Guest User
March 19, 2024
Longer review to explain our experience. It is not 4 stars. Maybe 20/30 years ago it was but not now.
We paid about $200 for one night, for a river view club room with afternoon and nightly candles cocktails and club room access, 3pm late checkout and 15% off airport transport.
When we arrived they would not tell us how much airport transport would be for leaving the next day. Just that it was expensive and we should get a cab instead. That was a little disappointing, we should have pushed for the price but we were tired from our flight and hungry.
The room we were put in was grubby and had a bad smell and NO river view. We called reception to mention we had booked the river view. They moved us down and across the hall. The new room had a nice view, had clearly being prepared for guests with brochures and pamphlets. No smell and had been recently cleaned. It felt like they were just trying to see if they could get away with giving us the bad room instead of the one we had booked. I've added pictures of the view from both rooms.
After moving we went to afternoon tea which was really nice. Although our room move meant we had to wait because no one had shared the records of our room switch which was kind of awkward. Once we got to it the food was nice and filling (see food pictures) The bathrooms in that lounge were out of hand soap.
We went back to the room. Had a shower but the shower/bath drains onto the floor so a large unsafe pool of water Is right under your feet as you step out of the tub.
Went out for the canapès. That was disappointing. We got there at 6:20pm. Everything had gone cold except the fried rice. There were no cocktails, just bottles of whisky and rum and you could take a can of coke, sprite, or tonic water to mix yourself. Luckily we were still full from the afternoon tea.
We went out nearby and came back to find the street party next to the hotel was still raging and although the people mostly went home, the music players kept going until about 1am. That was awful and I'd recommend not staying on the river side if you're staying Friday to Sundays and want to get up early.
Next morning we went to breakfast, it was a very small selection. We got a bread roll that was hard as a rock. Nothing was very fresh. It was disappointing. Also can only get black coffee or machine coffee.
We went out for the day and came back to pack at 2:30 for our flight and the safe had stopped working. Could not even type in the PIN. This was nervwracking as it was our last day and passports were in there. It took 4 calls to reception and 1 hour for them to send someone to fix it. Batteries had run out. These things happen but maybe there should be a schedule for changing these things or at least a swift response when someone is trying to check out and cannot open it. When the safe technician did show up he was great and very personable.
Once I got our passports we checked out and they stored our bags safely in the luggage room for us until we got our cab.
On the other amenities; the gym seemed good snd had indoor and outdoor terrace with more weights. The doormen in lobby are cheerful. The pool was very basic, I think it looks better in the pictures. The lobby bar is expensive. The lobby is pretty but smells like it was mopped with dirty water sometimes which is unpleasant.
Overall it was a bit of a letdown. I'd give it 3 stars, it would be 2 if we had stayed in our first room. We would return to the area but try a different hotel.