Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2011-06-25 11:30:40 - Graham Ellis
I really enjoy having people come and stay at Well House Manor - our mugs have said "Come as a Student, leave as a friend" for many years and that still holds for delegates. For hotel visitors, it's more "Come as a guest and leave as a friend" - we wish to welcome them, make them feel welcome, and provide something they wish to come back for. That's partly because we enjoy making people happy, and it's much more a practical thing too - we want repeat visitors, and we want people to go away as our ambassadors.
You would think that other hotels and hoteliers, and their teams, would be the same way, wouldn't you? Surprisingly, that's not always the case. This week I stayed at the Bonsyde House Hotel "in" Linlithgow, the Claremont Lodge Hotel in Alloa, and Smith's Guest House on Mayfield Road in Edinburgh. But the only one I would return to is the Claremont Lodge in Alloa, in spite of it being the smallest room, and very much the most in need of redecoration. I would go back there because the advertising was honest, and the staff welcoming - it makes such a huge difference to me, and I suspect to others.
Now - an admission - I went somewhat downmarket this week, and I booked late taking what I could get in one of the busiest weeks in Edinburgh, so I didn't expect the earth. Rather, I decided to have a learning experience from three interesting looking places with availabiity on LateRooms, with a view to noting the good, the bad and the plain ugly and relaying back the bad with a "make sure we NEVER do this", and the good with a "should we take up this idea"?
So - what did I learn?
That you can't believe what you're told on a website, even though the law now provides for Advertising Standards to apply, and the Advertising Standards Authority can take action.
Fair play to the Bonsyde House Hotel for changing their website from "3 minutes from the station" to "3 minutes DRIVE from the station" when I pointed out it was misleading. But that didn't save me a 30 minute walk at each end of the day, nor did it "magic" up a taxi which they suggested I catch, as there is no taxi rank at Linlithgow station! Yes, I liked the better room (which would, of course have cost them nothing to provide to me as it wasn't otherwise booked), but I lost a total of 2 hours, missed two breakfasts and got soaked. The lad on the bar, bless him, drove past me as I slogged my way up the hill in the pouring rain on the second night, and when I went down for a recuperatory pint he cheerfuly told me he'd done so, and said he would have offered me a lift had he known I was going to the hotel. But there was pointedly no offer of an earlier breakfast ...
Smith's Guest House states on LateRooms that their normal rate for the night I booked is 140 pounds, so I expected something rather good. The front garden looks rather pretty - in fact it won an award in 2004, proudly shown on a certificate that's displayed in the hallway. I had a good chance to admire the garden, as I had to ring the doorbell three times (with a good wait between each) before the owner appeared to let me in. The 140 pound figure is a lie, it turns out; the rack rate shown in the hotel is 40 pounds per person, and I had got a markdown from 40 to 35, not from 140 to 35. Yes, for 35 pounds in Edinburgh it wasn't too bad - you get what you pay for - but I resent the lie on LateRooms which is done to push them up the list, and hook unwary customers. Breakfast wasn't available until 08:00 (the time at which I had to leave), and the owner was clearly happy to have save himself the cost and trouble of providing. The whole atmosphere and strings of rules pasted up on signs dissuaded me from raising the website with the owner; I feel it would simply have given him great pleasure to realise that his little ruse had worked!
At 35 to 60 pounds a night, I'm happy to put up with little "amusements" such as the chandelier with three different types of bulbs, the "Feng Sui" approach with no flat desk or place to sit, and the paperthin wall with a toilet pump just behind it that ran several times during the night when the folks in the next room used their facilities. I can solve the "how to fill the kettle" riddle when it won't fit under the tap, and I can cut and butter a bread roll with the handle of a soup spoon when no knife is provided, and the staff have disappeared. But I certainly won't be going back to either of those two hotels that got me there under false pretences and turned out to be inappropriate.
Alloa? Yes - I (personally) am happy with the rather worn and cramped comfort; I didn't mind the little single room, and I appreciate the friendly banter of the staff and their clear pleasure to have guests.
Very large (upgraded) bedroom at the Bonsyde House Hotel. Pity I was misled to stay at an inappropriate location.
Claremont Lodge Hotel Alloa - the room is nothing to blog about, but the welcome was welcoming ;-)
Smith's Guest House - if this room's rack rate is £140.00, then I've got two head!
Very large (upgraded) bedroom at the Bonsyde House Hotel. Pity I was misled to stay at an inappropriate location.
Claremont Lodge Hotel Alloa - the room is nothing to blog about, but the welcome was welcoming ;-)
Smith's Guest House - if this room's rack rate is £140.00, then I've got two head!