East Pier Hotel — Restaurant in Napier

This review is not about the property - it is about the customer experience.||||Our reservation for my son and I was at short notice, booked by a friend. In error he booked just for one night - instead of three.||||The next morning while attending a breakfast meeting and subsequent meetings, i returned to the motel at 11:20 to be told I was late for check-out - and that 'the room has been sold'.||||My teenage son who was in the room and I quickly packed and left - following my explanation that I had mistakenly thought we were booked for three nights.||No effort was made to assist us with alternative accomodation. I paid the bill and left.||||Unbeknown to me I had left a pair of expensive orthopedic shoes behind in the room. ||Three days later I realised they were missing and retraced my steps back to the motel. ||The same receptionist was on duty and on recognising me, said yes there we shoes found in my room that day, and recovered them from the lost and found cupboard. No attempt to contact me by the management that they had found them in the room was made. I had told the receptionist of our plans to stay three more nights in Napier. Thats just either laziness or a management culture issue. Very disappointing either way.||||So, heres my observation. I was a visitor from out of town. On check-in, there was no introduction 'welcome to the property' explaining the facilities or services available, the local food and beverage outlets, visitor attractions, walking pathways or just a few key suggestions on what to do. It seemed it was all about filling in the reservation slip and swiping my credit card.|| ||Napier needs visitors to sustain the economy, provide employment and establish a reputation for great attractions and experiences - across all parts of the tourism sector. Everyone needs to be part of the hospitality culture. Especially front line staff.||||Would I return to this property - or even more interestingly - would I recommend it to others - or to visit Napier?||||Having just returned from 10 days in the South Island and stayed in Queenstown and Tekapo - the comparison was almost exact opposites. One, accomodating, helpful and genuinely welcoming. The other, distant, removed, uncaring and unhelpful.||||Customers vote with their feet - and credit cards.||||Be careful Napier - the domestic visitor market is yours to be part of. Its time for all your team...

I hate writing negative reviews BUT having been in the Restaurant hospitality business for over 55 years, in 13 different countries I need to write this scathing review.

(I ordered the) Premium Angus scotch fillet with creamy horseradish & cauliflower puree, dauphinois potatoes, seasonal vegetables finished & PEPERCORN JUS (GF with no jus) – $34.5 I am so disappointed that what should have been a Good Night out was turned into a dreadful experience by 3 chef's (I use this term loosely) No real chef would conscientiously send out a sauce that destroys a meal like they did. THE COW produced a great tasting steak which was ruined by a salt laden Peppercorn Jus. All these idiots had to do in the kitchen was taste it before serving it & this would have changed my dining experience.

That was bad enough::BUT the Coup de Gras was the Apple Rhubarb Crumble, I ordered it to kill the salt taste in my throat & mouth.. OK my 12 year old granddaughter makes great Crumble so one would expect an even better Crumble from trained chefs, BUT alas it was not to be. The minuscule crumble appeared in the smallest Ramekin (dish) available in the trade it was so small I could not even pour the cream onto it & the filling was a mushy pulp of apple & rhubarb topped with ---------- (Drum Roll please) wait for it!!! SUGAR FLAKE breakfast serial (left over from the breakfast tray no doubt), NO traditional short crust crumble in site. When I complained I was told by a manager who sprung to the chef's defense that it was their interpretation of apple rhubarb crumble (Maybe I should have paid for it in shell which is my interpretation of money) If the salt had left my pallet by the time this arrived I would have thrown it at the wall, but I ate it because I needed it to kill the salt. I rate this restaurant in my Top 10% WORST EVER & I eat out 2 to 3 nights a week all over the world SO my advice is,

"DO NOT EAT AT THIS RESTAURANT UNLESS YOU HAVE TO" OR until the management get off their backsides & demand that the kitchen put out a better quality product in keeping with their service staff who were attentive friendly & from another country...

Today was our second wedding anniversary and knowing that the food and customer service has been so good previously, we decided to go there for lunch.

When we arrived we asked if we could have some help to which the woman we spoke to replied, "What do you need help with?" We said the door and she said "I didn't know what you needed help with". I am a 37 year old man confined to a wheelchair, so naturally, doors are a problem for me to get through.

We went to sit outside and we requested a table out of the sun with an umbrella and we were told that they only had one umbrella, and that we would have to move out of the sun if in fact we thought we were getting burnt.

We ordered our meals, one omelette for me which was full of onion, and a plate of nachos for my wife which looked like it was swimming in fat.

All up the service was appalling, and the bill was way over priced, $76.50

When my wife asked to get some money out for our return taxi of $10 the lady said "I don't have enough in the till, doesn't the taxi carry eftpos" My wife said, "no they don't", so she was then told that she would have to walk down the road to the nearest shop.

The woman who served us was Jimmaima and we're not sure if she was the manager, or just a waitress, but we are far from happy with the service

We unfortunately will not be returning...