Favorite Parkhotel

“Details matter - we left dissapointed”

Overall we left feeling disappointed. As others have said the location is great (apart from occasional train noise), but the Favorite fails badly on the all important details. We stayed in one of the larger (52 m2) suites over the Xmas break. The view across the park was fabulous but a number of '… more

Overall we left feeling disappointed. As others have said the location is great (apart from occasional train noise), but the Favorite fails badly on the all important details. We stayed in one of the larger (52 m2) suites over the Xmas break. The view across the park was fabulous but a number of 'details' irked us, namely: We were unexpectedly charged 30 Euros to have breakfast delivered to the room. We booked the room with breakfast and room service included so we shouldn't have been charged for this. Moreover, the breakfast checklist sheet in the room did not itemise or clearly indicate that we would be charged additionally for this 'service'. From a customer perspective this policy of 'non-transparency' feels like deception. Also, our room was not cleaned or made up at all on Xmas day, which meant we had stale breakfast food in the room, overflowing waste paper bin (remember Christmas gifts) no clean towels etc. We received no apology or compensation for this oversight, and nor for the over-charging, but rather we were told that the room service we had paid for did not include the breakfast room service (but only the room cleaning). Although we offered a bar voucher in the end, after a lot of complaining (which we obviously couldn't use at 10 am in the morning immediately prior to our departure!). Please note the 'allergy free linen' smells incredibly strongly of ozone, or some other potent chemical disinfectant. I.e. not suitable for those with chemical sensitivity or allergies! There was also a large gap under the door, meaning noise and stale air from the communal corridor can easily enter the room. Also, no clear statement on how the rooms or hotel are ventilated for those trying to avoid uneccessary airborne illnesses. As an aside, it is worth noting that the rooms are by no means sound-proof (despite being advertised as such) and we heard a lot of noise from our neighbours and the corridor (see large gap under door above). Finally, when we went to check out the elevator was not working. So that meant two trips down to the car park with heavy bags from the fouth floor. Again, we received no apology for any of this and the staff were unhelpful/indifferent when we complained about these things. Only at the checkout, when my wife became exasperated and asked to speak to the manager, was the breakfast service charge finally refunded. This hotel appears to be trading on its past 'reputation' but if it continues like this I'm fairly sure it will soon not have one. Details matter, customer experience matters. The Favorite hotel management and staff need to be far more proactive and customer focused if they want to rebuild their reputation and attract repeat custom.

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“Good family owned hotel, but fails in the details”

I know the Favorite Parkhotel for over 20 years. My family and relatives have stayed there a few times over the past years. It’s a family owned hotel where you also have a chance to meet the founder and patriarch on my days by the breakfast area. He is a nice gentleman and you have to respect hi… more

I know the Favorite Parkhotel for over 20 years. My family and relatives have stayed there a few times over the past years. It’s a family owned hotel where you also have a chance to meet the founder and patriarch on my days by the breakfast area. He is a nice gentleman and you have to respect his achievement in making this one of the best known hotels in Mainz. Having said that, the hotel fails in some of the details and improvement is required to compete against the many new modern hotels that you can now find in the city. Specific examples: Firstly, we specifically booked the hotel during the summer heat wave due to the airconditioned rooms. We even called ahead for this and were assured the rooms are sufficiently cool. Turns out the aircon was broken and only blew warm air. Took three days of back and forth to only find out that it cannot be fixed during our stay. No one seems to pass on messages internally so we explained the situation three days in a row. Staff did not seem interested to help, promised follow up was poor, and willingness to find a solution was weak. In the end they put a ventilator in our room and gave us some welcome drink vouchers. I would rather have a comfortable night’s sleep without the window wide open and hearing the trains pass by. Secondly, during the day and especially in the evening it is extremely difficult to get anyone at reception to pick up the phone. We called half a dozen times via internal phone and then via the external phone line until someone picks up. I find this unacceptable for a hotel in this price class. Thirdly, I find some of the service and waiter staff lacking service orientation and basic courtesy. Service is abrupt with cold. If you cannot smile, don’t work in this profession. Fourthly, the hotel grew through multiple expansions and add ons. It looks very nice from the outside and the lobby area has a nice modern and wide open few to it, but overall the hotel corridors and layout is a labyrinth. There are signs with arrows all over the place and I came across elderly couples, families and also a lady in a wheelchair who were lost and couldn’t find reception, the pool or breakfast room. Not ideal. Again, I appreciate family run businesses and the effort required to maintain standards and become a top hotel in Mainz - but the above points are the basics of running a hotel, regardless if two, three or four star. I was a bit disappointed this time around and hope the next generation can live up to the standard the hotel was built on. By background, I am a heavy traveller with up to 100-200 nights per year in hotels, pensions and resorts all over Germany and the world. Hence, I do think I have a good basis and experience to compare hotels.

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“Nothing special”

I stayed here for a conference, unfortunately the agents wouldn't accept my payment from an academic source (which every hotel I've ever been to all over the world does). The person in charge of this was uncaring and basically just said to deal with it. The accommodations are above average. Very n… more

I stayed here for a conference, unfortunately the agents wouldn't accept my payment from an academic source (which every hotel I've ever been to all over the world does). The person in charge of this was uncaring and basically just said to deal with it. The accommodations are above average. Very nice inside the rooms. The location is good. The food is alright. Go somewhere else for a bar though, the prices are pretty high, with no good English menu available.

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