Perhaps I received horrible customer service because staff were attending to the other reviewers who got "luxury" service?
In 30 years of traveling, from Holiday Inns, Premiere Inns, Novel, Hilton Garden Inns, Marriott Courtyard, Hiltons, Marriotts, Conrads, Ritz Carlton, the Savoy London, and boutique hotels from South Africa, Europe, Canada, New Zealand, to the USA, I have never had such bad service.
Present day, this trip in Spain and France is 6 weeks long, with all other stays delightful with a mix of budget and higher. Super good stays elsewhere, zero complaints from me.
Laguardia is reached by car so guaranteed to get there you put some work in to it. I rented a car and drove the scenic, windy road way to get there, several hours from San Sebastian.
Their rudeness upon my arrival is singularly the worst customer service I have ever had anywhere, anytime in 30 years of travel..
It put a bad spin on my stay at their hotel and the 3 days only reinforced this nasty welcome.
I was aware the hotel is in a walled city and you need to park your car outside in town and walk in. Therefore I opted online on their website to pay the extra money for "parking". I knew they did not have a garage of course, nor a valet which was totally fine. The extra euros each day must be for something so I emailed the hotel in advance asking where to park. No response.
This was consistent with me emailing several days in advance asking if they knew any wineries I could visit to taste during my 3 day stay at the hotel. No response.
I emailed again another day and was told not to park in reserved spots in town. While that was good to know it was not answering where to park. (I had sent my emails to the hotel in English and Spanish
( Google translate)
Not knowing if the wall was right in front of the hotel I asked if I could drop the suitcase at the hotel outside the wall and go park. They said no but one person could be dropped off in front of the wall while the other finds a spot to park. I responded it was just me and a very heavy suitcase given my 6 week trip. They said I could call when I got there and someone could help me.
I arrived in town, GPS took me to the wall and I called but no one answered. Clearly the hotel was way inside the walled city down a cobblestone street quite far away so I could not just leave the suitcase at the wall.
I drove around and all I saw were "reserved" spots. Finally I parked in one of the "reserved" spots as I was already far from the hotel down a hill and reserved spots were the only parking spits nit taken. I parked, quickly grabbed my 45 pound suitcase, dragged it up the hill, through the walled town entrance, along the cobble stoned streets to the hotel, easily 1/4 mile in the heat.
Nonetheless I was happy to see the charming area and eager to enjoy the hotel. There was no one at the front desk to check me in. I waited. Eventually a man asked if he could help me. I smiled and said i was checking in. He was nice and said he'd find someone. It was about 7pm on a Sunday night. The hotel had some people dining out front and a few people having drinks in their reception area. After a few minutes a man got behind the desk, no greeting, no smile, didn't even look at me, just quickly asked "name". I told him my first and last name. He quickly looked at their reservations and hurriedly asked "Colleen"? (Not even close to my name). I told him my name again. He found it, quickly gave me a key, gave me a ticket for a free drink and said my room was on the 3rd floor. He was ready to run off. Fine, no eye contact, no smile, no greeting, but I had to quickly get a question in before he ran off. I asked please give me some direction where to park and I told him I parked in the "reserved" spot since it was the only spot and ran up the hill with my bag and need to run back. He quickly muttered something about just drive sround go around the. circle of the walls, don't park in reserved, parking outside the wall and down some stairs. I said I didn't quite understand. He pulled out a map and drew a circle. He kept trying to just exit the desk area. I then asked where the elevator was Again, as he was dashing out of the reception area he pointed to the area just behind the reception area. I dashed up to my room, dropped my bag and ran through the cobble stoned streets, out the gate, down the hill to my car and was happy to not see a parking ticket.
I randomly drive down another hill. Luckily, i saw some other tourists walking up that hill so I asked if they knew where there was parking. They said they saw a spot down that hill so I drove down and found one spot. Success. I got my exercise in --some more walking up that hill to the street and then walking up the original hill that took me to the wall, then down the cobblestone streets to the hotel. When I got to the room I could turn on the lights. I saw the holder on the wall where you would normally put your plastic hotel key, but the key given was a lovely okd school ornate key that twists the lock. I went downstairs and asked a different employee how to turn on the lights since the rude man (whose name I believe was Hamin) was not there. This employee laughed as though I should know it and said something condescending like you must put your card in the holder
Puzzled, I asked what card. He asked oh you don't have a credit card? He then gave me a business paper business card to put in the holder.
Great way to start 'my stay. I thought of all the budget hotels i stayed at foregoing luxury treatmentv for the pocket book and yet had really nice, friendly, welcoming service at check in with a smile, "welcome", "the elevator is over there" "enjoy your stay". Thats it. Thats all thats needed,
Not knowing what the ticket got me I went down to the tiny bar for the free drink, The young woman there was so friendly and explained each ticket is one drink and one bite of food. She was your basic nice and I thanked her heartily.
The room is very dark -- that was fine! That had been disclosed and i knew I picked the cheapest room. The toiletc paper dispenser was broken, but hey, there was toilet paper , so no worries.
The first day housekeeping came. The second day she left towels but did not make the bed nor replace the very tiny bar if soap that started like a postage stamp but now was but coin sized.
Why do others mention great service? My theory is I'm quiet, not demanding, not flashy. I did not buy dinner there, nor drinks, Ironically I saw an English couple who were buying many drinks exclaim a list of things they wanted fixed including---their broken toilet paper holder! The staff did seem to attend to the people spending money in the hotel.
Before I checked out I remembered I was paying extra for "parking". I went to the front desk the night before to be sure this was not on my bill. I needed to leave early thr next day. It was about 6pm. No one was at reception. I waited . Finally a man asked if he could help. I told my question. He said someone would be at the desk jn a half hour. I returned in an hour. Waited. No one there. Finally around 8pm I went back down. A woman, maybe the owner. She looked it up , said . i wasn't charged for parking . . Great! I told her the short hand version about what happened on check in. She seemed like she didn't care at all..
I said the man might turn off other arrivals... she asked his nome. I said i think Hamin. She casually said no one by that name and just went on with her business.
The bartenders in reception I asked them any questions or directions. They were terrific!The hostess at breakfast is pleasant, and helpful. The food is eh, but I didn't mind as I usually don't eat breakfast
On a wine tour I heard others speak highly of the hotel at a winery . I think starts with U. Next time i'm staying at the winery.
your card in the holder. I was puzzekdd and said, .
dometbibg luje Hamin)
.
