XR73B
Couples · November 20258/10
Like others have said, this is a beautiful hotel with excellent staff and customer service. My garden-facing room was very quiet, and I appreciated the staff member (I'm sorry I don't recall her name)...Like others have said, this is a beautiful hotel with excellent staff and customer service. My garden-facing room was very quiet, and I appreciated the staff member (I'm sorry I don't recall her name) suggesting a take that room, instead of the canal view I'd reserved, since it would be quieter. We were also generously upgraded to a larger room on arrival. It had a ceiling fresco and was beautiful. Very comfortable bed.
Why not 5 stars? Major opportunity for improvement: breakfast, which seems to be a selling point as it's included in the hotel rate.
First, breakfast doesn't open until 8 a.m. For a city that thrives on tourism, this is too late. Plus, because so many people clearly want to begin before then, there's a rush at opening--and even before--when people are eager to get their day started.
Second, staffing and timeliness of special orders (which are included in the breakfast at no extra charge). One morning I ordered an omelete, and it took about 20 minutes to arrive. If you're having a leisurely morning, no big deal. But if you want to get out and explore before the crush of tourists, or catch a train to a nearby town for the day, or whatever, it's notable. Maybe if they started breakfast earlier, there wouldn't be such an influx of people which would ease the burden on the cooking and waitstaff. I also saw some people unable to find tables, likely also a result of the so many people arriving at the late start time.
Third, the coffee from the self-serve machine comes out lukewarm. I asked the staff to make coffee from the machine behind the bar which was appropriately hot, which they did with a smile, but I felt bad even asking as they were so busy.
Fourth, the breakfast area seemed understaffed with the servers working in a harried way--not what you want or expect at an upscale hotel. Major mention goes to trainee server, Alena, who was simply lovely and did her best to meet the needs of so many customers. This isn't to exclude the other servers--they were all good. She just really stood out for her genuine warmth and desire to be of service.
Finally, I was told that a prior manager set the start time at 8 a.m. in order to accommodate later breakfast--to be able to go until 11. But what do the hotel guests actually want?? We all fill out these surveys time and again--is anyone actually listening or care about what we say in them? I'd much rather have breakfast end earlier and start earlier, and I think that most travelers would agree--and the people waiting impatiently at 8:00 a.m. would seem to confirm this.
I wouldn't typically bother writing a review about breakfast alone, but the late start time, the luke-warm coffee, the overworked/rushed staff, etc. all contributed to a less than idea way to start a day of touring and left a bad impression.
Bottom line: not opening breakfast until 8 a.m. is just nuts.Show More
