Before booking the Aghadoe Heights for our 3 night stay, we were trying to decide between staying here or at The Europe. Having stayed in both before, we opted for the Aghadoe as we remembered the breakfast was especially good & cooked to order. The breakfast was the same delicious fare we recalled from our previous stay a number of years ago. A staff member named Kamel was especially friendly to our young son which was lovely.
Unfortunately though, there were a number of reasons why we wished we had stayed at The Europe...
1) The classic room we were given was tiny, the sliding door into the bathroom was broken which meant I had to ask my husband to open & close it which was very annoying. Not what you'd expect from a 5 star hotel.
2) Unless you upgrade your room choice you will not see the views of the lake...the foyer is small, badly located & lacks atmosphere and any type of lake view. Two things that are abundant in The Europe.
3) We had lunch in the bar on one occasion & were disappointed, we had to wait so long to order as there was only one person waiting on tables. The "twice cooked" chips were some of the worst I've tasted and the fish special & batteted fish were, at most, average. The next day were drove 5 minutes down the road and had the most delicious lunch at the Europe.
4) The front of house team at check in were very friendly, especially when my parents asked to change their room as it was over looking a loading bay. Also, the daytime staff were very welcoming & warm as we passed through reception. However, on return to the hotel on one evening, we were dismayed when 2 older members of staff stared at us walking by & looked away, both my husband & I were taken aback as it was quite rude. As we were walking towards the lift, we heard a group of American tourists who were walking behind us being warmly greeted upon their return by said staff members. We were left wondering what it was about us that didn't warrant even a "hello" or "good evening" when other guests did seem to warrant it. The following evening, one of the same staff members again ignored us upon our return to the hotel.
It's a pity how one or two staff members can cloud your opinion of what were, in general, friendly and accommodating staff.
Will we be returning to The Aghadoe Heights again? Unfortunately the answer is no...The delicious breakfast won't be enough to swing it for us next time!