Service with a genuine smile at Hemingways Hotel
My family and I had the opportunity to spend a night at Hemingways Hotel over the weekend, coinciding with Earth Hour on the Saturday evening. The moment we walked through the doors, we received a warm reception and were welcomed by helpful and courteous staff. They were especially attentive to my son, which pleased me immensely, putting him immediately at ease in his new surroundings.
Inspired by the Key West home of famous writer, Ernest Hemingway, the hotel’s interior was elegant, yet stylish and very comfortable, with a relaxed ambience. We were shown to our accommodation for the night, a family room consisting of two incredibly comfortable double beds and a luxury bathroom with a bath and shower facilities. I had to, of course, try out both of these and have to say that the shower stole the show with its enormous showerhead – I didn’t have to turn one inch to get wet, it was like standing beneath a waterfall. In true ‘mum being in a rush to pack’ style, I had forgotten some of the necessary toiletries but the hotel didn’t disappoint, providing complimentary soaps, shampoo and body wash, and even a shower cap, amusing my son enormously, who had never seen one in his life.
Additional facilities in the room included a tea and coffee station, mini refrigerator, hairdryer, flat screen television, electric safe and air conditioning. It was, it has to be said, all we could have asked for, and then some. Our room overlooked the hotel’s outside dining area and the swimming pool, and while the noise level was an initial concern for me at bedtime, the windows and heavy doors actually filtered out any noise there may have been.
After relaxing a while in our sumptuous room and exploring the hotel a little, we headed down to dinner where we were greeted by smiling staff and asked where we would prefer to sit. The dining area was, in keeping with the rest of the hotel’s theme, stylishly and elegantly furnished with a very laidback feel to it. We chose to sit outside by the pool to enjoy the warm evening and were shown to a table located next to the dessert table. I had never met our waiter before but I had a feeling that he already knew me very well… and as if the dessert table wasn’t enough to make everything perfect, the outside seating area was beautiful, with Chinese lanterns hanging everywhere and coloured lights in the pool, giving it an almost Hawaiian feel…
The staff were very attentive and ensured that we were well looked after throughout our dinner. We had the option of choosing our meal from the a la carte menu or the buffet and, after opting for the latter, were delighted that it didn’t disappoint. Everything from delicious salads and soups to calamari and curried chicken was on offer and I had to remind my belly that it wasn’t bigger than my eyes and to leave room for dessert. After much debate, I chose the butter chicken with rice and potatoes and every bite was absolutely heavenly. My partner opted for a little bit of everything on offer and was pleased to report that it was, without a doubt, the best meal he’d had in a very long time. The waiter asked if my son if he would perhaps prefer something in the line of chicken strips and chips, a suggestion that was immediately snapped up, resulting in a very clean plate and one happy little boy. Until he surveyed the dessert table, at which point his happiness turned into absolutely joy, as did Moms…. what a wonderful table, with everything from diet-destroying marshmallows with chocolate fondue to a healthier (but not nearly as much fun) fruit salad. It was all delicious and after sampling a little bit of everything, our tummies were full and our hearts grateful.
After dinner, we went to explore and, after settling my son into Busy Bees crèche opposite the Casino, enjoyed a few drinks on the hotel’s terrace and soaked up the peaceful atmosphere. Once again, the service was wonderful, from bar staff to crèche nannies, everybody was very professional.
An early night followed a busy day, and the incredibly comfortable beds were so very welcoming. We had a peaceful night and, despite switching off the alarm clocks, still got up with the sun to enjoy the chill of the day’s break and, armed with camera, make the most of the hotel being bathed in the beautiful morning light.
After a buffet breakfast of coffee, croissants, muffins and a full English (that was what we ate collectively, not just me, honestly…), we packed up and reluctantly checked out, but not before snapping a few more photographs of the friendly hotel staff, ready with their smiles, despite the early hour!
All that remains to be said is thank you, to the management and staff at Hemingways Hotel, for ensuring that everything about our stay with you was simply perfect… as my son so eloquently put it, “Mom, that hotel was awesome, I had the best time ever!”
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