I stayed at the Abbey overnight last week and had some great experiences and one very frustrating experience which wasn't even completely their fault.
The good: Really nice facility and the staff (Jeff at the front desk in particular) knocked themselves out to help with problem solving. I had also called the hotel directly to make my reservation and requested the quietest room possible because I had to get up at 4 a.m. for a 6 a.m. flight. They were true to their word and gave me a room ( I upgraded to a suite and highly recommend it) in a quiet building with few other guests near me. I had very quiet sleep but didn't get to try the breakfast buffet as I had to leave before it started. It sounded very good.
The issue with the shuttle is that I specifically booked at a hotel that listed "airport shuttle" because I knew I would have no rental car after I returned it to the airport. So I needed a ride back from the airport to the hotel, and then from the hotel to the airport at 4:30 a.m. Every other hotel I've ever stayed at that says they have a shuttle has their own vehicle for transporting guests to and from the airport, free of charge. When I got to the hotel, I found out that, due to the recent re-location of the airport farther out of town, they utilize a transport service and the cost was $15 for a scheduled flight pick up and $25 for a "specialty" pick up. I wasn't prepared for this additional expense, or for having to work with the transport company's pick-up schedule. Also, the person Jeff was working with to set up my rides seemed to have a great deal of difficulty handling the whole process.
HERE'S WHAT THE HOTEL DID TO TRY TO HELP (very cool): First, they offered to take the cost of one shuttle trip ($15) off my bill for my trouble. Then, after the transport company was so difficult to deal with and wanted $25 to take me back to the hotel after dropping off my rental car, the hotel manager just came out and picked me up. THAT'S customer service. I still had to pay for a shuttle out to the airport the next morning but I was prepared for that.
Based on this experience, I have two suggestions for the BW Abbey: First, just use your van to drive guests to and from the airport like you used to. It's really not that far away (20 minutes) and it's a nice service. If not, please indicate on your website that airport shuttles are provided for an extra cost.
Other than that little snarl, I'd highly recommend the place!
- Best Western St George
- Best Western Abbey Hotel
- Best Western St. George
- St. George Best Western
