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Review content:
We booked this for a romantic getaway but found it nothing of the sort, not even relaxing...to the contrary. as another reviewer said it best ""looking for old world charm, found thrift-qality disservice and looks"". the place is literally dilapidated, w/our ""french"" room located in a narrow maze up a shaky stairwell, with holes on the floor, a bad accent of minimal pseudo-french decor (read: plastic stained windows and a copy of a copy of a poster), shoddy plumbing, and not much privacy (not much insulation, creaky and stained bed-ware, and staff intrusiveness, twice entering w/out forewarning or permission to provide 'surprise' welcome candy). None of the accommodations actually overlooked Lake Wales; and the 'pool' was smack open next to the front office, also next to the dining lounge!
Biting the bullet and the expectations, despite the price (more expensive rooms than at The Standard in N Miami or The Hard Rock), we had nonetheless booked reservations, going for the full experience, at the 'renowned' restaurant. Talk about a joke...we had an 'option' of 6 main all-meat courses (even Olive Garden has a vegetarian menu, never mind gluten free), w/only one salad as purely meat free. Did we mention the spider webs? The server's response was that the emphasis was on the 30-people party in another area of the restaurant; so, when we reluctantly asked for ANYTHING vegetarian, the chef suggested stuffed eggplant to our surprise. We both agreed on this delightfully described alternative only to find that the chef could actually accommodate just one portion, b/c of said larger party. Again, we gave in, agreeing to one stuffed eggplant and that one salad, finding our again to our dismay that the eggplant must have gone bad (or perhaps just really needed for the larger party). Did we mention that the main course prices ranged from $42 to $67? And we were willing to pay for that, and a five course meal even, but not when we weren't even offered an apology...nor a grilled cheese sandwich.
We naturally left (at 8pm, when in Lake Wales almost everything else closes between 7pm and 9pm; this out and about in the middle of nowhere, on our anniversary), much disappointed that despite the website assurances of the perfect getaway (was our anniversary, and the administration was aware). The owner, whom we asked to speak with, over the phone (b/c apparently was joining a conference at 8pm on Saturday?!), very non-chalantly, allayed our concerns to nothing more of our own overbearing expectations (yeah, right, city slickers), sticking up for the chef and front desk that not only had they done nothing wrong, that they didn't think anything was appropriate for them to offer, even had we asked...not sure where or when this is service (forget 'good' service).
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