Hockley Valley Resort - Golf, Spa and Ski — Hotel in Mono

TLDR: Weren't provided enough rooms because of over booking, incompetent wedding planner that refused to work weekends, rehearsal dinner in a boiling hot room, staff wouldn't set everything up unless you called them out, reception area smelled like sewage and staff refused to fix the problem. Overall, DO NOT HAVE YOUR WEDDING HERE!

I recently had the misfortune of hosting my wedding at Hockley Valley, and I must say that it was an absolute nightmare I wouldn't wish this experience on my worst enemy, and I strongly advise any engaged couples to steer clear of this venue.

The issues began with reserving hotel rooms for our guests. We told them at the time of booking Hockley for our wedding that all of our guests would be coming from out of town and that we would need approximately 20 rooms. They said this shouldn't be a problem but told us to fill up 8 rooms first and then they would give us more. We quickly filled the 8 rooms and asked for more only for them to come back and say that they booked another wedding and a conference on the same day so there were no more rooms available. We were forced to get rooms at hotels as far away as Bolton and pay extra to shuttle guests from these hotels to Hockley. THEN, two weeks before the wedding Hockley decided to tell us ONLY BECAUSE WE ASKED, that there isn't another wedding on the same night and rooms were available. But no one bothered to let us know.

To make matters worse, our new wedding planner had her own personal wedding planning business outside of Hockley Valley which she did Fridays to Sundays, meaning that she did not work with Hockley Valley on the weekends.... when most weddings occur. It's mind-boggling that Hockley hired someone that would choose not to be available on the busiest days for weddings. Consequently, this meant that she was absent on the day of our wedding, leaving us stranded and unsupported.

The rehearsal dinner was quite a disaster as well. We were forced to endure sweltering heat in a room that felt like a sauna. The lack of air conditioning was not only uncomfortable for us but also for our guests, who were left sweating throughout the entire event. It was incredibly disappointing that the venue couldn't even provide basic comfort for such an important pre-wedding gathering.

Furthermore, it was shocking how the venue continuously neglected their responsibilities. We had to repeatedly ask the staff to set up crucial items for the ceremony which they were clearly responsible for and our wedding planner should have organized but without her there to guide the staff when things went wrong, my fiancé and I were forced to constantly check on the ceremony space to make sure things were set up properly. Their lack of attention to detail and consistent negligence only added unnecessary stress and frustration to an already chaotic day.

But the WORST problem of them all was the reception hall which was plagued by a repugnant sewage smell that permeated the entire space. As my family was setting up the space they noticed this horrendous smell and alerted the Hockley staff. Finally after asking someone to come speak with them twice, a representative finally came down only to say "this is a problem we've been having" and proceeded to tell my family that there was nothing they were going to do. Only after telling them that it's absolutely unacceptable that they do nothing, they offered to try and fix the issue by bringing in 1 fan to try and rid the space of the smell. Given that the smell was quite strong across the entire floor, it was clear this was not a sufficient solution and because Hockley refused to do anything else, my family was forced to go into town to buy scented plug ins to place around the reception area. Their blatant disregard for our concerns was utterly disgraceful.

My wedding experience at Hockley Valley was a complete disaster. Save yourself the heartache and find a venue that actually cares about making your wedding day special. Hockley Valley falls far short of the mark, and I cannot in good conscience recommend...

Hockley has been a getaway destination for my girls weekends for about 7 years or so. I was there this past weekend and things have definitely changed. The original room that we booked was a two queen bed. After our spa services we were able to check in and upon entering our room, we immediately noticed that the standard of rooms have significantly declined. In my opinion, It kind of just looked like a random room where they threw in a couple beds, slapped a TV on the wall along with some lamps in order to make some extra income. The TV cords were hanging out from the wall which looked incredibly sloppy while there was water damage Along that same wall. Around the toilet in the bathroom looks like it had not been cleaned. The concierge had sent us a text shortly after we got into our room and I let him know that we were pretty disappointed in the room that they thought was acceptable for occupancy. He was incredibly helpful and immediately moved us to a different room. The room we were put in is considered a premiere room. Upon entering, it was noticeably better than the first one. However, once we moved our things in and got settled in before dinner, we started to notice all the things wrong with the room. The room needs to be repainted… There’s lots of paint chips And scuff marks on the walls and furniture, including the Ottoman where the leather is noticeably wearing off. The curtains for the windows are way too long and drag on the floor… The loops at the top had gone through one of the corner hardware pieces, so you could not fully open up the curtains . They were also noticeably dirty. There was dust everywhere in the room and looked like the lampshades hadn’t been cleaned in quite some time. Although I’m aware that we were not supposed to be in this room, so may be why all of these things were not up to standard. However, I’m assuming, since it was readily available to move us into, it should’ve been up to standard in cleanliness.

To add a couple things that have not changed at this hotel, which we were very happy with is the quality of food is still phenomenal. The spa services that we received were also fantastic and the spa staff were really great although we had some issues with our invoice as my friend had purchased a pair of earrings in the spa and paid for them there. When we went to check out the next day, these earrings were on our invoice and it took about 45 minutes of us going up and down from the spa to get the earrings removed from the invoice. This was just annoying as we all have children at home and Another hiccup on top of what was supposed to be a very relaxing girls getaway.

The service at the bar was subpar. When we sat down after dinner to grab a nightcap, the bartender acknowledged us and gave us a menu, although he was not very warm or friendly, which is something we are not used to at that lounge bar. After about 10 minutes, the restaurant manager noticed us still sitting there and asked us if we had been helped yet and we explained that we were waiting to put an order through. he was able to find another staff member to come and help us. Eventually we got our drinks and when we were done, we also had to find another staff member that just happened to be at the bar to get our bill. The other staff kind of seemed annoyed that we were there and that they needed to help us when it wasn’t their job. It just felt awkward.

All in all this resort really needs a facelift. Also, the service is really slipping and it was really sad to witness as this resort was really amazing. The one thing I really loved about this place was how fantastic the service was in the past from beginning to end. Again the gentleman who helped us with our room was extremely accommodating and friendly, but aside from that and the restaurant manager, it was just odd interactions all around where the staff seemed annoyed at guests...

This review is about Hockley Valley Resort and the ski class that was supposed to start on January 7th, 2024. We signed up our daughter, and, concerned about the distance, we contacted them a few days before to ask about the session and refund options. The person we spoke to was not very helpful and even said, "You can participate or not come at all," which seemed odd. She didn't mention any changes to the January 7th classes or provide alternative ways to get updates.

We were excited about the ski class and hotel stay, but when we arrived at the hotel around 7 pm, we were told there would be no class the next day due to a lack of snow. We thought about canceling our hotel stay, but since it was past 4 pm, the hotel considered us checked in and wouldn't refund us. We later found an email in our junk folder from January 2nd, stating the classes were postponed. We did not recieve anything over the phone or by text message.

Despite the disappointment, we decided not to upset the kids , and asked for the manager's contact. The next morning, we expressed our frustration about the lack of communication and tried to understand why other methods like texts or calls weren't used to avoid mistakes given the possibility that emails may end up going to junk folder. We suggested this could have helped us rebook the hotel on the right time. Instead, we were given a "take it or leave it" option. I have to add that Both kids ended up getting pink eyes after swimming in the pool the day after we left the hotel.

I advise parents to consider other places for ski classes if they want better customer care. Personally, based on our experience, I won't let my daughter participate in their classes. How a business treats its customers reflects on how they might handle situations involving children especially with any activity with risk of injury.

PS: Director of alpine activities and Alpine & Recreational Services Administrator were as unhelpful as the phone representative. not happy at all

Expect fake 5 star reviews after this post!

Response to your comments : I wanted to again share some feedback regarding our recent communication and experience.

Firstly, I'd like to bring to your attention that your email ended up in our junk mail, and we only discovered it on the day of our arrival when we were informed by concierge in the hotel. We searched for the email and found it in our junk folder. it was unfortunately too late. It's worth noting that emails, especially for first-time participants, can sometimes end up in junk folders. Many hotels, including yours, use additional communication methods such as text messages to ensure important information reaches guests promptly and avoids any inconvenience.

Regarding your other points, it's crucial to emphasize that the staff involved in your activities, particularly those working with children, are known to the public. This transparency is essential, as people entrust their kids and themselves to these individuals. Mentioning that two staff members "were not helpful" is not intended as a threat but rather a genuine concern.

Despite this I removed staff names from my review so you do not feel threatend by a feedback.

This specific response to our concerns has reinforced our family's decision not to allow our child to attend the classes. I encourage you to consider alternative communication methods to ensure important information reaches participants, especially first-timers. This way, unnecessary loss of time and money...