Beautiful Views, but Not Internationally Friendly…read more
This hotel is clearly better suited to local guests than international travelers. The setting and views are spectacular, but as an international guest, I found the hotel difficult to navigate and very disappointing in terms of hospitality and customer service.
This is a secluded location that takes a long time to reach by train. I traveled a considerable distance specifically to stay here because of the spa and amenities, so it was especially disappointing when so many things went wrong.
Check-in: The young woman who checked me in was wonderful--sweet, welcoming, pleasant, and genuinely happy to help. She knew about my feather allergy because it was on my reservation and we discussed it at the front desk. Unfortunately, the room was still prepared with feather pillows. Instead of removing them, someone put them inside the closet and closed the door. I continued having allergy attacks and only discovered the pillows later that night. The hotel eventually removed them, but this should never have happened when my allergy had been clearly documented.
Reservations & amenities: I booked a bike, but my name was not on the reservation and the hotel was out of bikes when I arrived. I also booked the spa, but my name was not on that reservation either. I rebooked it, only to find naked men in the spa when I returned. I understand that European spa customs can differ, but there was a sign stating that bathing suits should be worn. As a female guest who had specifically booked the spa, I found this extremely uncomfortable. The spa was one of the main reasons I chose this hotel, so this experience was particularly upsetting.
Customer service: This was the biggest disappointment. Whenever I needed assistance, it felt like there was only about a 50/50 chance of actually getting someone to help. What bothered me most was the lack of empathy. When problems occurred, there was very little acknowledgment or apology. The attitude felt more like staff were simply completing their jobs than providing hospitality or trying to make a guest's experience better. After traveling such a long way to reach this secluded hotel, I expected someone to care when things went wrong.
Breakfast: The breakfast was not very good and did not meet my expectations.
Bathroom: The shower button became stuck and caused water to spray onto the bathroom floor and soak my clothes. I had to hand-wash my clothes and hang them up to dry.
Smoking: The hotel has a smoking room, but it was closed, while guests were allowed to smoke and drink directly beside the lobby and restaurant entrance. The smell was extremely strong and made entering and leaving the hotel unpleasant, particularly for someone sensitive to smoke.
Room & technology: There was no way to control the room temperature. I had to either bundle up or open the window. The TV did not appear to offer screen sharing, and the information and programming were not in English. I could not find a way to change the language. Much of the hotel's information was also not English-friendly.
The beautiful restaurant and spectacular views are definitely the highlights of this property, and my check-in experience was excellent. Unfortunately, the beautiful surroundings could not make up for the lack of hospitality and the problems I experienced.
For me, the biggest issue was not that everything went wrong--it was that when things did go wrong, I did not feel that the hotel genuinely cared about making them right.
Beautiful location, but in my experience, not a hotel that is particularly welcoming or accommodating to international guests.
