Vine Hotel by Marston's Inns

* The location, hotel, and twin room. * Tea making facility and water bottles in the room. * Our complaints were resolved with a no-quibble compensation. * The potentially EXCELLENT hotel.

Writing a poor review for a potentially strong venue - your visit should go better: *It could be so much better with "customer-focussed" process design. PLAN: create a regular training plan; engage staff with processes; TEST processes from a guest point of view. * (Unusually) NO hygiene products in the room's bathroom. Not even handsoap! PLAN: hotel contract and staffing are not my concern at £70 p.n. Send staff to the supermarket. * Room was warm on a warm night - open window allows street noise. PLAN: invest in a small room aircon unit. * Hotel workmen with power tools under our window at 8 am. PLAN works for after check-out: * Breakfast menu not offered before ordering. (It was at the table after our order was made at the bar). PLAN: seat guests before taking an order. We are GUESTS - not cafe covers. * Breakfast order was taken with toast - then, "go toast your own". PLAN: Do not take toast order or, provide toast as ordered, or invite guests to toast IN GOOD TIME breakfast arrives, else we are toasting while breakfast goes cold. * Toast fire resulted in no more toast. No resolution offered. PLAN for disaster. I missed having toast that I felt I had paid for in optional breakfast order. * Tea arrived in cups then, "go get your own milk". On small plates (not saucers) so difficult to carry to the counter. PLAN: Provide pots, saucers, teaspoons, and milk jug; deliver on a tray: minimise client journeys to counter when ordering the optional breakfast. * Side plates were the small "saucers" above - too small to manage toast. PLAN: provide USABLE sideplates.