I made a reservation at GG's Restaurant though "Open Table" for Saturday, February 11 at 7:30 PM. This is supposed to be a first class restaurant.
My wife and I were celebrating a special occasion and really dressed up for it.
We arruved through the hotel lobby through the restaurant double glass doors and waited at the Hostess' Pdium for a good 10 minutes. We tried to get the attention of waiters/waitresses to ask where the hostess was but everyone pretended not to see us.
There was a well dressed elderly man that was making the rounds to the tables with a drink in his hand. He was introducing himself and asking how everything was. I assumed he was the maitre-D when he came over to me. I told him we had a reservation. He said he didn't work to seat people and pointed to the piano and said he worked there. However, at 7:30 PM it was apparent he already had too much to drink.
The hostess (a young short woman in a long dress) came to the podium and after saying the restaurant was very busy (it was 7:30PM and about one-half the tables were empty), she proceeded to seat us 6 feet away from the reception podium. I asked that we be located at a quieter table not in the middle of people coming in. She then tried to seat us in front of the kitchen doors. I asked if we could be seated at the next table and she responded nastily that it was for other people.
I told her we don't need this kind of treatment and we were leaving, she then said very patronizing, where would we like to sit? As we were leaving, she said very purposedly, have a happy Valentine's Day.
I went to speak to the Manager of the Double-Tree Hotel who admitted he was also responsible fo the restaurant. He apologized and siad no one should wait 10 minutes for a table. But as an excuse he added they were very busy. I said how busy can they be with a half-full restaurant and a hostess who is not at the reciving podium for 10 minutes.
Again he apologized. I told him his apology doesn't mean anything, it is her that should apologize. He didn't even go over to the hostess to see if we could be accommodated elsewhere. I had to ask him what he would do about it; he said he would have a word with her.
Yeah, good luck.
I am a Manager of a large international Engineering/Construction firm with offices two miles away. We take clients out to dinner weekly and we have clients form the US, the UK and France on prolonged stays in the area. I would be embarassed if they were treated the way we were traeted Saturday night.
Needless to say, I will be taking the Double-Tree Hotel and GG's Restaurant off our Hospitality list and making sure my friends hear of my experience.
- Doubletree Mt Laurel
- Doubletree Mount Laurel
