I was very disappointed by the rudeness of the hotel staff. When I checked in the woman acted as though it was a chore to check me in. Yes it was a bit on the later side, but she was rude and was sighing as though I was being an annoyance to her. The elevator was extremely slow. It was ridiculous. I would have walked up the stairs but my luggage was heavy and I was exhausted to I opted to wait and oh boy did I wait.
My room was nice. It exceeded my expectations. The hair dryer was amazing. I loved it. The toiletries were neat- hollow soap.
The location was a bit iffy. I don't know Lancaster area at all. But it was in the "Urban" district. Urban = ghetto.
Then, back to dealing with the folks that work there... I was in town for a business trip and gone all day. When I returned to the hotel there was a wedding and a rehearsal dinner going on so the place was busy. There was absolutely no where to park. None. The front desk attendant told me to park where it clearly said "tow away zone." I asked if the hotel would then me responsible if my car was towed and I was told to park at my own risk. What? Then the other attendant told me to wait 10 minutes and I could take her spot. I told her I already drove around looking for a spot for 20 minutes, I wasn't going to wait 10 more minutes. They really didn't have any solutions for me other than keep looking and hope someone leaves. For paying $150 per night I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a place to park. Hotel guests should have guarenteed parking. Wedding and event guests should have to park elsewhere (in the tow away zones perhaps since it's not overnight) and the hotel should have thought this out because they were pretty much at capacity as far as reservations go.
So overall, nice place. Beautiful room. However, staff was rude and unprofessional.
I don't think I would stay there again. Check out the Marriott on Queen Street instead (where my business trip was held). It's much nicer, the staff is friendlier, and the price is comparable.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
November 1, 2012
Dear Guest,
First, let me apologize in earnest for the lack of friendly customer service you received from our front desk. I will be discussing this issue with our Front Desk and Guest Service supervisors, and insisting that all of our front desk agents offer the level of customer service for which the Cork Factory Hotel is known. It is inexcusable that they were neither polite, nor helpful, during your check-in and stay, and I can ensure you that this is not level of service to which most of our guests are accustomed.
I am however, glad to hear that your overnight room not only met, but exceeded your expectations. We enjoy offering not only standard hotel amenities, but also adding some unique flare to otherwise boring and often overlooked staples. We do understand that our elevator can take some time, especially during check-in/check-out or events as the majority of our guests prefer to use it. This is why there are three stair cases (one original, salvaged and refurbished from the original 1860s building) with easy access to all four stories of the hotel. Also, I can assure you that the location of Cork Factory Hotel is far from "ghetto" as you mentioned in your review. In the almost three years of operation, we have never had a problem with our location or the surrounding area. Urban, by our definition, simply means city.
It is very unfortunate that you were unable to find parking. Between the three lots at Urban Place, there is plenty of parking to accommodate everyone, both overnight and event guests. That is why I am disappointed that our staff did not direct you to one of our overflow lots, either the center lot, or the lot available on the East side of building 6 in Urban Place. However, we do offer complimentary on-site parking for all guests, a luxury that the Marriott cannot offer their guests, due to their central-urban location.
If you would like to discuss your experience further, or to discuss how the Cork Factory Hotel can persuade you to give us another opportunity to exceed your expectations, please contact me directly using the information provided below. Thank you for your review.
Lindsey Antonio
Group Sales
lindsey.antonio@corkfactoryhotel.com
717.735.2075
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.