GARDEN COURT EASTGATE

A terrible business stay. Arrived early evening, decided on room service, felt like something light so I ordered a toasted sandwich. I placed the order and waited patiently for the food to arrive. After 3 phone calls, including one to the duty manager, and 2 hours later eventually the sandwich arrived. Next morning, breakfast was a fiasco! The queue at the egg station was a mile long, I decided to cut my losses and leave. I have stayed at this hotel over 50 times, the decay is visible, the hotel is not being maintained, and the slump in service is plain to see. I will not be back.

I'm really disappointed with my stay. While the hotel itself is clean and beautiful, certain staff members soured the experience for my family and me. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a very unfriendly and seemingly upset receptionist. When I requested a cot for my baby, it felt like too much effort for her. She sighed and gave a dreary "Ok." I also asked for two extra cups since our family room only had two cups and refreshments for two people. This request was also met with a sigh and an "ok." Once we finally settled in, the kids wanted to watch TV, but the remote didn't work. The maintenance guy blamed us for not using it correctly, so we ended up changing the channels manually. The next morning, we were excited for breakfast but had to stand in long queues with juice and food running out constantly. We were never offered a baby seat for our toddler. Back in our room, I sent my son to ask for an iron from a cleaning staff member, who told him to call 109. When I tried, the phone didn't work, so I had to use my own phone to call reception. Despite there being an unused iron and ironing board on our floor, I waited nearly an hour for one, delaying our plans. My husband had to go down to reception before our request was taken seriously. On Sunday morning, there was no space for the large group of guests, so we had to sit outside in an undecked seating area with no staff to clear used utensils. Other families were offered baby chairs, but we were not. This was supposed to be a fun short weekend away with my family, but I am very unhappy with the service we received. We didn't enjoy our stay and feel robbed of this experience. I honestly wish I had spent my money elsewhere :-(.

Although this hotel is showing signs of wear and tear the friendly staff and excellent service truly make up for the maintenance needed here and there. The safe was not working in our room upon arrival but it was sorted out in no time at all. I requested an iron and ironing board which was delivered to the room a short time later. We phoned to order additional milk with the complimentary tea/coffee which was brought to our room within a few minutes. We placed a quick supper order and yet again our order was executed correctly and delivered to the door by a friendly member of the team. We have stayed at this hotel quite a few times over the years and so far have not been disappointed and would not consider booking elsewhere should we have an opportunity for another stay in the future! It would be truly amazing should the owners of the property have the opportunity to refurbish the hotel in the near future, as the hardworking team certainly deserves to work in a 5-star environment befitting the level of their commitment to making every guest experience unforgettable.