Hotel Reviews
You're sure to be wondering "Why's the Wine Guy doing hotel reviews?" Good question on your end - please allow me to explain.
Wine, food and travel go hand-in-hand. As I travel around the world in search of the best wines and food, I stay in some of the finest (and not so finest) hotels. It only makes sense to share my experiences with you to help you plan your next trip.
So, here's some of my recent stays:
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Westlake Inn - Westlake Village, CA
The hotel is truly a gem with beautiful trellises and Euro-themed rooms. The adjoining restaurant, Mediterraneo, is rated as our #1 restaurant in California.
However, the hotel does not live up to its billing as a 4-Star facility for several reasons - the first being hospitality, or lack thereof. The reception staff is robotic and inflexible. I had reserved an "Executive Suite" for a special occasion and was given the key to a room (not a suite). It was a beautiful oversized room but in no way qualified as aa "suite."
They had advertised a complimentary drink in the bar and a free dessert in the restaurant. When I inquired if we needed a voucher, I was advised that it was an additional $100 and included a bottle of champagne. No thanks!
We were there in mid-February and the evening was unusually cold for Southern California. The heater did not heat but just blew cool air - I managed to catch a cold. Enough of the personal complaints.
The next morning we went to the lobby for the Continental breakfast. The sign next to the food said it was open until 11:00am. At 9:35 a.m. the staff began to disassemble the set-up. Hardly proper hospitality for such an upscale property.
After the stay, I received an email survey that seemed genuine. I responded with a candid review. After more than a month, not even a reply. Hardly an honest effort at obtaining guest feedback.
Maybe if I had been treated with more respect upon check-in, I could have overlooked the deficiencies which became obvious. This is a perfect example of a hotel being so rigid in their lack of customer service that guests rarely return. I surely will not!
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