Michael McHenry

Review of Stanford Park Hotel

September 17th of last year I had the pleasure of ...

September 17th of last year I had the pleasure of family, friends, my wife and I staying at this hotel for our wedding. The Hotel and the staff were fantastic. With this in mind I invited two of my co-workers one of whom is planning a large wedding for her daughter to stop there after work for drinks.
It was all downhill from there.
The person tending the bar who was also the Manager, Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar handed me the Happy Hour Menu and the regular menu. The Happy Hour Menu looked great, three different wines or a cocktail plus a variety of appetizers all for 5 dollars from 3- 5 PM. Great! Wrong!!!
I asked for the red blend and was told they were all out, okay I thought I ll have the Pinot Gris. The manger went to the side room and brought out a bottle opened it and poured me a glass, no problem. I told him I was waiting for two friends and as I was sitting at the bar a gentlemen came back from the outside, returned his food and showed the bartender what appeared to be a single piece of soggy bacon on his bacon burger, and refused to pay for it. Okay .I thought.
My friends arrived, ordered their drinks and we also ordered three of the appetizers from the Happy Hour Menu, normal stuff, wings, calamari, and pork belly, from a new bartender and payed for all of it at the bar. We went outside and sat down to enjoy the day. Once we sat down the bartender came back out and said they were out of all the food on the Happy Hour Menu but we could order off the regular menu if we wanted, and, that the manger would be out to give us back the money we had just paid for the food.
The manager did come out, returned the money for the food and stated he was sorry. I in turn told him that I was very disappointed; I had been at the hotel last September and how good it was then and now to bring friends there and this happen was embarrassing. His reply was sorry but you can order food off the regular menu if you want .
So we did, we ordered calamari and the charcuterie plate. Somehow the same dish (calamari) that was on the Happy Hour Menu but not available, was now available on the dinner menu at twice the price. The food itself was not very good. Sauce for the calamari was mayonnaise and cayenne pepper, the bottom slices of the salami had what looked like a blue tinge to them. Not good for a Hotel of this stature and reputation
My wife was recommending the Stanford Park Inn to three of her friends who are getting married. When I went home I told her the same story I am telling now. I think they would be better off looking elsewhere until the management gets there act together.