Audrey Koehler

Review of Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

My husband and I were members of Fairmonts preside...

My husband and I were members of Fairmonts presidents club for many years, meaning that we have stayed frequently at many Fairmont properties and are very familiar with the brand and experience. Our stay was NOT a Fairmont experience.

1.) Parking- Parking is a struggle simply because the Fairmont does not monitor the fact that people NOT paying to stay at the resort are using the parking for the casino next door. When we mentioned this to the bellman at the door he told us simply to valet- which is an added $30 per day. This needs to be fixed because my husband and I spent way too much time circling the parking lot for a spot each time we left and came back. On top of that- the casino brings in bus loads of people and tourists who crowd the hotel and entryway.

2.) We had to leave the Fairmont more than we would have liked to. Why? Because there is literally NO good food option unless you want to sit down for a 4 course meal. Forget the food at the bar- it is less to be desired and the service is terrible. A table next to us had a complaint about the food and service and was told simply to "fill out a comment card". The people they hire NEED to be properly trained on good customer service, because that was a repulsive response. Room service was not much better. I ordered a simple Ravioli and it was inedible- I am not a picky eater. The bar was left a dirty, stinky mess while the bartenders sat behind the bar doing nothing. Trays full of glasses sat at the end of the bar. The place was not busy.

3.) Service in general- there were no robes in our room upon arrival. My husband as a club member was supposed to have work out clothes left in the room- there were none. It took an hour for them to take our bags upstairs when all we wanted to do was shower and change out of our clothes we traveled in for the past 12 hours. Checking in and checking out is painful and it appears nobody knows what they are doing. The level of detail was just missing- the cover in our bed had an obvious hole in it and was simply left.

4.) The pool and Spa- I realize the spa is a separate company. But none the less affiliated. The spa service was terrible. I felt rushed. Was told to wait until the massage was over before I could have water. I am 6 months pregnant laying on my back and was extremely light headed. To have my request ignored was negligent and possibly hazardous. The pool was okay, but they leave lawn chairs in the grass and many spots is missing grass and only has dirt. I ended up tracking the dirt all over my clothing. The pool was not the cleanest and the service there had less to be desired. I will add I was given an apology by the manager and was gifted a free 50 min service. However, I will not be back to Canada within the next year- so not really overly helpful.

5.)I am not a golfer- so this is mainly from my Husband. The views were great. Service again not so much. And the course was in very bad shape. The mini golf was far worse.

All in all- this didn't ruin our trip. The area is gorgeous. But for a Fairmont and being a 5 star hotel- the service was HORRIBLE. This Fairmont needs a major face lift in order to call itself a 5 star hotel. VERY disappointing.