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The Hotels: A Journey

Looking at that picture it appears to be just black coffee not a latte, which is weird! If the machine was out of milk then you’d just get the espresso…
 
Looks awful, my breakfast I had at towers in March was absolute shambles and just hilariously bad, whereas the one I had at VIBES bar and kitchen last week was fairly alright and did the job.
 
Those sausages just look like someone forgot to cook them, or they decided to boil them for some reason. Even school sausages are better than that…
 
GaryH said:
I don’t mind a breakfast buffet like in holiday inn express but who remembers in ATH when they would take your order for breakfast, cook it fresh and bring it out on this big metal tripod like thing?
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When did they do that? My first visit was probably 20 years ago and it was a buffet back then too.

Buffet breakfast is pretty standard at all major hotels, but AT just need to get quality and choice back to where it should be.
 
Similarly, never remember the cook to order breakfast, but I do remember them at least taking your hot drinks orders and then bringing a fresh pot of tea or coffee. Perfect with the donuts that they also no longer serve.
 
GaryH said:
I don’t mind a breakfast buffet like in holiday inn express but who remembers in ATH when they would take your order for breakfast, cook it fresh and bring it out on this big metal tripod like thing?
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I remember this! When they used to bring a pot of tea or fresh ground coffee to your table too.

Even when you had buffet offerings the service was much more personal, same waiter checking on you throughout your time, personal requests available, it just generally felt like you were getting a more personal/premium service.

I know a standard buffet is the norm these days but the quality of ingredients is appalling. I’m quite a frequent Premier Inn goer and their breakfasts (might vary per hotel) far exceed what Towers offer.
 
I actually think the food looks better than it did a while ago - aside from the sausages, which continue to look anaemic. I am glad to see hash browns are back.
 
I can’t recall when they did it. I don’t think they did it for long but it was definitely cooked to order and brought to you on one big plate for you to share with whoever you were with on your table. And yes James, the bright decent tea and coffee too
 
GaryH said:
I can’t recall when they did it. I don’t think they did it for long but it was definitely cooked to order and brought to you on one big plate for you to share with whoever you were with on your table. And yes James, the bright decent tea and coffee too
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They were doing this for a couple of years around the time Splash opened. It was part of the original positioning that ATH was the more ‘up market’ hotel with Splash as the more ‘family friendly’ option.

So when it came to meals Splash had a buffet breakfast and dinner, whereas ATH had table service.
 
If I remember correctly it was still all you can eat in ATH too, you could request top-ups to the food on your table.

Since we’re being all nostalgic, when we used to go as a family in the 90s/early 00s you would tend to see the same staff around the hotel if you visited frequently/yearly. I remember us getting to know the hotel porter and some staff in the restaurant, they would often get to know you too. Sadly these days (I suppose this is an issue everywhere not just Towers) everyone’s a number and you don’t get to know the staff as much and they change frequently.
 
James said:
If I remember correctly it was still all you can eat in ATH too, you could request top-ups to the food on your table.

Since we’re being all nostalgic, when we used to go as a family in the 90s/early 00s you would tend to see the same staff around the hotel if you visited frequently/yearly. I remember us getting to know the hotel porter and some staff in the restaurant, they would often get to know you too. Sadly these days (I suppose this is an issue everywhere not just Towers) everyone’s a number and you don’t get to know the staff as much and they change frequently.
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Yes it was still all you can eat, you would request the items you wanted when seated and they would bring over the sharing plate with a set amount for your table, but if you wanted more you just asked the server and they went away to refill it for you.

In reality of course items weren’t ‘cooked to order’ so to speak, in the kitchen they were still making items en masse and then someone would plate up the specific sharer plates based on what each table wanted. It did however strike a good balance between having to serve a high number of tables quickly, but also having a more relaxed experience than a buffet with people up and down from tables all the time.
 
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