The following is the copy of an email sent a week ago to Britannia hotels main email address. To date, I have received no response but neither did I expect one. - I'd like to tell you of our experience of staying at the Palace Hotel, Buxton. 13th and 14th September, 2022. On arrival at the hotel one cannot fail to be impressed by this fine old building with fitting décor in the entrance lobby and communal area. Unfortunately, this is where the impressiveness ends. Check in – 3 or 4 stations at the reception desk, only 1 manned. Thankfully we were 2nd in line and on glancing behind us when it was our turn saw about 30 people behind us queuing out of the glass doors and back to the revolving door. No welcome from the receptionist and I was quite surprised that when I asked about using my card for charges to our room for wine etc. was told that you pay as you go. Not quite what you would expect from a 4 star hotel. Booked a table for dinner – we were booking in at 4 pm but the earliest option for a table was 8.30 pm. Our Room – we had booked an executive twin room and whilst the room was spacious it lacked character and was in fact quite sp**** . We understood that there was no room service but assumed this would be for change of towels, little did we know that there would be no emptying of bin or replenishment of tea/coffee/milk and sugar. No guest information folder in the room, which we would expect to find. Dining – dinner. 4 staff ( I won't give them the title of waiter/waitress/hostess as it would be doing a disservice to those who do this role properly) at the desk at the front of the restaurant and given a menu and taken to a table. We were given to understand that meals were buffet style but the comment from the staff member who had taken us to our table who told us it was self service we found her description was more realistic. In actual fact for the help that was given throughout our stay you might as well have trays situated at the front because the service is more akin to a poorly run motorway service station. That again is giving a disservice as there is a far better selection of food on offer there. We asked for wine menu and were told it was in the menu folder, it wasn't. The staff member said she'd get one, took the menu away and neither were seen again. We opted for soup which we had to help ourselves to from an electric soup tureen, after we asked what it was. After one mouthful, found it was lukewarm so took it back to another staff member who took the soup bowls from me saying she'd tell chef. Well, that helped a lot didn't it as neither of these were seen again either! We had to have the pate or salad as these were the only other things on offer as a starter. Back up to the hot cupboards for our main course – on offer, 1 choice of roast - turkey, fish in sauce which looked as though that had been there for the whole of the service time and a sweet potato curry. The only vegetables on offer were roast po
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