this place very much and will try them again in the future, perhaps for their beautifully presented brunch, whiff of animal dung coddling my nostrils on a fair weather day.

Problem: What would be an example of an negative review?

Answer: The only positive thing I can say about the hotel is that is is nice. The rooms, landscaping, and atmosphere are all wonderful. However, the hotel is severely understaffed. There was never NOT a long line at the front desk. It took us 40 minutes just to check out of the hotel. It took the front desk agents 15 minutes per guest minimum - the longest I've ever experienced. The food, while reasonably priced, just wasn't very good. The hot tub was lukewarm. Overall, it was priced well and was nice, but I wouldn't stay again.

Problem: What would be an example of an negative review?

Answer:
I really wanted to love this place as I am a recent Vegas transplant and needed a new go-to place for waxing... If this review was based strictly on the wax service I received, the place would have gotten 4stars. However... Minus 1 star for having to give them your credit card # just to make an appointment. What is that about?! Minus 1.5 stars for rarely getting to speak with someone when you call. I've left several messages and received ONE call back. Email doesn't work when you're trying to schedule appointments. I've literally just had to random phone bomb them to get a live person. I will give them one more try since I still have two visits left on the deal I purchased ... But I won't be too surprised if I can't make an appt before the deal expires.