Service was a little lacking at times
Firstly, on arrival we were greeted at the taxi and our bags taken in, nice comfortable space to wait to check in. Was able to check in early, which was nice. I do think a 4pm check in on Fridays or Saturdays is unreasonable given the amount that you're charging for a night's accommodation. If you have a checkout time of 11am or midday; you could have a check-in time of 1 or 2pm.
I was a little frustrated at how challenging it was to get bikes - we got sent to three different locations (all down at the Carriage House) and the man who brought the bikes out didn't stay to check if they were the right size - mine didn't have an adjustable seat so I had to make do as he'd walked away, even though I was a little too short for it.
At times, service felt a little slow across the weekend. I appreciate the hotel was full and you were busy; however, given the cost of the accommodation and your ratings it felt like a few things had to be nudged more than once. I had asked for a newspaper but I didn't have one delivered on the Saturday nor the Sunday morning. I also felt like it was challenging to get attention in the restaurant and bar area.
The taps for my bathroom sink incorrectly marked hot and cold and the mixer taps for the bath and the shower were not clearly marked. This meant that it was challenging to get the balance right for a shower and a bath. In particular, it was challenging to have more cold water added for the shower.
The room itself was clean, tidy and well-presented. I appreciated the person who serviced the room tidied up (though I did feel a little guilty) for me as I'd rushed off to the wedding I was attending. I also liked that the alarm clock had a plug point in it - I often find it hard to find somewhere to plug your phone in. Given there are no plug points in the bathroom, it would've been nice to have had access to a larger mirror in a well-light area of the room that was near a plug, for example, to use a hair straightener or other styling tool easily and safely.
While a number of us were having pre-wedding drinks on the terrace, I was served a warm bottle of rose and, when it was pointed out the bottle hadn't been in the fridge, given the suggestion that we could 'add ice to cool it down'. Given this was a €65 bottle of wine, I found that response - and being served it to begin with - very disappointing. Instead, I would much rather have been told there was none available and recommended an alternative . It heard from other guests that bottles of wine had been ordered to rooms while people were getting ready and that they just never showed up.
Given how many people were attending the wedding, and the number of guests who were staying at the hotel, I was quite disappointed for the couple that we had to de-camp from the Gold Salon earlier than planned. I think it would've been nice if we could've stayed there as planned and had more drinks brought down to us. When we did move, there were no chairs available for elderly guests to sit on, and guests had to collect some from outside rooms so people who had been sitting could keep doing so.
I felt that the bar was not always appropriately staffed for the number of guests who were attending the wedding, resulting in long waits unnecessarily. During the dinner, more regular walk throughs with the wine would've been appreciated.
The pool and jacuzzi area were nice and clean - I especially appreciated the plastic bags that were available in the change rooms which meant I could go for a swim on the day I checked out without worrying about packing wet bathers. I was; however, disappointed that children's hours at the pool during the day finish at 11am. I appreciate it is a luxury hotel, but families with children should be able to use the services at all times. It was also disappointing that the children's pool was cordoned off before 11am; meaning young children couldn't easily paddle and had to make do on the steps of the main pool. This increased safety risks in my opinion. I didn't use the gym or spa services, so can't comment. I also didn't play golf so can't comment on the course and how it plays.
I have pulled out a few negative things, and on balance, I would still recommend the hotel despite some of the issues I experienced. Everyone was always pleasant and smiling and enthusiastic.