Quaint 18th-century inn offering rooms with river views, en suite baths & private outside space.
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Bull's Island Recreation Area
4.6
(270)
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DO NOT BOOK WITH THE BLACK BASS HOTEL.
The Black Bass hotel is not a normal modern hotel; yet for putting its appeal in its historicity, one would think that they would focus instead on their potential strengths of doing their utmost to provide a unique experience of staying at such a historic building. Sadly, the customer service is ABYSMAL. The several administrators we interacted with not only are unhelpful concerning customer requests, but are also extremely rude. This was apparent to us in a number of situations:
We received a $500 Black Bass Hotel gift card as a wedding gift. After booking months in advance, when we arrived, the hotel refused to let us use this gift card for our two-night stay stating that we could could instead spend this $500 dollars only for purchasing dinner or breakfast at the hotel (that'd be a lot of food...). As we tried asking about the details of this policy, why this was the case, and what we could possibly do to rectify the situation, several of the managers refused to help and came off as extremely arrogant and dismissive.
Even trying to use some our gift card at the restaurant, they tried to tell us that there was no money on the gift card at all and only after providing them the date and details of when and how the card was purchased did the balance "magically" appear.
Having left our car keys at the front desk when we checked in, we asked the following morning if there was a lost-and-found where the keys may have ended up after being unable to find them in our room. The manager was extremely disrespectful and told us there was no lost-and-found, hardly even taking her eyes off of her computer as we were trying to communicate with her. Only after minutes of us searching once again through our luggage in the lobby did she finally exclaim, open the drawer right beside her and pull out our keys.
The only good thing about the hotel is that the food in the restaurant is actually pretty good. But that's about it. As far as the rooms go, the Black Bass Hotel has a number of rooms all with unique names and advertised features. However, these features and amenities may or may not be present. For example, we booked a specific room that was advertised to contain was advertised to contain a steam shower. However, it was completely non-functional, which we only found out after entering the room. Calling down to the front desk, they indeed verified that that steam shower did not work.
Overall, the Black Bass Hotel is a unique and historic property, but there are many other similar historic establishments in the area and I would suggest staying at any other of them instead. The customer service is the worst we've ever experienced and their apparent undisclosed financial policies and practices are...
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Key takeaways from our meal / service: Restaurant prioritizes short-term profit vs. long-term reoccurring value based on previously agreed expectation and service No sense of empathy or apology from management team regarding the systematic failure of operations at every stage of the experience Communication breakdown between event staff and daily operations staff, leading to confusion / unaligned service Lack of basic hospitality know-how and remediation plan to turnaround a sub-par experience.
On Sunday afternoon, a group of ~16 people from a social club descended upon what we thought was a quaint restaurant for lunch. The reservation was already pre-booked months ago and parking arrangements were made for the entire group. However, things started to fall apart at each point of the lunch.
Parking - Upon arrival, it appeared the lot attendant were not made aware of our parking situation and stated only 1/3 of the cars can park at the designated pre-booked lot. After some back and forth, we were able to park, abeit not together as previously agreed.
Large group reservation - Upon arriving, our host informed us that they no longer have the "canal room" available, even though once again, our social club coordinator booked / confirmed in advance. It was quickly determined the room was given away to a wedding party...
Service - After being seated in an alternate location that is not suitable for a large group, the meal service started to also show signs of poor management. Ordering was delayed, drink service was slow with no proactive refill by the waiter at any point during the meal. Incorrect sequencing of dishes (i.e. bread was asked, however, it was not delivered until well after the soup course). Took 2 hours to get the first course! Due to the significant delay, many in the group asked for desserts to go since it was a set menu. There was no offer of any concessions on price at the end of the day. Entire two courses took more than 3 hours. Getting the bill also took much longer than anticipated.
Food - Food was unremarkable, clearly many of the dishes came pre-made and was only heated at the restaurant. One friend ordered the shrimp & grits, plastic was found in the dish, probably from the container it was poured from.
Management reaction - We get things happen and mistakes do occur...Management 101 would dictate a sincere recognition of the failures and a honest apology. Not to mention offering certain concessions to "make things right". These simple gestures could have turned around a sour taste of ~16 local diners who now cannot recommend this restaurant for...
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My wife and I have enjoyed lunch at the Black Bass on two occasions. We are also involved in the planning for a family member wedding later this month. We cannot rate the rooms just yet but will be able to update this review later. For now let me say that everything about the Black Bass is exceptional. Parking across the street couldn't be easier. The valets are friendly and helpful and there is space galore for all the cars. The location, on the river, with magnificent views of the Delaware couldn't be better. Everyone involved with your visit exceeds all expectations. From the host, to the waitstaff, and especially to the event planner, Fiona. They all add to the overall charm and old world civility so missing in our rushed society. Our lunches have been delicious. Each item cooked to perfection leaving us with wanting to return for other selections. We're looking forward to the wedding to enjoy not only a family celebration, but also to enjoy the company of all the folks at The Black Bass that will have helped to make it a memorable day. Many restaurants and hotels would do well to visit The Black Bass for a sample of how to treat their guests as valuable customers.
An update to the above. The wedding was yesterday and it couldn't have been better. Every single item, no matter how minor or how important was attended to in a seamless and exacting manner. All the meals, regardless of selection, were brought to the tables at the same time. All of our guests enjoyed their meals, the included wines and liquors, and the service, which was friendly and efficient.
Several of our guests stayed in the rooms after the wedding and all I can say is that they are magnificent. The panoramic views of the Delaware River from the full length windows in each of the rooms is amazing. The rooms are beautifully decorated, warm, inviting, and large.
To sum up I have to say that if you are in the area for any reason, you'll be missing a rare treat not to stop by the Black Bass Inn for whatever your need might be. Lunch, dinner, a party, or an intimate wedding. Everything will exceed your...
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