I will start by saying this is still the best hotel option in town but I am feeling angry with it. I have been staying here once or twice a year, every year, for over fifteen years - I have witnessed many changes, mostly good ones, however, the original owner has retired and left the operation to his daughter. The hotel has doubled in size since 2002 when I first went there so it is clearly more of a handful to run. There is still building work going on but you are not warned out this before booking. As a result it has that not finished feel for example the main corridor through the middle of the hotel to our room and the spa was not heated - freezing. Even though the hotel is more modern today, it has now lost the attention to detail and service. Checkin - booked ahead for a room with bath and shower. Got to reception desk and double checked. Walked a long walk to the room, opened the door and no bath. I went to the phone in the room to dial Reception to tell them - the phone is broken. So had to use own mobile to call them to tell them and ask to change room. Finally found a room with bath and shower but the compromise was two single beds instead of a double. What a faff ! The restaurant does serve good food but because of a screw up with housekeeping forgetting to make up our room we were late for dinner and told we could not have a starter. When we left I signed the meal off as usual to the room as the waitress was taking her time to come back to us only to be pursued out of the restaurant and shouted at that I hadn’t paid and where was I going ! Half an hour after returning to the room I got another rant from reception saying I hadn’t paid for dinner. When I explained I had signed it to the room they left me alone but didn’t apologise for making me feel like a criminal. It doesn’t end there. The Spa was a real let down. The sauna and steam were not working and are only switched on for a set time rather than when guests want to use them. I came back from a brisk winter walk looking forward to a jacuzzi , steam and warm up only to find the place cold and the jacuzzi permanently blocked off because of cost. In the old days, sure the rooms were a bit dated but everything worked like clockwork. The cleaning was impeccable, there were robes and slippers, the service was happy, personal and super efficient. The spa was old and small but it worked and was always available. There were bedtime chocolates, coffee came with a side plate with mini cake and chocolate - the small things made all the difference. Now the hotel has a wonderful spa, modern big rooms but the spa doesn’t work and the rooms are clinical, cold plastic feel with no facilities. A Travel Lodge is better. ALL the small details are gone and the hotel is now a numbers game and after 20 years they have lost my business for good.
2 Ulasan