My partner had booked an over night stay for New Year’s Eve, which was meant to be a special birthday gift for me. Upon our arrival, we were immediately greeted by a large event taking place, which led to us being redirected into the drawing room to wait for check-in. After a prolonged wait, we were finally able to check in, and while the staff member handling the process was polite, there was no communication regarding the spa’s adjusted hours. It was only when we arrived at the spa at 5 p.m. (after being delayed by the check-in process) that we were informed the spa was closing early for New Year’s Eve. This was incredibly disappointing, as we had hoped to use the facilities that evening. Our plans to visit the spa the following morning were also thwarted, as I was kept awake by the noise of doors slamming throughout the night. I am unsure whether this was caused by guests or staff, but it made for an uncomfortable night. We then had dinner at the Cultra Inn. While the food was satisfactory, the service left much to be desired. We waited over 30 minutes for our dessert, and when a waiter finally came to check on us, they seemed unaware that our order had not yet been placed with the kitchen. To make matters worse, I noticed that the Guinness I was served was in a chipped glass, which I immediately reported to the staff so they could dispose of it. After dinner, there was little in terms of entertainment at the hotel, so my partner and I returned to our room. Unfortunately, the mattress on our bed was improperly sized, hanging off the divan base at one end. While this did not pose an immediate concern, it was still an uncomfortable detail. Although I chose not to voice these concerns at check-out, as the stay was a gift from my partner, I have since learned the substantial amount he paid for this stay, and I feel compelled to share my dissatisfaction.
We checked in on NYE for two nights and from the moment we arrived we were impressed. Over Christmas most hotels are quite busy but we received such a warm welcome from every staff member and made us feel like we were almost the only guests. We dined in the restaurant for dinner, had a lovely meal and great entertainment. The spa is one of the nicest ive visited and so spacious. The concierge gave us some nice recommendations for nearby walks. One of the nicest hotel experiences I have had, we will be back!