In August 2016, Julie D said:
On arriving at the hotel on Tuesday with a group of 50 of our dancers, several were disappointed at check in by being told that the rooms they had pre booked and paid for in advance were not available. Four guests had paid for sea view rooms, which they didn't get. One family of three had booked a double room with an additional single. They were given a twin room initially, and when they said they needed a double bed were told that there were 'none available' at the hotel and that none of the family rooms had double beds, despite having confirmation from the hotel myself several weeks before that everyone would get the rooms they had asked for. The receptionist was unapologetic and offhand with those that were disappointed with the news they would be given rooms overlooking pipework etc. The family of three were eventually moved into a slightly bigger twin room and had a further single bed squeezed in. Hardly the room they had paid for or were expecting to find on arrival. In addition the receptionist told one of my dancers, who is gluten intolerant that they had no prior knowledge of this before she arrived. This was not the case. I had not only emailed in the special dietary requirements weeks before arrival, but I had also spoken to the hotel asking that this information had been received and passed on to the restaurant and I had been assured it had. Then just as I thought this couldn't get any worse, another of my dancers discovered she hadn't been booked in at all for the three night trip, again there was no apology for the mistake just a rooming list pushed in my direction, for me to show her where her name was on the list - it was there of course, right at the top. Looking back in my email conversations with the hotel this lady had been one of the very first to book, back in march, and was clearly listed in email conversations with them. It wasn't so much the problems of people not getting what they had asked for, it was the attitude from reception that followed. Unapologetic and some felt as though they were the ones in the wrong, my dancer was 'found' a room for two nights but told there was no room available for night three as 'they were expecting other guests'. Well, I'm sorry, but the guest that has already paid for three nights, and who is standing right in front of you, is the one you should put first. Her friend offered to share a twin room with her for the third night, thereby saving the situation - but to me, this was wholy unacceptable. There was little remorse shown by the events manager who started the conversation with me with the words 'I told you we couldn't promise sea views when you booked' to which I replied 'then why did you invoice me for them three weeks ago and accept payment?'. At this point she apologised for not checking everything personally - and also agreed that the lady on reception was 'a problem'. This lady on reception most definitely is a problem, which was later confirmed by another receptionist who apologised for her colleagues dour demeanour. The hotel agreed to compensate some of those who lost out on their rooms by partial refunds and in full to the lady who was treated so badly, not only by not being booked in in the first place, but secondly by being left to sort out the problem of her own accommodation for night three. The saddest thing about this whole episode is that it could so easily have been avoided, if only someone had checked my rooming list with more care and consideration. None of these incidents needed to happen at all. If you can't promise a sea view, don't. I would have been able to work with this. I would have told every single one of my dancers that they would have to wait and see on arrival what rooms were available, but I was reassured several times, both by email and on telephone on the months leading up to the holiday, that they were all booked into the rooms they wanted and it wouldn't be a problem. I have been running club holidays for 12 years and have never ever experienced this as a system before. My biggest disappointment is for my lovely dancers, who were so looking forward to the event who were treated so poorly at reception and not sincerely apologised to by the receptionist. It's just unforgivable in my opinion. I really thought that I had found our clubs 'summer holiday home' in the Cumberland, and despite all of the booking in problems, I would probably have tried again as the ballroom was perfect for our group numbers, the food was acceptable for a three star hotel, the communal areas are lovely - the sea views are perfect. The majority of the staff are warm and friendly, especially our cleaner and Sharon who works on the private bar in the evenings. But on our final night I asked for a show of hands to see who would be prepared to come back again and only 4 out of 50 put their hands up. Says it all. Such a shame. My advice for any other clubs booking a trip would be to call up two days before and go through your rooming lists over the telephone one by one to make sure the hotel are completely on the ball before you get there.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk