The Abbey Inn & Spa — Hotel in City of Peekskill

As we drove in on Friday evening we could see the Abbey from the Taconic Parkway and we felt a breath of anticipation that this would be our home-away-from-home for the next two days, this majestic landmark peeking above the trees to welcome us. ||As I approached the desk the receptionist was speaking with another guest and without pause or communication about her intention she approached me hurriedly with a thermometer and shoved the digital thermometer into my face. ||This crucial moment of being greeted as a new guest was missed. I was a number, a pandemic incidental to be surveyed, and not a welcomed guest being invited into a gorgeous property, not to mention the sudden physical proximity that in-and-of itself is a vulnerable moment. This was a defining moment that set the tone for the rest of my experience at the Abbey which was, in essence, missed experience after missed experience of not being welcomed, anticipated, or seen. ||After giving my name the receptionist offered zero overview of the property, no information about the services offered at the spa, no hours of operation of the bar and restaurant or query about wanting to make a reservation, or any other hospitable information that would be relevant to our next two days. She did however, note that there was complimentary coffee in the morning that we could “help ourselves to” and “only a continental breakfast for $5.” We were, however, informed that if we wanted to use the fitness room we needed to make a reservation. Also, we were asked if we wanted text communication. I answered, “yes” to this question although I was not offered any indication about what this service entailed. This was the extent of our check-in experience which was indicative of the entire experience of the remainder of our stay.||I then asked if we might have a bellhop cart for our luggage and the receptionist noted that she could get one. A cart was then wheeled out and handed to us. Yes, for $500 a night we were given a cart to put our luggage on and then, with no staff assistance, we wheeled the cart back into the building and found the elevator ourselves, after taking a few wrong turns, and unaccompanied, we found our way to our room. ||The interior of the hotel as we moved through the hallways and into the room have a lack-luster, corporate feel. The brown and beige interior choices neutralize the feeling of the building and one feels like they are inside a chain hotel, not a boutique Inn. Stains on the carpet and a French fry on the floor conveyed further expressions of disregard for the property. (see photo)||I had pre-ordered a bottle of wine upon making my reservation which was on the dresser upon entering the room. However, there was no note, no cocktail napkins under the wine glasses, no small stem glass with a flower, no complimentary package of nuts — all easy things to do which make an upsell even more worth the cost of the bottle. ||No lights were on in the room when we entered, which might have been easily remedied if a staff member had taken the luggage cart and accompanied us to our room. While the view of the room was nice the room had a corporate, sterile feel to it. No accent pillows on the couch or pops of color to brighten and enliven the room. Additionally, if the view is the “value” of the room the interior design of the room would have benefited from moving the door to the end of the hallway so that the bed could face directly across from the windows. ||As we wanted to experience Apropos Restaurant we had made an 8:30pm reservation so that we could attend a family wedding rehearsal event earlier in the evening.||The decor in the restaurant is cold, corporate, and uninviting. Without candles or lanterns on the table, place settings, or linens the restaurant decor is more of a cavern of tables ready for continental breakfasts than a restaurant. We waited for several minutes at the door without anyone greeting us. We then proceeded to walk into the restaurant looking for a host or manager, several staff members walked by us until finally a server asked what we needed. ||There were no place settings at the table, which always feels like a statement of the guest as unanticipated. While we understand that the lack of items on the table likely had to do with COVID-related decisions, there is nothing inviting about being seated to an empty table. When our server arrived at the table she did not offer any menu descriptions at all, nor did she offer any information about 86ed items. When she opened the wine she left the entire metal rim on the bottle with a jagged edge where the wine was poured. When we ordered the artichokes we were informed they were not available. ||After she took our order she came back less than 10 minutes later and asked us if we were ready to order. We looked at her with confusion at which point she said, "Oh, wait I think I got your order already, right? Let me make sure that it's in." While a moment like this may be understandable on a restaurant floor that is slammed with guests, we were seated among the few scattered tables still being served for a late dinner, which made us feel quite unseen. ||No bread service, which is surprising for a "farm-to-table" restaurant. Bread service is cheap and easy to do and has the impact of beginning the meal with thought. Not surprising however as there had already been three moments of the guest being forgotten since entering the restaurant.||Halfway through our meal we heard the table next to us, with a different server, receiving very elaborate menu descriptions that sounded very enticing. I was surprised and disappointed that there wasn't a consistency of service. It’s a shame that this server isn’t managing the restaurant ensuring that level of experience for all the guests. ||The oysters were served without classic accompaniment, just a tiny ramekin of green strawberries and vinegar. The kale salad was decent in quality, flavor, and portion. The steak was excellent, very well cooked and accompanied with a lovely tomato coulis and grilled onions. The French fries were mediocre and the broccoli rabe was quite nice.||Our server told us the desserts and noted that the "very popular olive oil cake" was sold out. Why upsell and boast to a guest about a popular item that can’t be ordered? My husband ordered a Sambuca and our waitress stated that the bar didn’t carry it. I looked at her questionably, and said, “Would you please check to see if the bartender has any other anisette liquor, please?” She returned with a glass of Sambuca. The moment felt like she either was uniformed or couldn’t be bothered to inform herself or make an effort to meet our request. The espresso was overfilled to the rim, spilled into the saucer, and had no crema, twist, or spoon.||When the check was dropped we wanted to add it to the room but no one returned to our table for well over 15 minutes. We could see the food and beverage manager in plain sight leaning against the wall of the service area or kitchen entrance speaking with staff. While we looked at him directly for several minutes he never looked our way. We finally had to verbally flag someone down with an “excuse me” from across the restaurant. ||At no point throughout the entire meal did someone come by our table to ask how our meal was. We had been hoping for a special, romantic evening but ended up a mediocre, unattended, expensive dinner instead.||Though we checked in at 3:45pm it wasn’t until 7:57pm that we received a text message that read, “Good evening, Mr. Dann. It is great to have you with us at The Abbey Inn and Spa. Please let us know if there is anything that we can assist you with during your stay. - Christianna.” (Firstly, I’m a woman — and I find it lacking in awareness that this fact wasn’t noted during my check-in, or anticipated as an unknown and my full name used instead.) I responded with a “Thank you.” and at 10:58pm I made a reservation for the fitness center at 8am. My text was acknowledged and confirmed at 6:58am by Jennifer the next morning. After a slight delay of venturing out to get coffee at 7:38am I asked to change the reservation to 9am and Christianna confirmed that 9am was fine. ||At 9am when we went down to the fitness center a cleaning woman was cleaning the fitness center. As this is an understandable and important service, especially due to pandemic hygiene, we remained outside in the hallway until 9:15am for her to complete cleaning at which point we began our workout. ||At about 9:27am a man was standing outside and I intuited that he must be waiting for a 9:30am reservation so I went out and told him that I had 10 minutes left on my workout due to the cleaning delay. We then had a brief communication about the fact that we were both vaccinated and he came into the fitness center with me and my husband. ||No communication had been made about any time limits and/or other communication about the fitness center rules or etiquette and so this was left to my own awareness to navigate. Additionally, there were no mats, free weights, terry cloth sweat towels, and the hot tub was closed — all relatively standard amenities for any fitness room accommodation, especially a property that includes “spa” in their venue name. ||Because the spa happened to be on the same floor as the fitness room I ventured over to ask about the amenities and was informed that if I wanted to make an appointment for the sauna I just needed to let the spa know. As I had no understanding of the layout of the spa, I asked if I could go with my husband. I was then informed that the saunas were separate. I then asked if the locker rooms had changing rooms or showers. I was told that, yes, they did. When I returned to the sauna I realized there were no towels, and wondered if I should have brought a towel from my room. I went out to the desk and asked for a towel and was offered one by a spa staff person. However, when I went into the locker room and opened a locker I discovered a bathrobe and towel there. ||The piecemeal communication, the fact that I was offered no clear information about the layout of the locker rooms, the fact that towels were in lockers, and no brochure or offer of the services offered through the spa, made me feel like someone who wandered in off the street speaking to people who were on the job for the first day. Why not say, “Let me offer you a tour of the locker room so you can see the amenities. Do you think you might like to include a spa service during your stay?”||After returning from my room to the locker room I discovered the sauna bucket had no water, which I filled myself. The locker room soap shower dispensers were empty. There was no shower gel and two empty containers of soap were on the shower bench. (see attached photo)||We had lunch reservations with two friends who we invited to meet us at the Inn. We were seated and waited over 15-minutes until we were greeted by our server with water and information about how to access the menu. Once again, no setting on the table to anticipate our arrival. Our lunch was satisfying. The whipped ricotta with peas and mint was a standout, and the branzino, the kale salad, and the burgers were all enjoyed by our table. ||After the wedding we returned to the bar on Saturday evening and Shay was hospitable and courteous. In the two evenings we sat at the bar and observed him it is clear that he runs the bar very well. He is personable and efficient. However, on Friday evening when I ordered the Pine Abbey it was garnished with a jellied hibiscus flower and on Saturday night when I ordered the drink it came with a cherry — a lack of consistency with food and drink disrupts a foundation of trust and reputation with a customer. Furthermore, without a barback, Shay was hustling all night between the crowded bar and restaurant service and at no point was he able to engage with guests in a meaningful way and each interaction was quite hurried and at times we waited for quite a while to order our drinks. ||When we arrived on Saturday evening after the wedding we discovered that Shay had the thoughtfulness to send over six glasses of “champagne” to the bride and groom and the few other wedding guests at the table. However, no one at the table had drunk any of the “champagne.” When I inquired why no one had drunk any they noted it “wasn’t very good prosecco.” While I appreciate Shay’s thought, and this was the most attuned hospitality gesture of the entire stay, we were sitting at a collective table that had spent upwards of $4,000 at the Inn and to comp a higher quality bottle of Champagne or comp a round of drinks would have made a stronger statement. ||On Saturday morning my husband and I went down to get a cup of the complimentary coffee. No one was behind the front desk and since at check-in we had been told we could “help ourselves to coffee” I walked back to the table to pour the coffee. A minute later a receptionist came out and rudely said, “I’ll do that” and shooed me away. I responded by stating, “Oh, I’m sorry I was told it was self-serve at check-in.” “No,” she said, placing the coffees on the table top. The coffee was terrible, but her rudeness was another unsurprising demerit of the weekend. ||When we checked out the receptionist said, “Printed or emailed receipt?” There was no, “thank you for staying”, “how was your stay”, or “we hope to see you again.” ||The lack of communication, interest, hospitality, and friendliness from start to finish at the Abbey conveyed the height of mediocrity. It is really sad that no one is managing this beautiful property and taking an interest in the experience of...

Warning to all prospective brides and grooms do not let this beautiful venue fool you this is a bait and switch venue. Book a wedding here at your own risk. My daughter in law saw this venue and fell in love with the georgous landscape and the many unique rooms for festivities. However once the contract was signed all those sales promises became a game of bait and switch. First the management changed between the time the contracts were signed and the wedding date. The new manager tried to change the terms of the original contract, first they raised the service fee then they wanted to add a credit card fee which again was in the contract without a fee. The manager was extremely hard to get in touch with and didn’t return emails to discuss wedding details. Sorry but when you are charging those prices for an event it is reasonable to expect the brides emails will be answered. Suddenly new fees started popping up. Such as, they were told they could use a room in the cellar for an after party but 3 weeks before the event they were told that wasn’t available and that they would be in the “middle” of dishwashing during the after party. Side note during the cocktail party they ran out of clean glasses I guess they were all being washed. Instead they had to pay an additional charge to use the main venue for the after party. This however wasn’t the worst of the additional charges originally they had a day after breakfast planned, but the room was undecided several options were had been available. The day of the wedding the grooms father went to ensure the breakfast was settled he was told they had to use the main venue room and another service charge. The bride was told in a email two days prior other specific rooms were available. When the bride heard about this the day of her wedding it upset her because one of the reasons they picked the venue was because of all the unique rooms available, she was told two days prior (in a written email) two other rooms options. Apparently in that 48 hour period the room the bride was offered had been booked for another event. Room charge aside, if they were going to book the room they should not have offered it two days prior or at least should have checked with the bride. The grooms father didn’t want the bride upset and attempted to get it resolved, in his attempt he raised his voice. Yes he yelled apparently there were other prospective clients in the main lobby where the discussion occurred who were also looking to book the venue in the future and he told them not to book it. The manager decided the best way to handle an upset father of the groom was to call the local authorities. Yep that’s right she called the police because the grooms father was upset, not violent just upset, she said he was cursing at guests. Multiple eye witnesses including several hotel employees who witnessed the event said he didn’t curse and there was no reason to call the authorities. The police came evaluated the situation and left. On the day of his sons wedding the manager felt she would “teach him a Lesson”. You call that customer service? Just so you know how it all worked out the breakfast went on the next day it was scheduled for 10am and although 50 guests were waiting, breakfast was almost ready at 10:20. It was missing several items that were ordered and paid extra to ensure but what was served was good, the food did run out but most guest were satisfied. The wedding did go off beautifully and there were so many hotel employees that were kind and accommodating outside of management. The venue was distinctive and georgous, but don’t be fooled by the time you get to your wedding day there are no do overs. It doesn’t matter what the sales team promised. What counts is what is actually delivered. If the management cares more about hooking the next client than satisfying their current customers, move on there are plenty of other venues, if you are paying six figures for a wedding and want your day to be perfect don’t book your event at the Abbey...

Warning to all prospective brides and grooms do not let this beautiful venue fool you this is a bait and switch venue. Book a wedding here at your own risk. My daughter in law saw this venue and fell in love with the georgous landscape and the many unique rooms for festivities. However once the contract was signed all those sales promises became a game of bait and switch. First the management changed between the time the contracts were signed and the wedding date. The new manager tried to change the terms of the original contract, first they raised the service fee then they wanted to add a credit card fee which again was in the contract without a fee. The manager was extremely hard to get in touch with and didn’t return emails to discuss wedding details. Sorry but when you are charging those prices for an event it is reasonable to expect the brides emails will be answered. Suddenly new fees started popping up. Such as, they were told they could use a room in the cellar for an after party but 3 weeks before the event they were told that wasn’t available and that they would be in the “middle” of dishwashing during the after party. Side note during the cocktail party they ran out of clean glasses I guess they were all being washed. Instead they had to pay an additional charge to use the main venue for the after party. This however wasn’t the worst of the additional charges originally they had a day after breakfast planned, but the room was undecided several options were had been available. The day of the wedding the grooms father went to ensure the breakfast was settled he was told they had to use the main venue room and another service charge. The bride was told in a email two days prior other specific rooms were available. When the bride heard about this the day of her wedding it upset her because one of the reasons they picked the venue was because of all the unique rooms available, she was told two days prior (in a written email) two other rooms options. Apparently in that 48 hour period the room the bride was offered had been booked for another event. Room charge aside, if they were going to book the room they should not have offered it two days prior or at least should have checked with the bride. The grooms father didn’t want the bride upset and attempted to get it resolved, in his attempt he raised his voice. Yes he yelled apparently there were other prospective clients in the main lobby where the discussion occurred who were also looking to book the venue in the future and he told them not to book it. The manager decided the best way to handle an upset father of the groom was to call the local authorities. Yep that’s right she called the police because the grooms father was upset, not violent just upset, she said he was cursing at guests. Multiple eye witnesses including several hotel employees who witnessed the event said he didn’t curse and there was no reason to call the authorities. The police came evaluated the situation and left. On the day of his sons wedding the manager felt she would “teach him a Lesson”. You call that customer service? Just so you know how it all worked out the breakfast went on the next day it was scheduled for 10am and although 50 guests were waiting, breakfast was almost ready at 10:20. It was missing several items that were ordered and paid extra to ensure but what was served was good, the food did run out but most guest were satisfied. The wedding did go off beautifully and there were so many hotel employees that were kind and accommodating outside of management. The venue was distinctive and georgous, but don’t be fooled by the time you get to your wedding day there are no do overs. It doesn’t matter what the sales team promised. What counts is what is actually delivered. If the management cares more about hooking the next client than satisfying their current customers, move on there are plenty of other venues, if you are paying six figures for a wedding and want your day to be perfect don’t book your event at the Abbey...