Aussie Innkeeper
Well-known member
I really, really REALLY wish I didn't have to send this letter, but I felt that it had to be said. I spent last week at one of those all-inclusive resorts (tab picked up by DH's company). And, I'm really not that hard to please, but when big buck$ are paid and things aren't right and they could be fixed with just a little effort, this is what you get. Maybe I was a bit harsh.
Dear Resort Manager,
My husband and I just returned from a week at your resort. While we enjoyed our time away from our jobs, I really must tell you that our experience at your property was less than what we had hoped.
During our week there, we may have met you, though we are not certain, as it appeared that upper management did not wear any identification badge, nor were they obvious in any way other than they seemed to stand around and verbally direct the staff in a rather condescending manner and make excuses for things that were brought to their attention, either by the staff or guests.
We did have a very positive experience with ‘L’. I do not know her title. She worked with our group’s coordinator. She was friendly, efficient and very welcoming. She was the first staff person that we encountered, so we were optimistic that this was going to set the tone for the trip. Unfortunately, the only other people we met during our time who had even a hint of a positive attitude were the young lady in the outside portico who arranged for taxi and shuttles; our housekeeper and the guy who makes the omelets (he was fabulous!). I did not get the housekeeper’s name, but we were in room *** and she cleaned it most days, except for Friday and Saturday, when another person was there. She wasn’t nearly as friendly.
Seriously, your staff needs some customer service training! If they continue like this, it’s not going to matter if you are a “D***” resort or if you’re the Ritz, people are going to take their business elsewhere. I am in the hospitality business as well. I know that there are certain things over which we have no control (such as power outages, plumbing issues and the like). Most guests also realize this and are willing to be reasonable. However, I also know that when things are within our control, and we just make excuses for them (i.e. ‘well, we are in transition…etc.…’), that is of no help to the guest and only further compounds the problem. Additionally, in this day of on-line reviews, a potential guest needs only to spend a few moments on their laptop to decide where they are NOT going to be spending their limited resources.
The food was adequate, but nothing special. I imagine this must be very frustrating to the head chef that you have. We were given no reason for the restaurant’s running out of basics like orange juice, noodles, sushi, beer, certain wines, salmon, soft-serve ice cream (!!!), eggrolls and dumplings, just to name a few. At times it seemed that there were more items on the menu that weren’t available than were. The server at Shima was doing the best that she could, but was given very little to work with. The majority of the staff at the Mangrove restaurant, on the other hand, made us feel as though we were just a bother to them, despite our trying to engage them in friendly conversation. The bartenders at the Turtle Rocks Sports bar acted as though they were indentured servants – rarely smiling or talking with the guests. This was in great contrast to the service staff we encountered at restaurants and bars in other areas of the island. They were all very friendly and thanked us for our business.
We were fortunate to be placed into a newly renovated room, which was beautiful! The bathroom was clean and functional (shower was really nice) and we were even lucky enough to get an ample supply of hot water (TA reviews from the week before our trip warned otherwise). But the shower curtain was on backwards and the towels were of very poor quality - if we received a sufficient supply each day. A couple of days we had just one wash cloth and one day we were not given a bath mat. It was a good thing that we travel with our own shampoo and soap, as the ones supplied were rather scant. The king bed was very comfortable, but here again, the total experience fell short because the sheets were of poor quality, did not fit the bed properly and the pillows were hard. Furthermore, the sheets were never changed the whole week we were there. It is my understanding that “industry standard” is to change them every 3 days unless the guest requests otherwise. I can only assume that this was some sort of cost-saving practice.
The pool and general grounds areas were very nice and well-kept. We saw staff cleaning regularly. We were also impressed with the signage around the property. Directions to various areas were well-marked and easy to follow. However, I was very concerned that there was no hot water for hand washing in any of the public-area restrooms such as off of the lobby or in the Mangrove restaurant. Are your employees also using these restrooms? Here in the states, our local health department frowns on things like that.
Both my husband and I sent e-mails to your customer service prior to our arrival and both of us received the same canned reply citing the fact that your property is ‘in transition’. You are now 60 days out from your targeted “D***” transformation date, and at this rate, I see very little being accomplished by then. And after that date comes and goes, what will you then use as an excuse? I’m probably not telling you anything that you don’t already know or haven’t heard before. We were very disappointed in our overall experience. We will not be returning, nor will we recommending your resort to anyone we know. That is very unfortunate, as we encounter many seasoned travelers in our business.
Thank you,
Dear Resort Manager,
My husband and I just returned from a week at your resort. While we enjoyed our time away from our jobs, I really must tell you that our experience at your property was less than what we had hoped.
During our week there, we may have met you, though we are not certain, as it appeared that upper management did not wear any identification badge, nor were they obvious in any way other than they seemed to stand around and verbally direct the staff in a rather condescending manner and make excuses for things that were brought to their attention, either by the staff or guests.
We did have a very positive experience with ‘L’. I do not know her title. She worked with our group’s coordinator. She was friendly, efficient and very welcoming. She was the first staff person that we encountered, so we were optimistic that this was going to set the tone for the trip. Unfortunately, the only other people we met during our time who had even a hint of a positive attitude were the young lady in the outside portico who arranged for taxi and shuttles; our housekeeper and the guy who makes the omelets (he was fabulous!). I did not get the housekeeper’s name, but we were in room *** and she cleaned it most days, except for Friday and Saturday, when another person was there. She wasn’t nearly as friendly.
Seriously, your staff needs some customer service training! If they continue like this, it’s not going to matter if you are a “D***” resort or if you’re the Ritz, people are going to take their business elsewhere. I am in the hospitality business as well. I know that there are certain things over which we have no control (such as power outages, plumbing issues and the like). Most guests also realize this and are willing to be reasonable. However, I also know that when things are within our control, and we just make excuses for them (i.e. ‘well, we are in transition…etc.…’), that is of no help to the guest and only further compounds the problem. Additionally, in this day of on-line reviews, a potential guest needs only to spend a few moments on their laptop to decide where they are NOT going to be spending their limited resources.
The food was adequate, but nothing special. I imagine this must be very frustrating to the head chef that you have. We were given no reason for the restaurant’s running out of basics like orange juice, noodles, sushi, beer, certain wines, salmon, soft-serve ice cream (!!!), eggrolls and dumplings, just to name a few. At times it seemed that there were more items on the menu that weren’t available than were. The server at Shima was doing the best that she could, but was given very little to work with. The majority of the staff at the Mangrove restaurant, on the other hand, made us feel as though we were just a bother to them, despite our trying to engage them in friendly conversation. The bartenders at the Turtle Rocks Sports bar acted as though they were indentured servants – rarely smiling or talking with the guests. This was in great contrast to the service staff we encountered at restaurants and bars in other areas of the island. They were all very friendly and thanked us for our business.
We were fortunate to be placed into a newly renovated room, which was beautiful! The bathroom was clean and functional (shower was really nice) and we were even lucky enough to get an ample supply of hot water (TA reviews from the week before our trip warned otherwise). But the shower curtain was on backwards and the towels were of very poor quality - if we received a sufficient supply each day. A couple of days we had just one wash cloth and one day we were not given a bath mat. It was a good thing that we travel with our own shampoo and soap, as the ones supplied were rather scant. The king bed was very comfortable, but here again, the total experience fell short because the sheets were of poor quality, did not fit the bed properly and the pillows were hard. Furthermore, the sheets were never changed the whole week we were there. It is my understanding that “industry standard” is to change them every 3 days unless the guest requests otherwise. I can only assume that this was some sort of cost-saving practice.
The pool and general grounds areas were very nice and well-kept. We saw staff cleaning regularly. We were also impressed with the signage around the property. Directions to various areas were well-marked and easy to follow. However, I was very concerned that there was no hot water for hand washing in any of the public-area restrooms such as off of the lobby or in the Mangrove restaurant. Are your employees also using these restrooms? Here in the states, our local health department frowns on things like that.
Both my husband and I sent e-mails to your customer service prior to our arrival and both of us received the same canned reply citing the fact that your property is ‘in transition’. You are now 60 days out from your targeted “D***” transformation date, and at this rate, I see very little being accomplished by then. And after that date comes and goes, what will you then use as an excuse? I’m probably not telling you anything that you don’t already know or haven’t heard before. We were very disappointed in our overall experience. We will not be returning, nor will we recommending your resort to anyone we know. That is very unfortunate, as we encounter many seasoned travelers in our business.
Thank you,
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