The Maidstone

With work being done on my nearby home, we spent a night here to get a break from the city. It felt like a little vacation in my own town. The bar, restaurant, and manager on duty were all lovely.

Brian, the property manager, went out of his way to make our stay special. We had a cozy, fabulous time at LDV at the Maidstone, with comfortable rooms and lots of nice touches. Dinner was a highlight too, the best pasta I’ve had outside Italy.

The front desk and in-house staff were kind and accommodating, both by phone and in person. They tried to help by sending a link for a reservation for 8, but we needed space for 10 and wanted to discuss the details, including flowers, the menu, and the guest experience. I remember the hotel has a lovely floral partner. Even so, my experience with LDV Hospitality has left me completely soured on The Maidstone, and I won’t be back. Last year, I stayed at The Maidstone for my birthday and loved the dinner, atmosphere, flowers, and quaint feel of the hotel. This year I wanted to make it a tradition and invite friends for dinner, with all of us planning to stay there too. A month ahead, I emailed reservations to arrange a pre fixe menu for 8-10 people. I thought that would work better for a larger group and this occasion. The first person replied that “Scarpetta” doesn’t offer pre fixe, though I hadn’t specified Scarpetta. Since they handle reservations for multiple restaurants, I don’t understand why they assumed that was the one I meant. Their emails also had no greeting, used no name, and had no sign-off. It felt very unprofessional. I called the hotel directly, and they told me a pre fixe menu was possible for 10 people and that I should contact events by email. Tricia in events was even worse. I’ve worked with many large luxury hotel brands across the USA, Europe, and Asia, and was shocked that the person handling events didn’t ask what the occasion was or what we needed. Instead, she said a pre fixe menu required OVER 10 guests and told me to “make a normal reservation.” That directly conflicted with what I’d been told on the phone. There was no consistency about how many guests counted as an event, and I saw no real hospitality or effort to accommodate us. I have the email trail. It’s sad, but LDV’s communication was completely unprofessional and left a bad taste.

The staff don’t hover, but they’re there to help if you ask. William, the assistant manager, Brian, and the bartender were all great. It’s a charming hotel, and the restaurant serves excellent food, cocktails, and service during the off season from Thursday through Saturday.