Swansea Hotel

The Swansea hotel looked lovely after its new renovations, and the covered play area was a real plus. We had a great time at first, but it quickly became crowded and noisy as more people arrived. The food was a letdown. I understand the wait took longer because it was busy, but my steak sandwich, described as grilled sirloin, arrived completely cold. The cheese was thicker than the steak, which seemed more like a sizzle steak. At $24, I was very disappointed. The Turkish bread would have been nicer even lightly toasted. I also thought the extra charge to swap regular chips for sweet potato chips was unreasonable. The sauce portion was huge and just right. The manager was very nice, apologised, offered another meal, and said she'd pass on the feedback. I declined the replacement and accepted a soft drink.

The venue was beautiful and the food delicious, but one staff member really put a damper on the experience. Most of the team were friendly. This person was so unpleasant that we felt like a bother just for having our meals brought to the table. There were no smiles or pleasantries, and the plates were brought out so roughly it seemed like they might as well have been slammed down. Maybe that sounds dramatic, but that's how it felt.

The front of the venue along the main road doesn't show how good it is out back. We had eight adults and ten kids in our group, and the large car park made it easy to get straight into the spacious outdoor beer garden. We ordered through the table QR code. The app estimated about a 40 minute wait, but everything came out in under 30. The kitchen sent the kids' meals first without us having to ask. One person ordered beers at the bar, and when the keg needed changing, staff brought the drinks to the table. We visited for dinner a couple of Saturdays ago, and both the venue and service were fantastic. I drive through Swansea regularly, and this visit was well worth it.

There was plenty of parking at the back, and our food didn't take long to arrive. We sat outside and enjoyed listening to a solo guitarist. The enclosed kids' play area was easy to keep an eye on, and there was a good range of food for both adults and children.