MSPeconomist

Long ago I decided that I would rather do many things (including eating dinner in Michelin three star restaurants) by self than not at all. If an employee has a problem with that, ask for a manager. It can help to be a hotel guest (for good restaurants in hotels) or have made the reservation through AmEx Fine Dining, although I still remember two examples where I was treated very badly (extremely long wait for extremely undesirable table) and I will never go back to either one.

For example, at the good restaurant in Highlands Inn, I had carefully booked a table at a time so as to be seated before sundown, in order to enjoy the sunset. Long after the sky was totally dark, I was shown to a table in the back side of the restaurant (no water views at all, just a few windows looking out on part of the parking lot) in a room that looked like it normally was an unappealing banquet room, with banquet style tables and chairs but no other decorations at all, not even a small flower on the table. The other occupant of the room was a large family of perhaps fifteen people, including about ten children. I refused and called AmEx for the second time, who called the restaurant, etc. Apparently the restaurant had decided to ignore at least my reservation and just give tables to those who arrived first, starting at about 4 pm because they were busy that night. Never again, and I won't ever stay in that hotel again either.