First of all, this was my first visit, and I did have expectations, based on comments from friends who had stayed there years ago. Unfortunately, over time it would appear the service has declined, and my expectations were far from met.
This is supposed to be a luxury resort, and we stayed in the Summit Lodge 1 bedroom (room 102), with a fireplace and kitchenette.
The first thing of note was the entrance to bldg 52. There were numerous cigarette butts along the 30 foot path, and bits of paper and other debris. There was a sock and used coffee cups on full display in the parking lot in front of the building, and they stayed for the duration of the trip. It was obvious that the grounds were poorly maintained.
In the hallway were about 10 oversized bags containing the bedding from the previous night. They were still there when we departed. This was very unsightly, not to mention possibly unsanitary. The unit itself had that “cheap-motel-cleaning-fluid” smell when we entered, and we quickly opened the sliding door and all windows. Eventually (a couple of hours) the odour disappeared.
The room itself did look like the picture, but in person it revealed poor cleaning. There were rust stains around the base of the shower, and there was black mold in the shower on the grout between the tiles near the base. (see pics)
The kitchen sported a dishwasher – but no dishwasher soap! They had a great looking coffeemaker – but no coffee filters to put in it. I called guest services who said they’d send someone from guest services with filters immediately. Eventually (in about 30 to 40 minutes) they did send some, but I had already gone into the hall and found the housekeeper cleaning the room next door. He grabbed one filter for me from that unit’s supply.
I went to plug in the coffeemaker and realised it (or the toaster or the kettle) would have to sit on the stovetop to access the only outlet. Guess you can’t cook eggs and do toast at the same time? Poorly planned.
There were no toiletries in the bathroom (i.e no shampoo, conditioner, or other). There was 1 small bar of soap.
Also I was surprised to find the towels very stiff and rough to use, again giving that cheap motel feel.
At breakfast we sat near the window, and I again took note that the outer deck where there were a number of tables had not been swept in some time. I would guess maybe even a week? There were spiders on the windows and they had spun webs on the furniture, webs that had been there some time it seemed. Again, a lack of maintenance.
Overall, our stay reinforced the impression that a very good place was being let run down, probably because they are trying to increase the profitability by lowering staff expenses, and offering fewer amenities. Just another business that will slowly but surely lose the customer base they were fortunate to have inherited. Sad to see, indeed. If you are up to spending for luxury, your dollars will go much further elsewhere.
