My partner and I had booked the Luxury Spa Suite for a short getaway, weeks in advance after doing our research and were really looking forward to our stay here. My partner drove 3 hours to get here so it was quite a long trip for us already so we were both tired and just eager to get to our room to put our stuff down and rest.
Unfortunately, the check-in process was more frustrating than welcoming, especially for a 5-star establishment. While my partner went to find parking, I went to reception to check us in. The staff member directed me on a path outside the building, which, in a large resort like this, quickly got us lost. I was holding luggage while trying to find the spa suites and eventually gave up and went back inside to ask for directions again. I asked the same staff member at the reception desk, and he then said our room was actually inside the building, one level above, and to just take the lift... But he pointed to the wrong side of the hallway—where there were only rooms and no lift in sight. At this point, my partner and I are feeling very lost and exhausted, we did not anticipate it to take us this long to find our rooms and settle in. We were tired, carrying our bags, and felt pretty silly having to ask for directions a third time. The staff member was at his desk and not with other guests, so it was disappointing that he did not simply walk us the short distance to the lift after noticing how lost we were. It would have taken him a minute and would have made a world of difference to us.
Following our stay, my partner wrote to management to raise this issue. Their response was to offer a complimentary cheese board as compensation. Our purpose, however, was not to receive a gift but to highlight a service failure. More concerning was the lack of a genuine apology. Instead, the management's correspondence defensively suggested we were "abusing their staff" when all we did was raise up this issue. This is profoundly unprofessional and is not a standard befitting a five-star establishment. A proper protocol would involve acknowledging the guest's experience, investigating internally, and providing a sincere response. To deflect blame and mischaracterise constructive feedback as abuse demonstrates a concerning priority to save face rather than to uphold service standards and address internal shortcomings.
Furthermore, in a shocking departure from professional standards, the management questioned our integrity by implying we were not truthful about our stay and asked why we did not simply find other accommodations if we were unhappy. This line of inquiry is not only rude and confrontational but entirely disregards the practical and financial realities of a guest. The suggestion is impractical, as finding and financing new last-minute accommodations, without a refund for the remainder of our stay, was not a viable option. The fact that a management team would even pose such a question to a guest who has raised a legitimate complaint is deeply unprofessional.
To be accused of seeking 'online attention' for using a review site such as Google reviews ... for customer feedback... is a profound misunderstanding of its purpose. The goal was accountability, not applause—a distinction their management seems to have missed entirely. We hope this feedback helps improve the process for future guests.