Reviews of Gunton Hall Classic Resort, Lowestoft
Review by jackie currell on 6th November, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 24-28/08/09
It was my 4th break to Gunton hall. Went with a friend and we had single chalets next to each other. They were ok but could do with some refurbishment, carpet worn out. All the food we had was excellent (plenty of it and large choice) and so was the service. We took part in a few of the daytime activities, although there was not many of us. The swimming pool was ok, fairly quiet. One lunchtime there was a barbecue with one of the team singing which was really nice and relaxing. We enjoyed the entertainment, although most of it geared for the senior people. All the staff were very pleasant. The break was good value for money and would go again.
Review by Mr R Neilson on 24th October, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 21 - 23 october 2009
I have just returned from a short break with Warner hotels and I feel sufficiently motivated to write this letter to you to express my opinion of your Gunton Hall Resort at Lowestoft.
I feel so aggrieved at the place I could not bring my self to simply fill in the questionnaire as this falls way short to express my self fully
From arriving at the place and not being met by any one just a notice directing you to the car park and then having to walk to the reception in the rain was not a good start
The reception staff was unhelpful in her attitude she was neither smart nor pleasant, had no smile more of a scowl and she said she was new and therefore whilst she tried to direct us to our chalet the map was not very clear. There was no help with any explanation as to how we should get our bags or clothes to the chalet without getting them wet in the rain or help with even carrying them!
We found our chalet and opened up to a clean but very tired looking room the decor was awful and the wardrobes were made out of cheap plywood with what could be described as a white washed knotty pine effect resembling Butlins in the 50’s with two extra other pieces of furniture all of different colour woods
The mattress I had was old and worn I could feel the solid wood base through the mattress however the sheets were clean and well presented
When we went for evening dinner at 6 30 pm into the dinning room we passed a corridor lined with hooks like you would expect to find in a kindergarten school (but at least the row’s and row’s of hooks did not have the little animals or name tags on them). Instead on the hooks were dozens of fleeces, caps and multi coloured anoraks of every shape and size giving the place an atmosphere of entering a class room not a bit like the atmosphere I expected from how you portray in your brochure
The dinning room was well laid out, clean and the staff were pleasant and smiling to greet you once you took your seat - for your information I was at table 52
The waitress was extremely pleasant smart and very helpful and we looked at the menu
I was shocked, amazed and disgusted at the offer of bacon egg and chips to be served to my table for an evening meal!!!!!!! Or the alternative of poached fish and egg!!!!!!
I immediately complained and was told there was an alternative on the menu if I cared to wait in a queue ( caused by having only one hour to feed the entire resort from 6 30 till
7 30). How stupid to say the least again to be treated like Butlins or kids at meal times this was both an insult to ones actual needs if we was to wish to take our time with our food also add the fact that in these queues the average age was well over 70 then it took ages and ages to get served ! And I for one was not going to be humiliated in waiting in line! So I demanded to be served at the table, which your supervisor did under duress admittetedly with a forced smile
The food we were offered from the carvery, bearing in mind I have never in all my life been offered at any eating establishment bacon egg and chips as a evening dinner and as a matter of principle I was not going to accept this from your kitchen staff!
The food when it came was disgusting!
Starter
Pâté was offered as starter which came with a minute piece of bread and a piece of pâté which I ate on its own , the thin ring of juice a dark drizzle around the edge which again I suspected was from some bottle bought from the local supermarket
The main course
The peas and carrots were from a tin and practically cold and tasteless the baked potatoes were dry having been cooked in an oven far too long the skins were rock hard and the potato inside had collapsed and left this shell of crisp husk totally inedible the lamb was dry which having just been cut from off the joint was amazing it was so over cooked the apple sauce was cut into half inch cubes and they were crispy again how can any chef worth his salt get apple sauce over cooked! And crispy for goodness sake and to top it all the gravy (I will not call it sauce) was out of a packet a thin tasteless warm liquid covering the whole meal!
I picked and poked at it and consumed very little
I was asked if I enjoyed the meal and told the staff my feelings exactly
I ordered desserts
I chose sticky toffee pud!
Again bought in from the local shop! With a stodgy mess and brown toffee sauce resembling more treacle than toffee obviously steamed and emptied out on to the dish
I ate half! It was enough!
I spoke to the supervisor and complained bitterly saying the whole meal from start to finish was a shambles; regards quality and presentation I was told that your organization knew about the problem and was starting a new chef on this Monday as if that should have been an explanation for the disaster I was presented with an attitude of (sorry we know we have a problem we have dealt with it we have set on a new chef you was the unlucky one and booked your holiday too soon come back next week we will be better then) !!!!!!!
I did not accept that as an excuse and still don’t! You have a responsibility to present a standard of food to your customers and this was totally all unacceptable. The rest of your kitchen staff should be of a standard capable of cooking food correctly!
The breakfast we had the next morning was a full English and I picked and poked with that also the best comment I could say was way worse the average! My wife and I called at a little chef on the way down to your resort and the food was far superior to what was offered from your kitchen!
Thursday dinner!!!
Starter
Again I had the pâté but I asked for and was given extra bread this was much better the taste was much better and smoother the best part of the whole food experience over the two days
Mains
All three of us laughed at the choice offered to be delivered to the table this evening!
Fish and chips!!!!!!!
Our comment across the table was that the kitchen staff do not have a clue as to what they are doing! To even think of putting this on a menu in any resort that wanted to be considered as competent let alone wishing to encourage people to return.
The other dish on offer was chicken with parsnips and baked potatoes
Which I ordered and waited with baited breath bearing in mind on Wednesday offering
When it arrived again the same cremated baked potatoes that was a wizened skins lying helpless and defiantly dead on the plate they were accompanied by three husks of dried skins of parsnips that when lifted and I tried to bend with my fingers they snapped at the end like dried twigs! And believe me when I say this is the god’s honest truth! The inside of this was a white modge! Which I tasted and I honestly could not have recognized it was supposed to have been parsnips I did not have any more of them I had the chicken which was dry but just edible but completely tasteless
Deserts
I had the jam rolly poly with custard
This dish came and I first tasted the custard and in all my life I have never experienced packet custard which this was to be so tasteless it was not even from a reputable brand your kitchen staff cannot be serious in sending this out as custard
And the jam rolly poly well there was no jam and again like all the rest of your food was from a tin or packet or from the local supermarket
Disaster two! I was so angry at being served this standard of food that I have already paid for. I complained to a member of staff (three of them had congregated at the entrance!) They told me that they had a lot of complaints tonight and all said sorry, not wanting to take my frustration and anger out on your junior staff I looked for the supervisor when I found him he was reading the pile of questionnaires and I told him my feeling on the food being offered
Never in a million years would I have expected the answer he gave me! “We always have complains on Thursdays!!!!!!!” Was his reply!
And then told me they knew of the problem with the food and the new chef was to start on Monday!!!! Does your group head chef have any idea what a complete shambles the kitchen is and the food that is being served at Gunton Hall!!!!
It is an absolutely disgrace!!!! That any organization that is cooking for the public and being paid for the privilege should be allowed to get away with this standard!
Regards to the rest of my experience at Gunton Hall I would make the following comments.
The theatre was seated with canteen chairs again from the 50s the entertainment Wednesday night an Irish comedian was excellent The resident entertainment singing and dance troupe was good on Thursday
So in conclusion
The accommodation was both poor and tired but clean and the decor was taken from Butlins in the 50s
The grounds was unkempt but again walkways swept clean
The reception staff was unhelpful with an attitude of help your self at Gunton Hall was the order of the day and find your own way and carry your own bags and find the trolleys if you struggle and if it rains well just tough luck!
The entertainment was good on Wednesday and fair on Thursday
The pool was under decoration and you were inconvenienced by having to get undressed in your chalet and come in your towels to the pool!
Never tried the rest of the offerings I daren’t !
On Thursday I tried to get into the reception which was blocked with a carpet and cone as was passed by two workmen staff that I must have looked helpless as one said to me sorry mate you can’t come in this way you need to use that entrance and pointed right and went in himself laughing striding over the carpet
In the main bars and lounges the furniture was thread bare and old but clean
The restaurant staff in general were good helpful pleasant and smiling. However the supervisory staff unhelpful, untrained and in view of the problems they face I am not surprised at their attitude and response now to irate and unhappy customers like myself.
Gunton Hall is for the people that don’t know any better about poor food and poor service that don’t complain just accept what is put in front of them with out question far from the brochure you offer which is totally misleading as to the pleasant pictures you show of the customers you say you have there.
Review by Rog on 1st November, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 27 October 2008
I have been to Gunton hall before but it has changed.
My wife and I went there with family who had never been to Warner Holidays before. They said they did not want to go again.
We complained about dirty cutlery and glasses with lipstick still on and whilst things got better they were still not clean.
I had to complain to get my room serviced.
The room heater looked as thoug it had caught fire, knobs were missing from it, in the bathroom there was a huge rusty streak down the tiles in the shower under the grab rail.
Chocolates were suppose to be in our room, one of my party had chocolates missing from their box, clearly showing it was there from the last guests.
They do not want to go again and neither do I.
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