Blue Pub Methven — Restaurant in South Island

We booked a few months in advance for two nights arriving on a Monday night. A few days before we arrived we sent an email to let them know we would be arriving ln the evening as we were driving to Methven after a day on the ski field. On the Sunday we got stuck in Ohau due to blizzards on the highway and emailed again to say we would be later than we thought on the Monday night. We arrived late in the dark to find, to our disbelief, a sign that said "closed on Mondays". No staff anywhere. Lights off. Doors locked. We called the contact number on the website but there was no answer. We checked our phones/ voicemail and email - no word from them at all. Not even a reply to our email when we told them we would be late. They had three opportunities to let us know - once when we booked, once when we emailed them to let them know the time we would be arriving and once when we told them we would be late. ||||Near the "Closed on Mondays" sign, there was another sign in the window that stated "for accommodation, go to the Brown Pub" which was the hotel over the road. We went in and asked if they knew where the reception staff were for the blue pub and if they had any numbers of anybody we could contact. They said they didn't know anybody who worked there but we should have received an email with a code to enter the building. Again we checked our email and booking messages but we didn't receive anything at all. No codes anywhere.||||We went back to the Blue pub as none of the staff at the Brown Pub seemed to be bothered about our situation. We realised there was a light on around the back of the pub above the delivery entrance where all the bins and empty kegs were. After trying to find a way in for another 20 mins or so we found a small sandwich bag pinned to a fence post with our booking name and key in it. No instructions and no info whatsoever. No opening times, no check out times, no contact details, nothing. ||||We found the entrance after trying a couple of doors and when we entered the room we found it was absolutely FREEZING... they could have, at the very least, turned the heating on for us. The only heating was a small oil heater which would have taken hours to heat the room up. Not to worry though - when we found blood all over one of the bed's duvet, sheets and pillow we decided we weren't going to stay. I took some photos of the bed and had a walk around the hotel to see if i could find some staff anywhere... or at least somebody's contact number but there was nothing at all. Who would I contact if there were an emergency or a troublesome guest?? I found a guest in the kitchen who said that the owners of the blue pub also own the brown pub too so I should go to talk to them.||||We went back again to the Brown pub with pictures of the blood and asked for something to be done. The first thing I asked was if they were the same owners and could they contact them for us? to which the guy replied "no its different owners". I then explained that there was blood on the bed and his attitude changed, admitted they were the same owners and went to get the manager who asked to see the photos. The manager asked me to wait while he called the manager of the blue pub as there was no spare sheets for us to use and the only room he had was for one night and we might have to change in the morning. So... it turned out the the staff at the brown pub actually did have contact details and could have helped us when we first arrived?!?||||Eventually he sorted it out with the manager of the Blue Pub, we paid, and checked in around 1hr after arriving. He said that there was a possibility that we might have to change rooms in the morning before we go up the mountain but would let us know. ||||We got up early to go up the mountain and to see if we needed to change rooms or go back to the other hotel but again, both receptions were closed and weren't open for a few more hours. No communication again. We decided to leave our things in the room and head up the mountain anyway. If the staff at either hotels couldn't be bothered to contact us, then we weren't going to bother ourselves and miss the only bus up the mountain.||||Why did you let us book if you were closed on Mondays? Or why wouldn't you tell us that it was closed? Why did we receive no late check in instructions? Why is there no contact info for guests in case of emergency? Why did the staff at the Brown pub pretend that they had nothing to do with the Blue Pub. Why did the not try to help us when we first arrived? And surely the staff who changed the beds would have seen the multiple blood stains on the sheets when they made the bed? It was the first thing I noticed as soon as I saw the bed. ||||We had the inconvenience of the wild goose chase trying to find a key pinned to a fence post at the back of the building in the dark, blood stained sheets, freezing cold room, no communication, unhelpful staff, switch of hotel and waiting around while they tried to fix the problem. And again in the morning we couldn't find anybody to tell us if we needed to check out to go back to the original room. ||||We received no apology whatsoever.. no refund.... no partial refund. They could have at least given us a free beer or a half price meal. They didn't even say the simple word "sorry", which is a pretty basic thing to screw up when the job involves customer service. ||||I understand that COVID-19 has possibly had an impact on your business and staffing, but there is no excuse for the blood on the sheets, lack of communication from when the booking was made right up until the time we checked out... and worst of all was the lack of effort with some type, any type, of an apology. || ||All round bad service guys - couldn't get much worse. Probably my worst experience at any...

We booked a few months in advance for two nights arriving on a Monday night. A few days before we arrived we sent an email to let them know we would be arriving ln the evening as we were driving to Methven after a day on the ski field. On the Sunday we got stuck in Ohau due to blizzards on the highway and emailed again to say we would be later than we thought on the Monday night. We arrived late in the dark to find, to our disbelief, a sign that said "closed on Mondays". No staff anywhere. Lights off. Doors locked. We called the contact number on the website but there was no answer. We checked our phones/ voicemail and email - no word from them at all. Not even a reply to our email when we told them we would be late. They had three opportunities to let us know - once when we booked, once when we emailed them to let them know the time we would be arriving and once when we told them we would be late. ||||Near the "Closed on Mondays" sign, there was another sign in the window that stated "for accommodation, go to the Brown Pub" which was the hotel over the road. We went in and asked if they knew where the reception staff were for the blue pub and if they had any numbers of anybody we could contact. They said they didn't know anybody who worked there but we should have received an email with a code to enter the building. Again we checked our email and booking messages but we didn't receive anything at all. No codes anywhere.||||We went back to the Blue pub as none of the staff at the Brown Pub seemed to be bothered about our situation. We realised there was a light on around the back of the pub above the delivery entrance where all the bins and empty kegs were. After trying to find a way in for another 20 mins or so we found a small sandwich bag pinned to a fence post with our booking name and key in it. No instructions and no info whatsoever. No opening times, no check out times, no contact details, nothing. ||||We found the entrance after trying a couple of doors and when we entered the room we found it was absolutely FREEZING... they could have, at the very least, turned the heating on for us. The only heating was a small oil heater which would have taken hours to heat the room up. Not to worry though - when we found blood all over one of the bed's duvet, sheets and pillow we decided we weren't going to stay. I took some photos of the bed and had a walk around the hotel to see if i could find some staff anywhere... or at least somebody's contact number but there was nothing at all. Who would I contact if there were an emergency or a troublesome guest?? I found a guest in the kitchen who said that the owners of the blue pub also own the brown pub too so I should go to talk to them.||||We went back again to the Brown pub with pictures of the blood and asked for something to be done. The first thing I asked was if they were the same owners and could they contact them for us? to which the guy replied "no its different owners". I then explained that there was blood on the bed and his attitude changed, admitted they were the same owners and went to get the manager who asked to see the photos. The manager asked me to wait while he called the manager of the blue pub as there was no spare sheets for us to use and the only room he had was for one night and we might have to change in the morning. So... it turned out the the staff at the brown pub actually did have contact details and could have helped us when we first arrived?!?||||Eventually he sorted it out with the manager of the Blue Pub, we paid, and checked in around 1hr after arriving. He said that there was a possibility that we might have to change rooms in the morning before we go up the mountain but would let us know. ||||We got up early to go up the mountain and to see if we needed to change rooms or go back to the other hotel but again, both receptions were closed and weren't open for a few more hours. No communication again. We decided to leave our things in the room and head up the mountain anyway. If the staff at either hotels couldn't be bothered to contact us, then we weren't going to bother ourselves and miss the only bus up the mountain.||||Why did you let us book if you were closed on Mondays? Or why wouldn't you tell us that it was closed? Why did we receive no late check in instructions? Why is there no contact info for guests in case of emergency? Why did the staff at the Brown pub pretend that they had nothing to do with the Blue Pub. Why did the not try to help us when we first arrived? And surely the staff who changed the beds would have seen the multiple blood stains on the sheets when they made the bed? It was the first thing I noticed as soon as I saw the bed. ||||We had the inconvenience of the wild goose chase trying to find a key pinned to a fence post at the back of the building in the dark, blood stained sheets, freezing cold room, no communication, unhelpful staff, switch of hotel and waiting around while they tried to fix the problem. And again in the morning we couldn't find anybody to tell us if we needed to check out to go back to the original room. ||||We received no apology whatsoever.. no refund.... no partial refund. They could have at least given us a free beer or a half price meal. They didn't even say the simple word "sorry", which is a pretty basic thing to screw up when the job involves customer service. ||||I understand that COVID-19 has possibly had an impact on your business and staffing, but there is no excuse for the blood on the sheets, lack of communication from when the booking was made right up until the time we checked out... and worst of all was the lack of effort with some type, any type, of an apology. || ||All round bad service guys - couldn't get much worse. Probably my worst experience at any...

I've been to the Blue Pub plenty of times over the years and my most recent visit was bottom of the barrel in quality...

To start off with most of the tables inside were reserved, so we finally found a table that didn't have a reserved sign on it only to be ushered out by the staff member who couldn't even acknowledge or greet us on entry with a snarky comment about the table being reserved (there was no sign...)

We were then ironically lead to a table that had a reserved sign on it and were told to ignore that..

When ordering we'd asked how big the kids meals were because we were only after a snack and were met with funny looks and rude comments like questioning them was against the law.

We'd asked if we could make the chicken burger spicy and the lady screwed up her face and asked why? - spoiler it's because I like spicy food, especially chicken burgers and it's my own business you either can or you can't... 🤣

She then replied "I'll see what I can do" so I said can you see before I pay otherwise I'll just pick something else.

She said okay.

Burger arrived and it wasn't spicy so I called her over to ask about it and she replied "well I did say I'd see what I can do."

It was hard to get staff attention for drinks or anything else they were all glued to the tv and seemed like they didn't want to be there or take orders, or answer any questions.

I felt bad for the couple behind us having to explain Celiac disease and the harm of things not being GF.

All in all very unhappy with the experience, what was usually a great stop in Methven won't be visited again due to the rude and unprofessional staff.

Food was great, chefs did an...