Madrona Manor — Hotel in Healdsburg

We were very excited about this hotel being our romantic retreat for our wedding weekend but it was really the only part of the magical weekend that really left us with a bad taste in our mouths. It's not an inexpensive place to stay, but the is the type of occasion that seemed worth the splurge. The property itself was pretty but the service was appalling, especially for the price point. We arrived to checkin around 7pm and were shocked when we were hustled out the door with no welcome, a key and a map pushed at us and made to feel like we were being a bother to check into the $500+ a night room. We later learned that there is no front desk staff after 5pm so a waiter from the restaurant was helping us but clearly he was more interested in the customers who would be tipping him than the hotel guests.

That first night we awoke in the middle of the night to a loud scraping sound in the walls which was clearly some kind of rodent that either lived in the walls or crawled into the walls to nest at night. Thankfully it didn't go on all night and we were able to fall back to sleep, but it was hardly the restful evening you'd hope for the night before your wedding.

The morning of our wedding, the hair and makeup person arrived for the bride and we received a snarky call from the front desk to let us know she was here. They were very snotty about not knowing that we were getting ready for a wedding. Maybe they should have asked when we made our reservation. Or when we checked in. Oh right - that would require providing a great level of service, or caring about your guests and not just thinking of them as a paycheck. We definitely would have told them, not just because it would have been nice for them to make an extra effort to be congratulatory, but in hindsight, certainly so we wouldn't have had to deal with the attitude they served with a side of vinegar all weekend.

Keep in mind, our wedding was at Chalk Hill, a beautiful vineyard, and not at Madrona Manor. I worked in a 5 star hotel during my college years and know what good service is. Being angry that your guests aren't informing you of having a guest in their room or your plans off-site is definitely not something to be angry about. If anything, be angry that your staff is too inept to realize this is something they should be asking if they want to provide good service.

After the first dose of attitude I recommended my husband-to-be visit the desk to let them know that our driver and photographer would be arriving later to take us to our venue. Oh and that we had a rodent guest overnight.

They were completely dismissive of the rodent and said that if we tried to take any pictures on their property they would chase us off. We were having a vineyard wedding for a reason and didn't intend to take any photos beyond the classic "first look" photo on site. I called my wedding planner right away and told her to divert the photographer directly to the venue, I didn't want any unnecessary drama to spoil our day and there were lots of beautiful locations at Chalk Hill for photos. The first look photo was the least of my concerns.

The makeup artists heard this exchange and remarked that she was shocked when she had overheard the tone the front desk woman had taken with us when she called us earlier. We encountered similar issues throughout the rest of the weekend, arriving at the desk to find it unmanned after 5 and the restaurant staff untrained on the hotel policies and not particularly willing to figure it out.

I told our wedding planners about our experience and they were horrified since this had been on their list of recommendations. They said they would definitely remove it from their list after hearing the litany of issues we experienced. There are plenty of other options to stay - the team at Madrona Manor needs some serious training on service if they are going to live up to their...

After hearing rave reviews for years, I finally decided to check this place out and stay overnight, as well as go to dinner on the property. I was in awe of the beauty of the property and Victorian home, but as soon as I stepped out of my car a staff member asked, "what are you doing on the property?" 😳 I informed him I had a reservation and he walked away, helping another guest. This should have been a sign for what to expect the rest of the stay. The only positive was the concierge who checked us in. She was incredible! She was only one of two staff members who seemed to know what it means to deliver customer service. The room was okay, nothing to brag about. It was clean. We had dinner on site and were surprised to be seated outdoors, but heaters were on. When the waitress, Brandy, said she would be taking our entire order up front I was a little concerned (I am a very slow eater), but she assured us she would be timing them out so we're not rushed. Well, that couldn't have been further from the truth. Appetizers arrived before our pre-dinner cocktails. Entrees came out immediately after the appetizers, which would normally be great. I had the steak, which was room temperature. My dinner partner had a burger and the bun was completely soggy. The waitress checked on us ONCE and only during our appetizer course! I had wine with my steak and was waiting for the waitress to come by so I could order a second glass and continue eating my meal. She was chatting with a table behind us, and ignored me when I tried to get her attention. We sat so long waiting for her to come back, she actually sent a bus boy to collect our plates! 15 minutes after originally wanting to order another glass of wine, she finally comes over so I can order my glass of wine. Not once did she inquire about the quality of food. We decided to skip dessert there and go to the bar instead. We had trouble finding our way out of the restaurant, and the most wonderful busboy set aside what he was currently doing to help guide us out. After seated ourselves in the nearly empty bar area with no staff coming to take out order, I assumed they just don't serve the little tables there, which would be fine. I ordered our drinks at the bar, and from there on out we did have table service. You got the feeling staff just doesn't care. Lastly, before my visit I heard about the revamp of the Victorian home and all the amazing antiques inside. Nope. I'm not sure what happened, but the inside is a total mishmash and does not keep with the Victorian style. I've noticed online there are now 3 co-owners; the two men that initially purchased the property and revamped it to the glory you see in the photos on their website. That's not on the same level as the art inside now. Prior reviews from the past year reflect the same concerns and property declines I've mentioned, as well as others. I wish I read the review replies from the owner before booking my stay; they essentially say sorry you didn't enjoy it and sucks for you. I was appalled. My experience there cost almost $1,000 and the push to spend more (they tell you how everything is for sale, like artwork) was gauche. They currently have 2 Michelin keys, but unless they have significant changes in customer service, there's no way they'll keep it. No way would I go back and I would never recommend...

I have been visiting this wonderful place several times over the last few years, on very special occasions for dinner. This is the first time we also spent the night at the Manor. This property is very romantic, peaceful and charming. Our room was decorated with antiques to make you feel like you stepped back in time, yet the bed was very comfy and pleasant with all the modern amenities. Really very nice stay, except; there was not tea at the house we stayed at in the morning, just coffee and the artificial creamers served with the upscale Nespresso is a big faux pas...not what you would expect to be served in a "grand Estate". Breakfast itself was pretty good with many buffet-choices. But service for refilling coffee/tea/water and clearing our plates, was below average. Dinner at the Madrona has been a highlight for us for several years. This time, well, it was different from before, and I am a tad disappointed. Our pre-dinner drinks were out of this world, exciting, different, delicious, with great service. Dinner was outstandingly delicious, but the whole experience was not as I remember from the past...I still have vivid memories of being ushered and gushed all over by staff, being served course after course of delicious little pieces of heaven, and being spoiled with extra little surprises sent from the kitchen. While service was still grand, something was missing. For $98 per person I want to...