Capella Castlemartyr, Ireland - an unmitigated disaster!
Jul 31, 2008, 6:07 am
#1
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Capella Castlemartyr, Ireland - an unmitigated disaster!
Review of Capella Castlemartyr, Co Cork, Ireland
Grief, am I going through the mill this week! I have stayed in lots of luxury properties over the last 10 years or so, but never one as bad as this. In fact, if you listed all my complaints about EVERY hotel I have stayed at in the last five years, you'd get a list shorter than the list of what has happened to us here. And we are only four days into a six day stay! I'm not sure we'll make it out alive.
I know the Irish hotel industry is in desperate trouble. The pound and dollar make Euro-priced properties very expensive, and the crashing Irish economy has wiped out domestic trade. A high minimum wage and over-supply caused by tax breaks don't help either. This is my charitable view of what has happened at this place in the last 6 months or so.
Capella is a new luxury chain formed by Horst Schultz (sp?), ex head of Ritz-Carlton. They are building a modest chain of properties worldwide, of which this was the 2nd, I think - they describe themselves on their website as an 'ultra-luxury' hotel group. Castlemartyr is only open a year or so, and was acclaimed on opening. Gallivanters Guide even made it their hotel of the year for 2007. Castlemartyr is a resort outside Cork in Southern Ireland, in the village of the same name, with an adjacent golf course and a batch of cottages and lodges - a fairly typical Irish resort model. Much of the main building is a pretty converted Carmelite college.
Here, in random order, are a few of the things that have happened to us in the last four days:
* Arrive to find no cot in our room. Request cot again. 3 hours later (5pm) still no cot. I ring down again to find they were planning to bring it with the turndown, which would have been 9.30pm!! Does your baby go to bed at 9.30pm?
* Fridge in room broken, which we need for baby milk. Call engineer. Engineer opens fridge, sees light is on, declares fridge functioning, and leaves. Three hours later we called a 2nd engineer who immediately declared fridge broken and got us a new one.
* We have a one-bed suite. The black-out curtains are automated. At 6.30pm, baby goes to bed and we close the curtains. The curtains close in BOTH rooms and cannot be overidden. Even though it is light until 10pm, from 6.30pm we have sit in our living room in darkness because you cannot have the curtains open in the living room and closed in the bedroom.
* Whilst the food is good, the restaurant is a joke. On our first meal, we were victims of 'vintage shuffling' where the wine you order is replaced by a lesser vintage when it is brought to your table. I was 90% sure they'd done it but only on the way out could I get hold of a wine list to check that, yes, they had. When I put this to them I was told, unbelievably, that 'all vintages are the same' so what was the problem?
* On our 2nd meal, we had a table booked for 7.30pm. We were seated at 9pm. Seriously. We were fobbed off with delay after delay. We were not even offered complimentary drinks whilst waiting. After some 'discussion' the pompous manager eventually offered to comp our food, but by 9pm we weren't in the mood any longer and at 10pm we had to feed our baby anyway so we quickly had a main, no drinks.
* Room cleaning is a joke. Some days they come, some they don't. Same with turndown. When they do come, the minibar isn't filled, toiletries are not replaced. We ran out of hankies and left the empty box on the vanity as a sign. They ignored it. When we eventually got new hankies, they left 2 boxes even though there is only 1 dispenser. Am I meant to take one home as a gift? One night a fresh sheet was mysteriously left, folded up, on top of our bed.
* There is no DVD player in the room. The hotel has ONE (for 103 rooms) they can lend you - a cheap Bush model (UK RRP about 20 pounds). But here is the best bit - to get your TV to switch to DVD mode, you need to ring reception and get an engineer to come up with a master remote control for the TV!! You need to do this EVERY time. Similarly if you bring an X-Box to use, as some families had. What a farce.
* When we arrived pay-TV was blocked. Wierdly, the TV channel listings guide was also blocked!
* Despite claims to the contrary in the in-room literature, no free newspaper has ever been delivered. A couple appear on a table by the lift about 10am but that is no use when you are eating room-service breakfast at 8am.
* Room service breakfast is a farce. 3 days out of 4 they have left the clingfilm on the juice and kettle. 2 days out of 4 they have fogotten items which has involved calls down for replacement. Today, amazingly, the trolley was put in our room and the girl walked off. She did NOT unfold the trolly or remove any of the food from the tray they were stacked on!!
* The babysitting we had arranged by email in advance was booked for totally different times to those we requested
* The door handle to the loo in our suite came off in my hand. As did the shower tap for the rainfall shower.
There are also plenty of other little things which also make me want to throttle someone:
Why have a huge balcony on the room if you don't provide patio furniture?
Why have ultra-posh tea (loose, not bags) and then only provide nasty cartons of UHT milk in the fridge?
Why was there a big childs hand-print on our patio door which had not been cleaned?
Why do the 'personal assistants' NEVER answer the phone? Always voice mail.
Why are room service trolleys not removed when you ring and ask? (After waiting 90 minutes the first time, we now just dump them outside our door.)
Why is the kettle flex so short it is impossible to put it anywhere except the floor (not very safe with kids about)?
Why are there no fruit or flowers in the rooms?
Why are there no clocks in the rooms? The TV's are the standard Philips hotel flat-screen which actually HAS a built-in clock - but it is disabled! No alarm clock.
Why is there no CD player? Of course, if there was a DVD player it could double-up as a CD, but there isn't one.
Why is the spa cafe closed, sharply reducing the eating options?
Why are there only a handful of outdoor tables for the (rare) times the sun comes out?
Why do they refuse to serve food in the bar?
Why are the restaurant menus placed in those scruffy leathery-plastic folders that you usually see in cheap cafes?
I could go on. I am actually worried now about every single interaction with the hotel and staff, because they have literally messed up everything I have asked for or tried to do. If it wasn't for the fact we have a 7-month baby with us then we would have left days ago.
It is clear the hotel is in trouble. It is advertising in the Irish Times offering rooms for Euro 200 per night IN AUGUST - peak season - including breakfast, dinner AND a round of golf. They are also offering the cottages in the grounds as 'from Euro 450 per week'. This has the side-effect of filling the pool, spa and bar with people who spend Euro 450 per week on their holiday, whilst my room goes for Euro 495 per night.
To conclude my review, Capella Castlemartyr is, easily, the most shockingly badly run luxury hotel I have ever stayed at. Calling itself 'the finest hotel in Ireland', as it does in the Irish Times ad today, is a huge joke. It's a shame, because a huge amount of money was spent on building this place and a decent GM could sort out most of the issues in a month whilst spending next to nothing. It just goes to show that, at the end of the day, it comes down to the people who work in the place.
Grief, am I going through the mill this week! I have stayed in lots of luxury properties over the last 10 years or so, but never one as bad as this. In fact, if you listed all my complaints about EVERY hotel I have stayed at in the last five years, you'd get a list shorter than the list of what has happened to us here. And we are only four days into a six day stay! I'm not sure we'll make it out alive.
I know the Irish hotel industry is in desperate trouble. The pound and dollar make Euro-priced properties very expensive, and the crashing Irish economy has wiped out domestic trade. A high minimum wage and over-supply caused by tax breaks don't help either. This is my charitable view of what has happened at this place in the last 6 months or so.
Capella is a new luxury chain formed by Horst Schultz (sp?), ex head of Ritz-Carlton. They are building a modest chain of properties worldwide, of which this was the 2nd, I think - they describe themselves on their website as an 'ultra-luxury' hotel group. Castlemartyr is only open a year or so, and was acclaimed on opening. Gallivanters Guide even made it their hotel of the year for 2007. Castlemartyr is a resort outside Cork in Southern Ireland, in the village of the same name, with an adjacent golf course and a batch of cottages and lodges - a fairly typical Irish resort model. Much of the main building is a pretty converted Carmelite college.
Here, in random order, are a few of the things that have happened to us in the last four days:
* Arrive to find no cot in our room. Request cot again. 3 hours later (5pm) still no cot. I ring down again to find they were planning to bring it with the turndown, which would have been 9.30pm!! Does your baby go to bed at 9.30pm?
* Fridge in room broken, which we need for baby milk. Call engineer. Engineer opens fridge, sees light is on, declares fridge functioning, and leaves. Three hours later we called a 2nd engineer who immediately declared fridge broken and got us a new one.
* We have a one-bed suite. The black-out curtains are automated. At 6.30pm, baby goes to bed and we close the curtains. The curtains close in BOTH rooms and cannot be overidden. Even though it is light until 10pm, from 6.30pm we have sit in our living room in darkness because you cannot have the curtains open in the living room and closed in the bedroom.
* Whilst the food is good, the restaurant is a joke. On our first meal, we were victims of 'vintage shuffling' where the wine you order is replaced by a lesser vintage when it is brought to your table. I was 90% sure they'd done it but only on the way out could I get hold of a wine list to check that, yes, they had. When I put this to them I was told, unbelievably, that 'all vintages are the same' so what was the problem?
* On our 2nd meal, we had a table booked for 7.30pm. We were seated at 9pm. Seriously. We were fobbed off with delay after delay. We were not even offered complimentary drinks whilst waiting. After some 'discussion' the pompous manager eventually offered to comp our food, but by 9pm we weren't in the mood any longer and at 10pm we had to feed our baby anyway so we quickly had a main, no drinks.
* Room cleaning is a joke. Some days they come, some they don't. Same with turndown. When they do come, the minibar isn't filled, toiletries are not replaced. We ran out of hankies and left the empty box on the vanity as a sign. They ignored it. When we eventually got new hankies, they left 2 boxes even though there is only 1 dispenser. Am I meant to take one home as a gift? One night a fresh sheet was mysteriously left, folded up, on top of our bed.
* There is no DVD player in the room. The hotel has ONE (for 103 rooms) they can lend you - a cheap Bush model (UK RRP about 20 pounds). But here is the best bit - to get your TV to switch to DVD mode, you need to ring reception and get an engineer to come up with a master remote control for the TV!! You need to do this EVERY time. Similarly if you bring an X-Box to use, as some families had. What a farce.
* When we arrived pay-TV was blocked. Wierdly, the TV channel listings guide was also blocked!
* Despite claims to the contrary in the in-room literature, no free newspaper has ever been delivered. A couple appear on a table by the lift about 10am but that is no use when you are eating room-service breakfast at 8am.
* Room service breakfast is a farce. 3 days out of 4 they have left the clingfilm on the juice and kettle. 2 days out of 4 they have fogotten items which has involved calls down for replacement. Today, amazingly, the trolley was put in our room and the girl walked off. She did NOT unfold the trolly or remove any of the food from the tray they were stacked on!!
* The babysitting we had arranged by email in advance was booked for totally different times to those we requested
* The door handle to the loo in our suite came off in my hand. As did the shower tap for the rainfall shower.
There are also plenty of other little things which also make me want to throttle someone:
Why have a huge balcony on the room if you don't provide patio furniture?
Why have ultra-posh tea (loose, not bags) and then only provide nasty cartons of UHT milk in the fridge?
Why was there a big childs hand-print on our patio door which had not been cleaned?
Why do the 'personal assistants' NEVER answer the phone? Always voice mail.
Why are room service trolleys not removed when you ring and ask? (After waiting 90 minutes the first time, we now just dump them outside our door.)
Why is the kettle flex so short it is impossible to put it anywhere except the floor (not very safe with kids about)?
Why are there no fruit or flowers in the rooms?
Why are there no clocks in the rooms? The TV's are the standard Philips hotel flat-screen which actually HAS a built-in clock - but it is disabled! No alarm clock.
Why is there no CD player? Of course, if there was a DVD player it could double-up as a CD, but there isn't one.
Why is the spa cafe closed, sharply reducing the eating options?
Why are there only a handful of outdoor tables for the (rare) times the sun comes out?
Why do they refuse to serve food in the bar?
Why are the restaurant menus placed in those scruffy leathery-plastic folders that you usually see in cheap cafes?
I could go on. I am actually worried now about every single interaction with the hotel and staff, because they have literally messed up everything I have asked for or tried to do. If it wasn't for the fact we have a 7-month baby with us then we would have left days ago.
It is clear the hotel is in trouble. It is advertising in the Irish Times offering rooms for Euro 200 per night IN AUGUST - peak season - including breakfast, dinner AND a round of golf. They are also offering the cottages in the grounds as 'from Euro 450 per week'. This has the side-effect of filling the pool, spa and bar with people who spend Euro 450 per week on their holiday, whilst my room goes for Euro 495 per night.
To conclude my review, Capella Castlemartyr is, easily, the most shockingly badly run luxury hotel I have ever stayed at. Calling itself 'the finest hotel in Ireland', as it does in the Irish Times ad today, is a huge joke. It's a shame, because a huge amount of money was spent on building this place and a decent GM could sort out most of the issues in a month whilst spending next to nothing. It just goes to show that, at the end of the day, it comes down to the people who work in the place.
Last edited by Raffles; Aug 11, 2008 at 10:24 am
Jul 31, 2008, 10:28 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
THIS IS FRIGHTFUL! Have you spoken with the GM - Peter Bowling?
Last edited by ralfkrippner; Aug 4, 2008 at 1:48 am Reason: deleted full quote of first post for better readability - ralfkrippner, co-moderator
Jul 31, 2008, 12:07 pm
#3
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Jul 31, 2008, 1:46 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 304
That is an appalling experience.
I did wonder about Capella when I checked their website.
I havent been to Capella Castlemartyr as that part of the country does not excite me but I recommended it to a friend on the back of the great GG review. My friends were disappointed with their stay. Poor service and so so restaurant.
On the broader issue of hotels in Ireland, they are having difficulties finding staff (or competent staff ) even at their "high minimum wage". Visitors from the U.S. are down and those who are here find it quite expensive with the current exchange rate this is also true for british visitors.
I did wonder about Capella when I checked their website.
I havent been to Capella Castlemartyr as that part of the country does not excite me but I recommended it to a friend on the back of the great GG review. My friends were disappointed with their stay. Poor service and so so restaurant.
On the broader issue of hotels in Ireland, they are having difficulties finding staff (or competent staff ) even at their "high minimum wage". Visitors from the U.S. are down and those who are here find it quite expensive with the current exchange rate this is also true for british visitors.
- hope you've also sent the above onto Tripadvisor for a wider audience....
Jul 31, 2008, 3:08 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Posts: 1,416
I'm sorry - I don't know whether to laugh or cry..it sounds dreadful..
Aug 1, 2008, 2:13 am
#7
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Here is a fun one I forgot to mention yesterday. Room service breakfast gives you the choice of orange juice, grapefruit juice or 'juice of the day'.
On Monday, 'juice of the day' was, erm, orange. On Tuesday, it was grapefruit. We were, to put it mildly, shocked to receive apple on Wednesday.
I am currently wearing dirty clothes because I simply have no confidence in handing over my designer togs to the hotel laundry, and would prefer to wear dirty clothes for the remainder of my stay. That is the level we are currently at.
(PS. After I posted the OP, our room was cleaned AND toiletries replaced AND minibar filled AND the bin fully emptied. We were both gob-smacked.)
Last edited by Raffles; Aug 1, 2008 at 2:54 am
Aug 1, 2008, 4:55 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Ireland
Posts: 182
I am saddened but not in the least surprised at your treatment, you can be pretty certain that the staff serving you are on only the minimum wage, or very close to it, and have little experience ("all vintages are the same", Jebus!).
There are far too many hotels here now with too few capable staff, one of the consequences of opening up our labour market to Eastern Europe.
The Fianna fail political party gave massive tax breaks to property developers which, even when it was obvious to the shoe shine boy that we were over reliant on the property market and that it was over heating, continued to offer tax breaks. In fact, most tax breaks are still in place!
Welcome to the most badly managed country in western Europe.
There are far too many hotels here now with too few capable staff, one of the consequences of opening up our labour market to Eastern Europe.
The Fianna fail political party gave massive tax breaks to property developers which, even when it was obvious to the shoe shine boy that we were over reliant on the property market and that it was over heating, continued to offer tax breaks. In fact, most tax breaks are still in place!
Welcome to the most badly managed country in western Europe.
Aug 1, 2008, 7:00 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,945
I am saddened but not in the least surprised at your treatment, you can be pretty certain that the staff serving you are on only the minimum wage, or very close to it, and have little experience ("all vintages are the same", Jebus!).
There are far too many hotels here now with too few capable staff, one of the consequences of opening up our labour market to Eastern Europe.
[...]
There are far too many hotels here now with too few capable staff, one of the consequences of opening up our labour market to Eastern Europe.
[...]
Aug 1, 2008, 7:10 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
How quickly things have changed!
I was completely shocked by Raffles' experience. I stayed early on and had a wonderful time. A couple of good friends also stayed a few months after me and also raved about it, so something very serious must have happened to this hotel in the intervening months - and not just the decline in the economy.
For me, this puts the Capella group in a whole different light. I was looking forward to their second Irish hotel which opens this winter, but now I don't think I will bother. I was also excited about their Mexican resorts, but if they can only do great openings, then rapidly decline into chaos, then this is not what you expect from Horst Schulze. Maybe they are trying to open too many hotels too soon, and as a new group do not have the management resources to draw upon.
Raffles, I do hope you will write a letter to Horst Schulze about this. I would. If you want his e-mail address, let me know.
For me, this puts the Capella group in a whole different light. I was looking forward to their second Irish hotel which opens this winter, but now I don't think I will bother. I was also excited about their Mexican resorts, but if they can only do great openings, then rapidly decline into chaos, then this is not what you expect from Horst Schulze. Maybe they are trying to open too many hotels too soon, and as a new group do not have the management resources to draw upon.
Raffles, I do hope you will write a letter to Horst Schulze about this. I would. If you want his e-mail address, let me know.
Aug 1, 2008, 7:31 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
For me, this puts the Capella group in a whole different light. I was looking forward to their second Irish hotel which opens this winter, but now I don't think I will bother. I was also excited about their Mexican resorts, but if they can only do great openings, then rapidly decline into chaos, then this is not what you expect from Horst Schulze. Maybe they are trying to open too many hotels too soon, and as a new group do not have the management resources to draw upon.
Aug 1, 2008, 7:38 am
#12
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This sounds so bad you wonder if they are going to give it up and just close. The history of Ireland shows a tendency for things to run downhill.
Aug 1, 2008, 9:16 am
#14
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maybe as some have mentioned the issues stem mostly from location in ireland?
Aug 1, 2008, 9:40 am
#15
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(You don't get little takeaway lotions here, they refill big glass vials.) So, no shower gel today.You won't be surprised to hear that the rack in the shower is not actually big enough to take the 3 fat glass vials of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel - they put the shower gel one by the bath so you don't notice until you actually take a shower and start collecting the bottles together! And who thought it was clever to put refillable glass bottles in the shower anyway?
(Ms Raffles does rate the spa, by the way, just to prove that not everything here is bad. And the pool is great for our little one, although letting children in the pool 4 hours a day may upset sensible swimmers.)
Last edited by Raffles; Aug 1, 2008 at 10:16 am