Never a GOURMET MEAL!
My wife and I were presented with a Weekendesk gift voucher for a wedding present. The voucher was for a night's stay in 5* hotel, which included a GOURMET MEAL, breakfast and a brief time in the spa area for 2 people.
The hotel, Hospes Palacio de Los Patos in Granada, which is a truly fine establishment.
We were both very impressed and happy with the condition of the hotel, it definitely lives up to it's 5* rating.
Unfortunately the two issues that we found extremely disappointing and why we would never recommend Weekendesk to anyone were these;
Firstly when I tried to reserve the hotel (the voucher is active for a year or more, so we had plenty of time) I couldn't find one single night within the following 10 months without a surcharge! (Surcharges ranged from €79 to €335!) Bearing in mind that this was a wedding present. This is definitely the first time where I have been aware of a wedding present recipient being asked to pay more money on top of the substantial amount already paid by our lovely friends for a gift. After a lot of phone calls and stress, finally Weekendesk agreed to pay the supplement, provided that I selected the cheapest night. But believe me, it took a lot to get that out of them because in the end I just simply asked to refund the voucher if they didn't.
Secondly the GOURMET MEAL that was included in the present was nothing remotely close to a gourmet meal! My wife and I actually visited the restaurant earlier in the day to look at the menu options, which looked really exciting and very enticing. Sadly in the evening that menu was nowhere to be seen, instead we were greeted by a waiter holding a crumpled up piece of hand written paper containing just two choices of starter, main and desert.
They were cheap, tiny portions that were totally non descript. The starters were salad options, mains, chicken (4 tiny pieces) and a minute piece of fish and as for the desserts..... The best description I can give is two small puddles of sweet liquid, a biscuit and leaves for decoration! I have photos if required.
I complained at the time but I was wasting my time. Nobody was interested.
The following morning when we checked out, I informed the receptionist of our disappointment and we were given a refund of €18.00 for our mini bar expense. I accepted because it was a gesture made in good faith but to be honest I felt insulted but kept quiet.
I felt sorry for the staff at the hotel because they tried so hard to make us feel welcomed and comfortable but sadly our experience was marred by such a hugely disappointing GOURMET MEAL.
Reply from Weekendesk
Dear customer,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
We regret that your stay did not meet your expectations. We would like to inform you that gift stays purchased on our website may be subject to surcharges depending on the dates chosen for your booking. In some cases, the hotel asks us for an increase in the rate per night, which is directly reflected in the calendar when you select a date. In your case, we have verified that this supplement was not applied to you and was assumed by us.
Regarding the proposed menu, we would like to remind you that a sample menu was included in your offer. We regret that the menu presented by the hotel was not to your liking and we will inform the relevant department.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.
Best regards,
Weekendesk Team