SAMPLE NARRATIVE
REPORT
***** Hotel
Star rating:3 star
Date of Visit: 24th
July 2008
Room number: 341
Requested
services:
Staff; booking;
check-in; food;
ambience; hygiene;
leisure centre;
child-friendliness;
check-out.
Summary
Booking -
Internet booking
process was smooth
and simple.
Telephone booking
was prompt and
helpful. No
additional
information was
offered. Only when
parking facilities
were inquired about,
was I told that
there was a free
space with each
room.
Check-in -
Calm and efficient.
Only one room key
offered. The
receptionist refused
when I requested a
second one. She had
poor knowledge of
the surrounding
area. See page 2
Staff - In
general, with the
exception of
housekeeping, the
majority of staff
seemed uninterested
in guest welfare.
Several times I felt
that I was being
tolerated as a
necessary evil. See
page 2
Food - My
evening meal was
enjoyable and well
presented. Hard to
believe I was in the
same hotel that
served such a
disappointing
breakfast. Breakfast
waiting staff
appeared totally
uninterested in
their work. The meal
was very poor in
both service and
food content. Food
temperatures of the
sausages was below
64 degrees. Room
service menu was
short, but the food
was well presented.
However, 40 minutes
was too long a wait
for this to be
served . See page 3
Ambience -
Good location. Nice
façade. Hotel lobby
is very impressive
but this turned out
to be the only good
impression. A
problem with the
lift, which will not
rise with more than
3 people in it,
while adding
character to the
hotel, must be
addressed. The
leisure centre has a
particularly
unwelcome feel about
it. See page 3
Hygiene -
Generally good in
all areas,
exceptions being a
stained mattress on
the bed and grubby
looking gym
equipment. Some
chewing gum stuck
under bar tables.
See page 3
Leisure centre
- very cramped. Gym
equipment so close
together it looked
like a shop display.
Pool slightly bigger
than a plunge pool.
The picture on the
website is very
deceiving. Only 1
staff member on
duty. Majority of
gym users (young
men) were familiar
with each other and
did not appear to be
residents. I felt
like an intruder in
somebody else’s
club. See page 3
Child-friendliness
- Two children
stayed, a girl aged
11 and a boy aged
15. They did not
enjoy their stay at
*****. Reception did
not inform us on
arrival that
children could not
use pool after 6.30.
Therefore they were
refused on entry to
leisure centre and
were embarrassed. I
was quite angry at
this treatment
because the pool was
empty at the time.
They were ignored by
waiting staff twice
at breakfast when
they asked for tea.
See page 4
Check-out -
Unremarkable. Bill
well presented.
Unhelpful about bus
times or taxis.
Details
Check-in:
The receptionist
(Karen) was
reasonably friendly
and efficient. I was
disappointed to be
offered only one
room key when I had
two children with
me. However, she did
stress that it was
hotel policy and I
felt if she could
have helped me out
she would have. I
‘lost’ my key within
an hour and was
promptly given
another at the desk.
Her knowledge of
Sydney was poor but
she had moved into
the area only a week
previously so I
forgave her.
Staff:
1a) Barman at 4pm
(Ahmad) was
functionally
pleasant but spent
all his free time
watching TV (loud
sport). He returned
small change to me
that I had left on
the counter. His
understanding of
English was good but
his pronunciation
was so poor that
conversation was
very limited. He
used one cloth to
wipe both tables and
ashtrays.
1b) Evening barman
(Shane) gave service
with a smile. He was
helpful, honest and
cheery. He enjoys
working in *****
because the pay is
reasonable, it funds
his college life and
management do not
insist on him
working long hours.
The bar area was
quiet but he went
about his duties
trying to look busy
even when he wasn’t.
He still kept one
eye on the TV (loud
sport again. Why?)
1c) Arrived for
breakfast at
10.15am. Breakfast
waiting staff did
not appear to have
sufficient English
to get by or have
much interest in the
task at hand. There
was no obvious
supervisor of the
breakfast room.
Staff wandered in
and out of the
kitchen at a
leisurely pace while
I cleared a dirty
table for my
children and I to
sit at. There were
six free tables but
all of them had been
used. The buffet
area was very
untidy. Orange juice
was all gone. When I
asked for more I was
refused. A pot of
tea was eventually
presented but we had
finished our meal by
this time.
1d) Evening meal was
taken from the early
bird menu a 7pm. We
had two waiters at
our disposal who
were polite and
helpful. I had a
sense of being
whizzed through the
meal but this may be
more a symptom of
the early bird
experience than any
fault on the
waiters’ part.
1e) Room service
attendant hung
around far too long
when serving our
snack. I got the
distinct impression
he was waiting for a
tip but after
waitning 40 minutes
it was not to be...
1f) Housekeeping
staff gained maximum
points in all areas.
A request for extra
pillows was dealt
with immediately. A
passing member of
the housekeeping
staff saved us from
being trapped in the
lift. All were
friendly and
cheerful when
greeted on the
corridor. They
appeared to be
efficient and busy
at all times. I
observed one lady
attempting to carry
a heavy pile of
linen down a flight
of stairs. Her view
was restricted by
the load and I felt
this may have been a
health and safety
risk.
1g) The reception
area of ***** is
spacious both inside
and outside the
counter. Every time
I passed there
seemed to be four or
more staff behind
the desk. Yet if I
had a query I felt I
was a nuisance,
interrupting their
busy schedule.
1h) Management were
invisible.
Food:
2a)Buffet breakfast
may be ideal in
terms of staff
convenience but at
10.15am it is not a
pretty sight. Meats
were dried under the
warming lamps but
below a suitable
temperature for
eating. The sausages
were below 64
degrees, recommended
by HA. The toast was
cold. Tables were
dirty and service
was atrocious. This
meal was the most
negative influence
on my stay in *****.
2b)The early-bird
evening meal was
taken in deference
to a later time as
families tend to
veer towards
reasonable prices.
Meals were
well-presented and
adequately cooked
basic fare. The
children were
content with the
children’s menu
selection but
nothing excited them
either. It was
enjoyable but not
particularly worthy
of praise.
2c)Room service menu
was short but also
varied. The Toasted
Special was well
presented and tasty.
If not for the slow
service (40 mins) it
would have been
perfect.
Ambience:
***** façade is
imposing. Its
towering height on a
narrow street
contributes to this.
The main entrance
lobby maintains this
theme with its
spaciousness and
elegant chandeliers.
It has an old world
feel about it that
dwindles as one
delves in further.
By check-out time it
just felt old.
Internal signposting
is erratic. I had
difficulty locating
my bedroom. During
my stay I directed
three business
clients who were
searching for a
conference room. Our
bedroom (internal)
had a large seascape
mural painted on one
curtained wall. As a
replacement for a
window it was a
forward-thinking
idea but does not
compensate for a
view and fresh air.
I noted several
graffiti marks
(swimmers shouting
for help etc) had
been drawn by
previous guests.
The bar was quiet
and sadly lacking
any atmosphere. Loud
television is not
conducive to a
lounge bar unless by
guest request. A
juke box was
available but its
sound was
overpowered by the
TV. Drink prices
were very reasonable
for a city centre
hotel.
Hygiene:
Hygiene at ***** was
excellent in all
areas except the
leisure centre. One
mattress in the
bedroom was stained
in a minor way.
There was a mattress
protector covering
this but it does not
rectify the problem.
The gym equipment
had a distinctly
second-hand look
about it, maybe from
over-use. Many items
need replacing if
they cannot be
cleaned to
satisfaction,
particularly the
exercise bikes. The
leisure centre
reception area was
very untidy.
I found chewing gum
under more than one
table in the bar.
Leisure centre:
Some of the
wallpaper at the
entrance is torn and
tatty looking. The
reception area is
cluttered and
narrow. The leisure
centre felt more
like a boxers gym
than a hotel
facility. I felt
uncomfortable
(without prejudice)
being surrounded by
a large group of
youths and left
within 15 minutes.
The gym equipment
has seen better days
and the floor
covering needs
replacing. Pool
area, jacuzzi and
changing rooms were
acceptable.
Child friendliness:
Two children stayed
overnight in the
hotel, a girl aged
11 and a boy aged
15. They were
looking forward to
some shopping in the
city and using the
hotel swimming pool,
which they had
viewed on the
hotel’s website.
After check-in we
shopped until
closing time and
decided to swim
before dinner.
However, we were
turned away as
children are not
allowed in the pool
after 6pm, even
though the pool was
empty at the time.
If we had been
informed at
reception on arrival
of this rule it
would have been
partly forgivable.
When one child was
sent to reception to
ask for tourist
information he was
fobbed off with a
pointed finger to a
pile of brochures on
a nearby table. His
specific question
was not answered.
Overall
impressions and
conclusion
I would not
recommend this hotel
to a friend. My
lasting impression
is one of
nonchalance on the
part of staff. They
were often unhelpful
and unwelcoming
(with the exception
of housekeeping and
one barman). *****
is not geared for
children. They were
disappointed with
the pool size and
availability, and
were largely ignored
by staff. Breakfast
at ***** should only
be tolerated once!
Suggestions:
1. A complete
overhaul of
breakfast.
2. Repair the lift.
3. Check and
clean/replace
stained mattresses.
4.Improve staff
attitudes. What can
you do to make them
look happy and
obliging? Do you
have any incentive
schemes, or staff
suggestion or
feedback forums? Are
your lower-rung
staff made to feel
inclusive in the day
to day running of
*****?
5. Retrain reception
staff. They need to
be nice.
A dedicated on-duty
receptionist with
tourist knowledge
would be feasible in
a hotel of this
size.
6.Improve foreign
staff language
skills.
7.Do not mislead
families with pool
size and swim times
for children.
Training
Recommendations:
1. Frontline
Management -
Supervisors
2. Customer Service
Training - Reception
& Breakfast Staff
3. Communication
Skills
|
