As a free-flight bird trainer, I was disappointed ...

As a free-flight bird trainer, I was disappointed that this seemingly grandiose hotel would put up a pair of macaws as "decoration".

The cage lay-out seemed to be suited more for humans' aesthetic rather than the birds' benefit. Instead of having branches that are sticking upward and diagonal from the middle, I would suggest replacing them with two branches that are long enough to meet the ends of the cage, (preferably with one branch thicker and placed higher than the other, to encourage exercise and prevent bumblefoot), so that the birds can fly to and from them, then moving the toys to be adjacent to the perches, so as to be more accessible to the birds and not obstruct their flight space. This would not only be better for the birds' physical and mental well-being, but it would also be more entertaining for the guests to see them flying from perch to perch than to simply watch the birds sit on the only horizontal branches there and do nothing. What's the point of showcasing birds if they're not able to do what they were born to do?

Also, parrots need sunlight for a multitude of reasons: For healthy, good-looking feathers, for their unique ultraviolet vision, for accurate circadian day-and-night cycles (which will allow them better sleep and less aggressive behavior), but most importantly, for vitamin D to absorb the calcium that they are (hopefully) getting from their diets. Otherwise, their already hollow bones may warp out of shape and become extremely prone to breaking. To fix this, I would suggest removing the windows above the cage, moving the cage itself to a location without windows above them, or at the very least, installing a UVB light inside or on top of their cage. Again, this is not only for the birds' benefit, but this can also make the set-up appear more attractive.

Another essential element for healthy, clean, vibrant feathers is bathing. All birds bathe or get rained on in the wild. This is a simple fix -- just place a large pan, wider than the width of the bird and at least 2" deep, on the floor of the cage. This is also a good way for the birds to cool down if they need to, and will be fun to watch.

As a final suggestion, birds spend about 7 hours per day working for their food. Caged birds are often given food freely, which causes them to suddenly have nothing to do, or at least, no motivation to do anything but conserve their energy. If you want your birds to be more entertaining to people, as well as fulfill their wild instincts, try having foraging toys hanging on different parts of the cage, so that the birds are moving around more and solving the little puzzles daily to get at their food. People could spend hours in the lobby watching the birds stretch their wings while basking in the sunlit portion of their cage, splashing in their bath pan, manipulating their foraging toys, and flying from perch to perch.

Honestly, everything else about the hotel was great, but seeing these beautiful birds have less than ideal conditions made me feel depressed every time I looked at them. It might not appear like abuse to the uninformed, but for macaws that have such complex needs, it might as well be! Do right by the birds, or just don't have macaws. It's unprofessional.

I'll change this review to 5 stars if I'm informed that some progressive changes are in place. Otherwise, if you love birds or animals in general, I suggest you avoid this hotel or complain to the staff to try to generate change, as seeing their conditions will dampen your mood.