AstroDan
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
Following a visit to the resort hotels over the past few days, with work friends who visit only rarely, I felt compelled to share thoughts and experiences here.
I have long been visiting both Splash Landings and the Alton Towers Hotel. I stay, on average, 3 times per year - mainly when the theme park is closed, due to the high prices when it is open.
My visit at the weekend has left me with several questions:
- Why do the staff at the resort hotels seem to change so frequently?
- Why do some elements of the resort hotels seem to be diluted in quality?
- Why are occurrences of poor customer service more apparent in the hotels than at the theme park?
The reasons that these questions have become apparent is due to some quite appalling service on several occasions over the past 2 days.
Firstly, the hotels were both very busy on Friday night in particular. Both bars were packed with children until at least 10:30pm, and the live vocal show in the Atrium of ATH was more of a kids pirate singing show (kids were singing some of lines, in spite of the fact that to my knowledge, it wasn't meant to be a karaoke show). There was nowhere calmer to relax at all, anywhere in the resort. Both the Atrium and Ma Garritas in Splash were more like kids play areas, right up until late at night. Furthermore, the bar was an absolute mess on both nights. Popcorn EVERYWHERE, used tissues, masses of glasses uncleared, menu's, plates - you name it. There was nothing remotely pleasant about the Atrium/Dragon Bar on either evening. Splash was better later on. This is point number one.
Rudeness of staff. Sadly, there were several instances when staff, including supervisors, were rude to the group. We were told "oh god" when advising that we were a group of 7. Upon two or three further attempts to put us off sitting together, we did effectively demand that a spare table was relayed for us so we could sit together (as there was a spare table). At the bar on Saturday, bar staff were actually arguing behind the bar. There was clearly a major disagreement. Drinks were slammed down in front of us. Cocktails were terribly presented. Not a smile was possible. This continued on Sunday lunchtime, as staff were moody, miserable, downbeat and making mistakes. This is point number two.
Efficiency of staff. The speed of service in Alton Towers Hotel is appalling. It took 10 minutes for 5 drinks to be prepared, two of which were bottled beverages, two were non-alcoholic and one was a tea. It took 35 minutes for desserts to arrive at lunchtime, and when they did, they couldn't give them to us because they had not cleared the table first. There was no cutlery brought with the food. This is point three.
Quirky/unique nature of hotels. What has happened to anything remotely exciting or unique taking place at the hotels? It's all so stale. The entertainment hasn't changed in years and years... the menu's at SGR just seem to be bland and boring compared to what used to be on offer. The breakfast has also diluted in quality, with poorer quality sausages and other food products compared to the days of old. The coffee and fruit juice is disgusting. Where have the cafetiere coffee jugs gone that were previously brought to your table? Why are these vile vending machines used for juice? They. Are. Disgusting. This is point four.
I have seen countless other groups of guests complaining this weekend - never before at ATR have I seen this in such amounts. The manageress whom we spoke to dealt with our concerns superbly, and I am grateful to her for that, but when the complimentary lunch which we ordered was then subjected to the same terrible service as the reason we were offered it in the first place, I begin to ask the question: What is going on?
There appears to be chaos; whether it's recruitment and retention, staff training or other - there are major areas of weakness at the moment, and something needs to be done about it.
It seems that, although ATH is seeing some refurbishment with bathrooms and improvements in one or two areas, the whole place is falling into a cycle which it is unable to get out of.
I have never known such poor service in the 10 years I have been staying in the resort.
I will not be booking again until I have assurances that they are improving.
My suggestions to improve:
- Better staff training
- More staff on the bars at any one time to relieve pressure
- Product excellence monitoring needs much higher priority
- Food and Beverage, particularly SGR and breakfast, needs somewhat of an overhaul
- Bring back the magic of Alton Towers to both hotels - remove the corporate claptrap
- Look into reasons why there is poor retention of staff
- Feasibility study into offering a more grown up/quiet bar somewhere for adults, which could be open in the evenings
I have long been visiting both Splash Landings and the Alton Towers Hotel. I stay, on average, 3 times per year - mainly when the theme park is closed, due to the high prices when it is open.
My visit at the weekend has left me with several questions:
- Why do the staff at the resort hotels seem to change so frequently?
- Why do some elements of the resort hotels seem to be diluted in quality?
- Why are occurrences of poor customer service more apparent in the hotels than at the theme park?
The reasons that these questions have become apparent is due to some quite appalling service on several occasions over the past 2 days.
Firstly, the hotels were both very busy on Friday night in particular. Both bars were packed with children until at least 10:30pm, and the live vocal show in the Atrium of ATH was more of a kids pirate singing show (kids were singing some of lines, in spite of the fact that to my knowledge, it wasn't meant to be a karaoke show). There was nowhere calmer to relax at all, anywhere in the resort. Both the Atrium and Ma Garritas in Splash were more like kids play areas, right up until late at night. Furthermore, the bar was an absolute mess on both nights. Popcorn EVERYWHERE, used tissues, masses of glasses uncleared, menu's, plates - you name it. There was nothing remotely pleasant about the Atrium/Dragon Bar on either evening. Splash was better later on. This is point number one.
Rudeness of staff. Sadly, there were several instances when staff, including supervisors, were rude to the group. We were told "oh god" when advising that we were a group of 7. Upon two or three further attempts to put us off sitting together, we did effectively demand that a spare table was relayed for us so we could sit together (as there was a spare table). At the bar on Saturday, bar staff were actually arguing behind the bar. There was clearly a major disagreement. Drinks were slammed down in front of us. Cocktails were terribly presented. Not a smile was possible. This continued on Sunday lunchtime, as staff were moody, miserable, downbeat and making mistakes. This is point number two.
Efficiency of staff. The speed of service in Alton Towers Hotel is appalling. It took 10 minutes for 5 drinks to be prepared, two of which were bottled beverages, two were non-alcoholic and one was a tea. It took 35 minutes for desserts to arrive at lunchtime, and when they did, they couldn't give them to us because they had not cleared the table first. There was no cutlery brought with the food. This is point three.
Quirky/unique nature of hotels. What has happened to anything remotely exciting or unique taking place at the hotels? It's all so stale. The entertainment hasn't changed in years and years... the menu's at SGR just seem to be bland and boring compared to what used to be on offer. The breakfast has also diluted in quality, with poorer quality sausages and other food products compared to the days of old. The coffee and fruit juice is disgusting. Where have the cafetiere coffee jugs gone that were previously brought to your table? Why are these vile vending machines used for juice? They. Are. Disgusting. This is point four.
I have seen countless other groups of guests complaining this weekend - never before at ATR have I seen this in such amounts. The manageress whom we spoke to dealt with our concerns superbly, and I am grateful to her for that, but when the complimentary lunch which we ordered was then subjected to the same terrible service as the reason we were offered it in the first place, I begin to ask the question: What is going on?
There appears to be chaos; whether it's recruitment and retention, staff training or other - there are major areas of weakness at the moment, and something needs to be done about it.
It seems that, although ATH is seeing some refurbishment with bathrooms and improvements in one or two areas, the whole place is falling into a cycle which it is unable to get out of.
I have never known such poor service in the 10 years I have been staying in the resort.
I will not be booking again until I have assurances that they are improving.
My suggestions to improve:
- Better staff training
- More staff on the bars at any one time to relieve pressure
- Product excellence monitoring needs much higher priority
- Food and Beverage, particularly SGR and breakfast, needs somewhat of an overhaul
- Bring back the magic of Alton Towers to both hotels - remove the corporate claptrap
- Look into reasons why there is poor retention of staff
- Feasibility study into offering a more grown up/quiet bar somewhere for adults, which could be open in the evenings
