Guest Report

8 room Inn and dive centre in Speyside (listing)
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Gillian Merry

Guest Report

Post by Gillian Merry »

Coming from Trinidad (i.e. not a first-world country itself), our expectations were probably lower than the average visitor to start with. However, even we were disappointed at the appalling service, bordering on rudeness from the staff at Speyside Inn. Although we had not appreciated the extent to which this hotel is a diver's place, frequented mainly by young European diver types (and as such not very suitable for us as family with children), we still were prepared to make the best of it. We were not too successful though.

Not knowing what 'the deal' was in the restaurant on the first night, we tried to enquire but got our heads bitten off by the waitress. We just wanted the system explained to us. It appeared to be a buffet but we wanted to know whether a la carte was also available, and if not, what were the dishes on the buffet. The waiting staff were almost abusively rude. They would not give the information and treated us like complete nuisances. We never did find out if the a la carte was ever available. Nobody would answer our questions. We were constantly ignored and in fact got to the point where we were afraid to ask for anything and at one point even went back up to our room to bring down our own drinks.

We had heard the fish was good in Speyside but our hotel never seemed to have any. There was one plate of fish on the first night but by the time we got to the buffet it had gone. When we asked if there was more, we were treated to a good ticking-off from the waitress for having the temerity to ask. Obviously we ate elsewhere on the other nights and the other restaurants in the village were very much better.

Breakfast was a similar fiasco. Tables were never set when we arrived and then it would take the waitress approx. half an hour to bring the cutlery, place mats etc. (usually one item at a time) and an equally agonising wait for the food. We never once managed to all eat at the same time due to the slow, uncaring and inefficient service. Be prepared to eat in relays and don't dare ask for salt and pepper or an extra knife or anything.

On our second night the dive shop located on the premises hosted some kind of party, attended by the divers/young Europeans. It was EXCESSIVELY loud, even by T&T standards and went on until 2 in the morning. None of us could sleep. Obviously sanctioned by the hotel itself, it was a disgusting way to treat the non-partying guests. It only stopped at 2.00 because it started to rain.

Speyside has so much potential. The rooms are nice (no TV -another service we would nomally take for granted in a hotel of this 'calibre'), but clean and comfortable with a lovely pool. However, it is poorly run, over-priced and aimed only at one sector of the market. We paid the same rate in Orlando this summer for an enormous apartment with jacuzzis, plasma screen TVs, enormous bathrooms/full-equipped kitchen, king-sized beds etc.(Speyside is stuck in the 70's with its single beds, one pillow each, no extra blankets etc mentality).

We can recommend the other restaurants in the area, and the area itself for an idyllic, get-away-from-the-crowds holiday. Blue Waters is a particularly gorgeous beach, as is King's Bay round the corner.










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