My wife and I just stayed 5 nights at the Mission Inn and Spa to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Upon arrival, we were very impressed by the facilities (and we should be for the price) . . . but that pretty much ended there. Here are the issues:
Identity Crisis - the Fairmont marketing people would have you believe this is a tranquil spa setting in the middle of wine country . . . but our experience was different. The first 3 days of stay included them hosting a large corporate function, complete with welcome tables across the front lawn, a large tent on the front property whcih served as a meeting room by day and a very loud dance venue by night. I love our children, but the abundance of kids running around made this more the feel of an all-inclusive discount resort in Cuba versus a pricey spa-like retreat. Fairmont needs to determine where this brand is positioned in the marketplace.
Inconsistent Service - except for Judy at the concierge desk, the rest of their service staff delivers inconsistent service. The teenagers serving meals and beverages near the pool were not skilled at all in any degree of service standards (attentiveness, timeliness, friendlieness, knowledge). Even the dress code for staff throughout the resort was inconsistent - golf shirts for some (some tucked in, some not), valet staff running through the property? Poor service also extended to our room - the maid service left dirty wine glasses and finished food plates for 2 days in our room - on our last night there, all service stopped (no morning paper, no turndown service) -. . . not the attention to detail you would expect.
Dated Property - I can only describe the pungent odour of our room as that of the closet of my late grandmother . . . seriously - the rooms simply smell! For $350+++ a night, I would expect impeccable quality of surroundings - this place is in need of an update.
Overpriced Spa - the spa was a good experience . . . but, it comes with an incredible price premium (about 50% more than what you would pay elsewhere). While the spa service (bathing ritual and massage) was fine, not sure it commands a 50% premium to other very good and comparable services elsewhere.
I contrast this with the 2 nights we stayed at the St. Regis in San Francisco prior to our 5 night stay at Mission Inn . . . St. Regis hands down beat our highest level of expectations in all regards of personalized, helpful, attentive, and impeccable service.
Fairmont clearly needs to figure out what identity they want for the price they charge, then deliver a consistent level of service one would expect for the price charged.
