Grandtorquay Reviews 7

Honestly, this has to be one of the worst establishments I’ve visited in a very long time. Avoid at all costs unless you’re actively looking for disappointment. The food was awful, customer service was virtually non-existent, and fights breaking out in the toilets really summed up how poorly the place is run. It’s genuinely hard to understand how they’re still operating.

We unfortunately held our Christmas work do here. Over £1,000 was spent, with food and drinks pre-ordered months in advance—yet almost everything went wrong. After a single complimentary drink (Buck’s Fizz), we were left sitting at a dark table in a room that felt more like a wake than a festive venue.

The event was sold as a three-course meal with a DJ. The starters alone took over an hour and a half to arrive and were some of the saddest looking dishes I’ve ever seen. Drinks that had been pre-ordered for the table completely disappeared. When I asked a waitress where they were, her response was, “I’m busy, you’ll have to ask someone else.” Moments later she asked us to provide a copy of our pre-order so she wouldn’t have to check the system herself.

As for the DJ—he spent the night sat on the floor drinking a 2-litre bottle of Fanta, looking about as enthusiastic as someone attending a funeral.

After nearly another hour with still no drinks and a bar queue of around 20 people, we went searching again. We found the same staff member sitting in the office after previously telling us she was going to sort the issue. When she eventually returned, we were informed that the wine we’d ordered two months earlier “wasn’t available” and asked if we wanted something else.

To make matters worse, a function in the room next door spilled over with heavily intoxicated guests who were intimidating people, eventually resulting in a fight in the toilets.

We finally received our drinks almost two hours after sitting down—after the starters had already arrived. The main course was so bad it’s not even worth describing. When dessert was announced, we decided to leave at 10:30pm rather than endure any more.

Nearly two months later, every follow-up email has been ignored, and phone calls have led nowhere despite repeated promises that someone would be in touch.

A complete embarrassment for a business claiming to operate in hospitality.

Actually first..ive just read the reviews on this so called Grand hotel.
I was astounded how bad it is.;read the xmas lunch scenario 1st.
whats this (originally famous direct sea front grand hotel) 1/2 ☆ Star now.

Now me;..I was searching (i know Torquay like the back of my hand by the way and seen the Grand countless times)..i was interested in booking..
I asked (emailed)through booking.com..btw the breakfast is included..continental/English.. my Q..is it full English included..
.waited 3 days no answer.
Then asked about parking..is parking free..again 3days no answer.
I've stayed in most probably 100 plus hotels in UK and Europe..always got an early reply..well its important as your choosing the most suitable hotel for you.
So obviously i never booked
This appears to be a hotel with problems..There's so.many hotels struggling in Torquay and throughout the country..yet their prices are 'ludicrously high for mid week' and obviously the service doesn't match either.
Get your acts together or face the facts.

We booked a table of 8 for a Christmas day meal with family (£110 per head) - this hotel is supposed to be "the best" - to be honest, if that is the case, I'd hate to see the worst!

Arrived in good time for the first sitting, and people were milling around in the foyer near the bar with little co-ordination.

When the doors opened we were seated at the back of the restaurant which suited us as we had two family members in wheelchairs which meant that they were less likely to be bumped. We were offered a glass of sparkling wine, only two of us were drinking so we asked for orange juice or lemonade and we were given one carafe of each which was appreciated... Then it began to go downhill.

The "amuse bouche" arrived we asked if this was gluten free for one of our family (we had specified this at the time of booking) so the waitress said she'd check and took it away... Never to be seen again. We waited a considerable time before we saw another member of staff who came to clear our plates and were able to ask them what had happened, before they came back with a gluten free bread roll as the "amuse bouche" wasn't gluten free!

We were just left and our youngest member was becoming distressed by being so hungry and an hour after we'd arrived we had to go and ask for her food (a burger) which turned up but had things on her plate which we'd specified that she couldn't eat, but we picked it off her plate. We had emptied the carafes whilst waiting and asked for the wine waiter to order some drinks, and waited, and waited. I gave up and went to the bar to get two beers and a bottle of water (no tray offered, so ended up with the bottle in my pocket and three glasses balancing)

The soup turned up and was polished off quickly as we were hungry. We then waited watching the waiting staff wandering around holding plates of food aimlessly.

Our meals turned up at 3pm - two hours after being seated. There were inconsistencies with the plates, some had parsnips, some had pigs in blankets with a pureed swede which was overcooked, with Brussels sprouts that
were undercooked and accompanied with tiny roast potatoes that weren't crispy and hard in the middle to the point that they were inedible. There was no confirmation from the waiting staff that the food they put down was gluten free for our coeliac family member - so I'd be extremely wary if anybody visiting has an allergy or intolerance.

We asked to speak to the manager as both the food and service were to put it politely abysmal - his response was that he'd give a free bottle of prosecco if we came again! He had absolutely no idea of how the Christmas meal had been ruined, all he needed was to apologise and make sure that waiting staff paid enough attention (the empty beer glasses and carafes were left on the table).

The wine waiter still hadn't turned up, so it necessitated another trip to the bar.

The desserts arrived (in stages) and there were no knives for the cheeseboard, fortunately the table hadn't been cleared properly so one knife was still there, and I asked the "restaurant manager" for a knife.... Surprise, surprise this didn't appear either, so I used the small Swiss army knife kept to carry out repairs to the wheelchair so I could eat, when she saw this, she finally brought me a knife.

The other diners for the "second sitting" were told that they couldn't enter as the other guests hadn't left (no mention that the appalling level of service was responsible for the delay).

A waitress came over and said that there was "self service coffee & petit fours" - no petit fours and to be fair, I'd had enough of this farce and left.

NEVER AGAIN

Having attempted to liaise with Guest Relations over the last few months, and to get some kind of monetary refund for the horrible experience we had at the so called Grand Hotel, I was finally offered one nights bed and breakfast for two. No thanks.
We had really looked forward to our seven night holiday, and felt that paying a premium for the facilities and location would be worth it. (This included paying £30 per night for our daughters dog, excessive, but the nightly dining option meant we did not have to go elsewhere each night with a dog and a baby. ) We knew this meant eating in the Compass lounge, but we were categorically told that the menu and experience would be the same as the award winning restaurant. Better even, as there was a lovely sea view. This was the only part of the sales pitch which was true! Service was non existent, and the bar staff, who apparently seemed unaware this was their responsibility, ignored any attempt to catch their attention, leaving us, and other customers to go to the bar to ask for a menu, to be served, have tables cleared, etc. We were lucky to finish a 3 course meal before the kitchen closed at 9 pm! We made complaints, along with others, at the desk the following day. We were told it was being dealt with and managers were liaising. Nothing changed, and we did keep asking why not. The only night we had a decent meal/service was when I, out of desperation, went to the restaurant and told them what had been happening. As there was a wedding going on and the bar was packed, I despaired that we would ever get fed. The lovely woman in charge immediately swung into action. The table was cleaned, cutlery and glasses were laid properly and her waitress was totally professional. She then proceeded to do this for our fellow diners, who were as astonished as we were, that at last we were being treated as proper guests in a 4 star hotel, and not the local greasy spoon. This was of course for one night only. Sadly this was not our only disappointment. The outdoor pool was one of the major factors in choosing this hotel. However, what was not expected was the fact that the pool was inundated with "day guests" who started to arrive with buggies and trolley cases to snap up loungers before staying/paying guests had even finished breakfast.It was like being on one of the Costas where you have to get up at the crack of dawn to put a towel on the bed, only in this case the invaders came from outside of the premises. It was also noted that many just marched through reception without paying, grabbed the loungers, then waited until they were asked if they had a wristband. Some of the men blatantly challenged the employee who was checking , as to what he would do about it! The children were mainly left to their own devices. Jumping, splashing, throwing balls, running around, and being a total nuisance to the residents, who had probably, like me, expected a totally different kind of experience. Grand it was not! Again, we and others, complained at the desk, but the receptionist said it was impossible to police the people who just marched through without paying. These were my main issues sent to Guest Relations, who I was told to contact via email, when I asked for a discount before paying our final bill on leaving. I really felt these should be sufficient without sounding like someone who finds fault with everything. Of course, they are now saying they have a change of management. Totally irrelevant as far as I am concerned, we paid a lot of money for a very unpleasant time. I will also now add that breakfast is definitely not up to par. They do have some wonderful, old school, staff, who do their best to keep things running, but the food is basic at best, and the choice is very limited and at times insufficient for the number of guests. I also made the mistake of ordering a Brixham crab salad for lunch on our first day, a bit of a treat I thought, The tiniest sprinkling of crab on what looked like a tipped out bag of green salad, was not what I had in mind. Also note that if you book a room with one of the balconies, which seemed a lovely idea, that some of them, you have to climb out of the window to get onto and some are shared with another room. Balcony furniture is provided so this is not some foolish personal decision. A guest in our neighbouring room tripped over his windowsill and landed in front of me at the edge of the balcony. My husband gave up on the idea after he gashed his leg on a fitment. Like so many British hotels, this one could do with some refreshing, but these things can be overlooked if you feel you are getting what you pay for. It also felt right to support an independent group. We had previously had a shorter break at Abbey Sands, and had a good experience, hence we felt it was perhaps a "brand" we could trust, and sadly I chose it over the Imperial.

We have recently returned from a two night, pre-paid stay with our grandchildren at the Grand Hotel in room 111.
We arrived earlier than expected and thought it might be worth asking if our room was ready. A simple and polite request, acknowledging that we were aware of check in time, was answered by your receptionist rather discourteously. Quote “check in time is 3pm, your room is not ready”. There was no offer to leave our luggage or use of the hotel facilities.
We returned to the hotel at 3pm and booked in. We were then told by the same receptionist that we had to pay £50 up front payment as a holding charge for any purchases within the hotel. She explained that any balance due back to us would be refunded within 5 to 7 working days!
As you are no doubt aware this was not how it worked and the day after we left the correct expenditure i.e. £21.90 was debited from our account.
We made our way to our room only to find someone else’s luggage still there although the room was serviced. We attempted to ring down to reception but the phone didn’t work. Fortunately a member of staff was in the corridor and 10 minutes later it was removed.
Our grandchildren then wanted to go swimming so having checked out that two pools we collected our towels from reception. Once in the changing room we then discover a sign indicating locker keys can be collected from the spa. The spa staff advised that now you have to collect them from reception. I fail to understand why reception didn’t mention that fact when we collected the towels. So back up to reception again and then asked to pay £10 for a key, a new rule apparently instigated on that day! As far as we were concerned you already had £50 of ours, as per instructions from your receptionist earlier, so why were we being asked for a further £10? At that point another staff member stepped in and we were given a key without having to pay.
Our booking was as a result of a special deal found on line which was for a family room on a bed and breakfast basis only. However on day one of our visit we were told by a member of staff quite by chance that children eat free. Apparently it was a new offer and although we felt our deal didn’t include free meals she said she would check it out and come back to us. She did exactly that and advised the children eat free. We had specifically phoned the hotel prior to our stay to find out if children had free meals and were told no.
It would appear that there is a constant theme of your staff not knowing how things are run at the hotel.
During our stay we ordered a pizza from the bar area and on the menu it stated it included a free drink. The menu did not stipulate any specific drinks and when we requested a rum and coke we were informed that it was restricted to any wine, lemonade, coke or beer only and that we had to pay 5p for the drink, why? We refused to pay and therefore had to decline the drink.
We have stayed at the Grand Hotel several times before, each visit being thoroughly enjoyable. Not quite so in this occasion.

We have just returned from a 4 night break to the Grand hotel, torquay. We were transferred there a week before as the hotel we booked wasn't going to be open. We were celebrating our silver wedding anniversary while there and the grand hotel made our stay very special. All of the staff were very helpful and made our stay extra special with flowers and champagne. A big thank you also to Tracy (Bar Manager) who was very kind to us throughout our stay and looked after us going above and beyond. We would highly recommend The Grand.

Just returned from Christmas lunch at the Grande Hotel, Torquay where the service was so poor and the food so bland. I was losing the will to live after waiting 1hr 45min for our main course which arrived (after complaining) looking like a school dinner. At £95 per head on arrival we expected to be welcomed even as non-residents and shown a drinks menu to start. We were not alone other customers suffered the same fate so expect more of the same. We really hope this prominent resort facility will return to it's former good standard that we have come to expect on our regular trips to Torquay. Come on Torquay you can do so much better!