This was one of those places you wish you could leave the moment you arrive.
Wanting to get away for a few days and get a break from college, I found this hotel on
HotelDealsIreland, the package which I
thought was reasonably priced for €125pps. It included 2 nights Bed and Breakfast, Dinner
and one 30 minute spa treatment each. The package was called the 'Romance
package', but on arrival, the romance was dead.
Upon arriving at the hotel on the Saturday after a 3 hour drive from Dublin - we were greated by 3
unprofessional and slightly immature receptionists who seemed to find
it strange that my partner was a woman?! After this insightly
conversation we were given our room and set off from the misleading beautifully decorated
reception, to the twilight zone that was our room. Upon entering the room
which was just off a grubby corridor, we were smothered by the stench
of stale smoke and dust. I immediately opened the window and took a
look around me. The carpets and duvet were stained, the bathroom was
like something out of a seedy love affair motel room! I called reception
to complain, I asked why we'd been put into a smoking room when I
specifically requested a non-smoking room. The receptionist apologised
but said '
ya I know but they still smoke in the rooms anyway!' Is this
not banned???
We were then moved to a similar room up the corridor
which was equally as bad! We decided to make the most of it as we hadn't
had a weekend break in about a year. It turned out I'd left something in
the other room so we went back up to get it. On entering the previous
room it seemed the receptionist had sprayed an air freshener!! How
misleading - God love the guest who got that room next!!!
I had
planned a nice relaxing weekend and we'd been looking forward to enjoying
being out of the chaos of Dublin, relaxing in the countryside. I was
looking forward to the spa and relaxing in a nice hot bath (the house we lived in only had a shower). The
bathroom looked like it hadn't been updated since the 70's, and was extremley grubby.
So I clearly wasn't going to attempt a bath. I waited for my spa appointment to "Relax"...
My apt. was first so my partner waited outside for me. I spoke
to the therapist for a few minutes and she asked me to sign a form. She
asked me was I having the facial, I said yes. She then said '
and
himself is having the massage' I said '
She'. She said '
Oh right ya' (No
apology!!!) She seemed a bit confused and repeated herself again '
and
he's having the massage?' Seething by this stage I said '
She's a girl,
her name is*******' still confused she said to me '
Oh the receptionist
said you were a couple?' OMG does this girl not know about Gay couples
or what!!!! So I said'
Ya we are?!' she said '
Oh thats grand so, you can
pretend you're getting married!!!' and laughed!! I said '
We are' and
she was like
oh great!!! Seriously backward this girl! What made it
worse was that when she went outside while I got ready for my treatment,
she went and relayed the whole thing to the leisure center
receptionist!! My partner heard the whole thing! That girl ought to be
ashamed of herself. I'm glad she was mortified, so would I be if I was
that Ignorant and rude!
The
only two nice people we encountered on the whole trip was the waiter in
the bar and the receptionist on our departure. It was like taking a
step into the past that place!!
PLEASE if you ever visit Ireland, don't waste your money on
this place as it is clearly not a well run hotel. I just wish I had checked
trip advisor the day I was booking as I missed the previous two
complaints!
So much for a relaxing break away!
