My family was thrilled to try Toledo during our recent stay at Gran Destino Tower. We booked club level at Gran Destino with the plan to have breakfast and "dinner" at Chronos Club (the club-level lounge), and a heavy lunch out at our favorite restaurants (Sanaa and Jaleo). The only exception was for the final night of our trip (and my birthday) when I made a reservation for Toledo. I was looking forward to the beautiful new dining room and the Spanish-inspired menu. My family was just in Barcelona this June and we were interested in the translation imagineers developed at Gran Destino Tower.
The food and cocktails were delicious. We ordered a variety of tapas: Valdeon blue cheese, stuffed piquillo peppers, charred octopus over lentils (the octopus was a bit chewy, but the lentils were delicious, romaine salad, patatas braves, Mediterranean broccolini, and an Espumoso Punch. My children enjoyed the BAM burger and the shrimp. Our waiter, Mounir, was attentive and knowledgeable.
We arrived a few moments early and were told that our table was not ready, so I gave my phone number to receive a text when the table was available (which came through at 8:43 a.m. the next day??). My husband heard our name being called and we were quickly whisked past tables in a 1/2 to 2/3 full main dining room to an event room (standard, non-descript hotel event room) adjoining the main dining room. My family of 5 (2 adults, 2 kids, and a toddler) were seated at a 4-top next to the window. There were two other 4-tops seated as well as a party of 14. A large TV was on the wall with the standard homepage for the resort on indicating that this is clearly an event space. I was disappointed to not be seated in the main dining room, but assumed that it was full and I just hadn't made reservations in time so we got put in an overflow room.
After a couple trips to the bathroom during our meal and seeing that there were plenty of 6-tops and 2 and 4 tops that could have easily been converted to accommodate my family, I became incensed that we were seated in an event room. And there were numerous families with small children scattered at tables throughout the main dining room, so there wasn't an intent on managements part to keep children corralled in one area. The photo included was taken one hour after we were seated, the dining room was just as empty when we were seated. There are clearly a multitude of available tables options.
While taking my son to the bathroom, my husband mentioned to the hostess that his wife was deeply disappointed with where we were seated. The manager quickly came to our table with a complimentary dessert. I told her I would find her after our meal was over to convey my concerns. By this time, another family of four was seated in the increasingly loud event space which left me to wonder why this area was used when there were plenty of tables in the main dining room.
With the meal finished, my husband took the children to our room. I spoke to the manager sharing my disappointment, "I chose to dine at Toledo for the menu and the atmosphere, not a generic event room that can be found in any hotel in the U.S." I never requested a specific table, such as fireworks view. The manager told me that if I was unhappy, then I should have said something sooner. I responded that I assumed the restaurant was fully booked, only to discover that it was not when we moved through the dining room to go to the bathroom. She told me:
-the event room is part of the bookable seating area, along with the main dining room;
-customers need to be evenly distributed among servers;
-many customers want a fireworks view so the restaurant seats people near the windows;
-the management wants to create a romantic environment in the main dining room, so there are areas where they avoid seating children.
The manager had no response to my concern about my family being squeezed into a 4-top.
I asked the manager to please convey my disappointment and recommendation that the executive management reconsider seating diners in the event room, unless the diners specifically requested a fireworks view table and none are available in the main dining room (with customers with reservations being told that they will be in an adjoining event room). I left the conversation feeling that the manager was placing blame on me for now speaking up after we had been seated. I was a guest in her "home" and I should not have to ask to be treated in a thoughtful way (I would never invite someone to dinner, then seat them in the family room).
The lesson for me is to speak up early, but I didn't want to make a fuss, or make the waiter feel that we were not happy with him, or move my family after drinks and appetizers had already been delivered to the table. I truly assumed that we would never be sat in an event space unless the restaurant was overbooked. But that was not the case here. I am still so deeply disappointed by the experience.
The food and cocktails were delicious. We ordered a variety of tapas: Valdeon blue cheese, stuffed piquillo peppers, charred octopus over lentils (the octopus was a bit chewy, but the lentils were delicious, romaine salad, patatas braves, Mediterranean broccolini, and an Espumoso Punch. My children enjoyed the BAM burger and the shrimp. Our waiter, Mounir, was attentive and knowledgeable.
We arrived a few moments early and were told that our table was not ready, so I gave my phone number to receive a text when the table was available (which came through at 8:43 a.m. the next day??). My husband heard our name being called and we were quickly whisked past tables in a 1/2 to 2/3 full main dining room to an event room (standard, non-descript hotel event room) adjoining the main dining room. My family of 5 (2 adults, 2 kids, and a toddler) were seated at a 4-top next to the window. There were two other 4-tops seated as well as a party of 14. A large TV was on the wall with the standard homepage for the resort on indicating that this is clearly an event space. I was disappointed to not be seated in the main dining room, but assumed that it was full and I just hadn't made reservations in time so we got put in an overflow room.
After a couple trips to the bathroom during our meal and seeing that there were plenty of 6-tops and 2 and 4 tops that could have easily been converted to accommodate my family, I became incensed that we were seated in an event room. And there were numerous families with small children scattered at tables throughout the main dining room, so there wasn't an intent on managements part to keep children corralled in one area. The photo included was taken one hour after we were seated, the dining room was just as empty when we were seated. There are clearly a multitude of available tables options.
While taking my son to the bathroom, my husband mentioned to the hostess that his wife was deeply disappointed with where we were seated. The manager quickly came to our table with a complimentary dessert. I told her I would find her after our meal was over to convey my concerns. By this time, another family of four was seated in the increasingly loud event space which left me to wonder why this area was used when there were plenty of tables in the main dining room.
With the meal finished, my husband took the children to our room. I spoke to the manager sharing my disappointment, "I chose to dine at Toledo for the menu and the atmosphere, not a generic event room that can be found in any hotel in the U.S." I never requested a specific table, such as fireworks view. The manager told me that if I was unhappy, then I should have said something sooner. I responded that I assumed the restaurant was fully booked, only to discover that it was not when we moved through the dining room to go to the bathroom. She told me:
-the event room is part of the bookable seating area, along with the main dining room;
-customers need to be evenly distributed among servers;
-many customers want a fireworks view so the restaurant seats people near the windows;
-the management wants to create a romantic environment in the main dining room, so there are areas where they avoid seating children.
The manager had no response to my concern about my family being squeezed into a 4-top.
I asked the manager to please convey my disappointment and recommendation that the executive management reconsider seating diners in the event room, unless the diners specifically requested a fireworks view table and none are available in the main dining room (with customers with reservations being told that they will be in an adjoining event room). I left the conversation feeling that the manager was placing blame on me for now speaking up after we had been seated. I was a guest in her "home" and I should not have to ask to be treated in a thoughtful way (I would never invite someone to dinner, then seat them in the family room).
The lesson for me is to speak up early, but I didn't want to make a fuss, or make the waiter feel that we were not happy with him, or move my family after drinks and appetizers had already been delivered to the table. I truly assumed that we would never be sat in an event space unless the restaurant was overbooked. But that was not the case here. I am still so deeply disappointed by the experience.
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