Utente ospite
27 settembre 2024
The setting is lovely and in a wonderful area to explore (Amberley Village, Parham House & Gardens, RSPB Pulborough Brooks, WWT Arundel, Bignor Roman Villa to name a few). Photographs show a fresher more pristine and vibrant setting. In reality the premises are a bit “quaint” and show some wear. The hotel experience did not fully meet our expectations and did not meet the level of excellence one would expect from a luxury hotel with a Relais & Châteaux designation. Certainly, the physical Castle itself (which is partially under scaffolding) imparts a sense of charm and history and the quality of food at dinner was excellent but in other areas, especially regarding service, our experience fell short. Upon arrival our welcome was technically courteous but curt. We did not get a tour or introduction of the Castle or grounds and we felt fairly anonymous the full 3 ½ days we were there. Dinner was very nice. Delicious food beautifully presented in a beautiful room. However, service was lacking. Technically proper but no real rapport established with waitstaff during the meal. The menu was not explained or elaborated. There is no sommelier. Instead we were handed an iPad/Wine list which I found a bit overwhelming and impersonal. Breakfast: Good food and presentation (not at the same level as dinner) but slow service and lukewarm coffee. Waitstaff are taking orders and (eventually) delivering food but there is no rapport with guests (and we were there for a total of four meals so there were plenty of opportunities to develop some level of rapport). More than a few times guests would arrive and not be acknowledged in a timely fashion. Generally, there was minimal communication by waitstaff. Staff need to be better trained in the art of hospitality. Also, more attention and care should be given to the music selection which is a bit monotonous especially after a dinner and breakfast with the same tracks followed by two more breakfasts with the exact same tracks. We splurged on a gatehouse suite (needed King bed and extra space). The bathroom was very clean and modern. The bed was comfortable and the linens soft. The shower was great and I am a fan of L’Occitane toiletries. The Dyson hairdryer was fun to use. However, there were small details that were overlooked. The wood railing outdoors needs refreshing (a coat of paint or stain would be nice). It was full of cobwebs which is not welcoming and begs the question, “Did you know we were coming?” Indoors the suite was clean but worn. The loft area was tidy but the air was dusty. It seems pretty clear that this suite had not been used recently. We tried to turn on the TV upstairs but failed because the remote did not work. I tried to call the front desk several times but there was no answer. Not worth walking over to try and find someone. The tea caddy is upstairs so it would be nice to have a carafe of fresh water or bottle of water ready to use rather than leave it to the guest to find and use
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