Peninsula

I chose this hotel because it was described as wheelchair friendly, but getting around and parking with my disabled mother was difficult. There was no allocated table, so finding somewhere to sit with her wheelchair was a challenge. On Monday 30th July, a private party meant there was nowhere to park, and there wasn’t a disabled space or even a spare spot in the car park or outside the hotel. The lift also broke down while we were in rooms 210 and 212 with a wheelchair. Three times we were told to wait for it to be fixed during “chip and dip.” The pool was open to “chip and dip” every day, and by 10am there were no seats left. This wasn’t mentioned in the brochure, so I don’t understand why we were paying to use the amenities. On the fifth day, we’d had the same vegetables and meats for five nights and said so to the ladies at the desk. With no alternative offered, and on the anniversary of my father’s death, we took my disabled mother out for dinner. I later heard another party had disliked the menu too but had been offered a refund of £20.50 per person. I asked to speak to the general manager about getting back the £61.50 for our three meals. I had to go through five members of staff to reach him, then return 20 minutes later because he was busy. He refused, saying I hadn’t spoken to him personally. Yet on two earlier nights we’d complained to staff that our food was stone cold, and he never came to speak with us. When I explained what had happened, he was rude and unsympathetic. He hadn’t dealt with our earlier complaints and stayed in the kitchen through our 12 meals over the week. We weren’t the only party complaining. My “relaxing” holiday, which cost £2210, was a complete waste of money. I’m waiting for the hotel owner, Ian Walker, to respond.

The breakfast menu finally changed on our penultimate day. We arrived to find a proper menu on the table, with choices like smoked salmon, avocado and fresh berries. Our son was livid and took the General Manager to task, asking why we hadn’t been offered it earlier after the shocking treatment we’d had. The GM blamed staff for not following his instructions. My wife had already pointed out to another Manager that these problems start at the top, and the GM had ignored us from day one. Before that, breakfast was dreadful. The buffet bacon had sat too long in its dish, the fried eggs were rubbery, and the sausages, fried bread and hash browns were deep fried, alongside poor quality baked beans. My wife asked for boiled eggs instead, but they came without egg cups. Bread was mostly cheap, plastic-looking slices, with some white sourdough. The self-serve coffee from a thermos was lukewarm and weak. We saw staff using the coffee machine, but when we asked for fresh coffee, we were told it cost extra. We declined on principle. On the second day the roller toaster broke, so toast came from the kitchen. The reheated sourdough was rock hard and inedible. My wife complained at reception that this was unacceptable for a 4* Hotel, and they apologised. After another complaint the next day, a Manager said things would improve, but they didn’t. We ended up buying our own fresh berries, smoked salmon and bread. The room was also in poor shape: dated, not very clean, and it wasn’t vacuumed once during our 11 night stay. The linen was changed, but the duvet cover had black marks and the duvet itself was very thin. Hot water took ages. The bed was two singles pushed together, with one side higher than the other, and was very uncomfortable.

Guernsey has one of my favourite places in this bar and cafe. The drinks selection is good, the food menu is nice, and it’s dog friendly. We’ve been back regularly and had a really nice staycation there too.

The wedding party made it a very busy place, but the staff stayed professional and helpful throughout. I’m sitting here with the cocktail of the week in a really relaxing setting. I was pleasantly surprised by how spotless the bathroom was when I used it. Housekeeping had clearly been in to clean, and it’s lovely to find somewhere that keeps so on top of cleanliness.