Richmond Henty Hotel

The check-in lady working Friday night, 6th March, was extremely polite and went out of her way to find a safe place for my partner and me to park our motorcycles. Our room was clean and spacious, and we could see the ocean, though I don’t think an ocean view was advertised. The spring mattress was clearly an older style, but I slept just fine. The restaurant looked very popular, though I didn’t eat there. Restaurants and grocery stores were only a short walk away. For the price I paid, I was very happy and would stay again.

My co-worker recommended this place, so I tried it for the first time recently. The room was clean and the bed comfortable enough, I guess, and the TV worked. There was a squashed dead cockroach outside the front door, though, which wasn’t a great welcome. I’d planned to have dinner there, but when I checked in nobody told me to book. At 6:15, I went downstairs and was told there was no space and I needed a reservation, so I ended up trekking into town for noodles. The next night I did get dinner, and the grilled fish was incredibly nice, as was my glass of wine. It did the job for a couple of nights, but I’m not sure I’d stay again. I won’t be rushing back after an experience that was just okay.

The beds were friggen horrible. We’ve stayed in about 25 places on this trip, and only two of the nine people in our group, spread across five separate rooms, said they slept okay. When the beds weren’t keeping us awake, the outside lighting was, and we couldn’t block it out or turn it off. The restaurant food was mmmh. The rice was undercooked. That’s a real shame, because we came for lunch several years ago and the food was outstanding. That’s why we came back and decided to stay overnight too. Nobody offered compensation for the food or room, or even apologised. We definitely will NOT be back.

Waterfront, also known as Edwards Tavern, is a cafe where the coffee can be hit or miss. Some days it’s good, other days it’s guttercino and not worth $5+. There are some good staff, but a few of the younger women come across as surly, don’t present well, and don’t smile. Sometimes even small tasks seem like too much trouble. I have to mention what happened to a long-time regular. The senior waitress and shift supervisor was rude to him. He’d come in for coffee and papers five days a week for about seven years, meeting friends at his usual little table in the far corner. He asked for coffee in a large thermal flask. Even though he paid for extra coffee, she told him he couldn’t sit at his regular table and that they wouldn’t fill his flask in future. He told her she was rude and nasty and had a bad attitude that didn’t suit hospitality. She then told management he was hostile and abusive. That’s somewhat untrue. I’ve known him well for 16 years, and people who know him can confirm he isn’t abusive. Sadly, he was banned. Many people in Portland know about this, and some very wealthy locals aren’t impressed. Neither was I when I heard. He spent about $160+ a week on coffee and food. Can management afford to lose good regulars because staff get complained about? I vote with my feet when staff are nasty, because there’s no point complaining to them. This used to be an excellent cafe, with great food and cakes, good staff, and prompt, polite service from the senior ladies. On my last visit a few days ago, the service was excellent, the coffee was good, and the waitress was great. I’ve known her for a while. She’s an Asian lady with a great attitude and was very prompt. When the good staff are on, friends and I come in and spend quite a few dollars. We sometimes bring 10-20 people, which is $400 for the till. Management should get rid of the dud staff!