"On arrival we were warmly and professionally greeted after a nearly three hour drive from London , due to heavy traffic and diversions Not having eaten since breakfast, and arriving mid afternoon. Instead of unpacking, we went straight to the lounge area to order drinks...and a snack On attempting to order a sandwich, latte and tea we were told that as the lunch service finished at 3pm only scones or cakes were available! The waiter then left to bring our drinks When he returned he confirmed that no sandwiches were available and repeated the offer of scones and cake We asked him to ask the Chef , he returned to say that the Chef had said no! We were shocked and asked for the Manager We told him that surely in a luxury 5Star hotel it must be possible to organise a sandwich.He also repeated what the waiter had said We asked if the kitchen had, bread, butter, cheese, eggs, smoked salmon and he said that it did We said in that case a sandwich could be made, He went away and a few minutes later the sandwich appeared The hotel, a refurbished inn , has been extensively modernised and extended in excellent taste and forms part of the POLIZZI COLLECTION Our suite was tastefully decorated , very bright, with windows on two sides No bedroom mirror was provided.Most unusual and badly thought out. The bath again was of a good size, but badly let down by the very poor quality EU made, hard towels.The bathroom accessories were made by Bramley , a Wiltshire based company The two sink units were functional with no drawers or storage space Housekeeping similarly seemed to lack direction or oversight, as after our room was cleaned , one hand towel was not replaced . For many guests the highlight of a visit is Dinner and Breakfast Our Dinner on our first night was almost like an episode from the Fawlty Towers television series. There was no evidence of any managerial oversight Whilst we were promptly shown to our table, the rest of the evening went downhill Sparkling water was ordered, after ten minutes tap water arrived and we said to the waitress that we had ordered sparkling water to which she replied “ oh , did you?” She then went away to fetch it Whilst other tables were served bread as soon as they were seated, we were not We had to ask a passing waiter and waited several minutes for it to arrive The Manager, Edward , who had organised the afternoon sandwich had shown us to table, but that was the last that we saw of him until we sought to query and pay our bill The menu was limited to say the least Four choices for each of the three courses! The choice of vegetables was even more limited , with only boiled Anya Potatoes, as a potato choice I had an excellent vegetable minestrone to start, followed by a totally inedible uncooked veal escalope and a green salad, comprising mainly radicchio and just a few lettuce leaves. I sent it back pointing out that under the cooked breadcrumb coating there was a layer of fat which did not permit the veal to be cooked. Instead of the escalope being flattened to allow cooking , it had not and when the replacement escalope arrived the waitress said that she had “ re-cooked it” On clarification we were told that what she had said was “ verbiage” and that she actually meant to have said “ replaced” Unfortunately, it was just as inedible as the first offering and left uneaten. The waiting staff were totally inattentive, and walked past without looking at the seated diners to notice if anyone required anything It was perhaps one of the worst main course meals I had ever eaten My wife’s fish dish was excellent On seeking to pay our bill the inedible veal dish was charged for .The Manager reappeared and being confronted , hastily removed the charge and presented another but reduced bill. Matters were made worse by the fact that we had booked eight months earlier and we were looking forward to a really super three night stay at what we thought would a 5 Star luxury hotel, we were mistaken The Breakfast was tasty , well presented and served with a good choice of hot dishes The self service buffet was mediocre to say the least Very poor selections No cheeses, no charcuterie, no breads, no butter, one pot of jam, a bowl of various mini croissants, several dishes of tinted fruits, a plate of fresh oranges, blood oranges and figs well presented. 5 STAR, NO WAY The serving staff, a different team from the night before, save for the lead waiter, were charming , attentive, helpful and smiled The lead Italian waiter who served at Dinner also served at the Breakfast sitting was superb! If only the others were trained like him. Edward , the Manager was not seen. This hotel is a prime example of style over substance The raison d’etre of the hospitality industry is to provide its guests with great experiences and above all, value for money This hotel with very poor management, insufficient staff training , and limited menu lacks in every case. A so called 5 Star hotel should have a more extensive Dinner menu or if seeking to save on costs with the current limited menu , at least offer one“ Daily Special “ for each course, especially with regard to locally grown seasonal vegetables Unfortunately, a very expensive forgettable experience NOT to repeated and certainly not to be recommended. I am sure that the Hotel Inspector would have written in her hotel report” room for improvement, could do much better “"
The Italian Wrap
