Lisa Cochrane

Review of Le Meridien, Gatwick Airport

After experiencing a lengthy delay on the Eurostar...

After experiencing a lengthy delay on the Eurostar train and then a hectic train ride to the airport, my husband and I were looking forward to checking into the hotel and heading to our room to decompress and relax before the next leg of our journey. Upon our arrival we were very disappointed to find a lengthy que for check in. There were only two attendants st the desk and another was involved in solving another guests concerns. After nearly twenty five minutes in line we were able to check in, with Mary an apology for the delay. Frankly, staff could have been scheduled accordingly as I am sure there was an idea of the number of guests anticipated, particularly since I am told that this is the start of summer holiday season. After the lengthy train ride it might have been nice to have the ability to enjoy a cup of coffee or simply a glass of water, which we may have requested if someone had be seated at the guest services desk. After we finally checked in we then struggled unassisted to the elevator with our bags only to discover one of the lifts was out of service and we proceeded to join another que for the remaining elevator. Frankly, by the time we arrived at our room, we were hungry, tired and simply underwhelmed with our experience. The room was adequate and the bed comfortable enough but honestly nowhere near the manner in which the hotel bills itself!
We then decided to go to the restaurant for a bite to eat only to encounter another delay in obtaining a table. Waitstaff were courteous and clearly working very hard to ensure guests were served but again we were underwhelmed when our meals arrived as my fish and chips were far from stellar, with the fish being dried out and the handful of chips cooked from frozen. My husbands fettuccine was also rather flavourless. For $40 pounds we would have been better off heading into the terminal and grabbing our meal there.
Finally, we required copies of our boarding passes for our flights so the next morning, upon check out, we enquires about using a printer and were directed to the business centre. We logged on and attempted to print our passes only to discover no paper in the printer and no one to ask for assistance. As we were in a hurry, I did finally locate paper, by opening a cupboard behind the business centre reception desk.
We visit family in London at least once per year and usually fly in and out of Gatwick. Your hotel's location is ideal for our needs, however, it is very likely that we will try another of the hotels in the vicinity as we simply did not have our expectations met during our stay. Simply put, it was mediocre at best, and sho wants to spend hard earned money on something which leaves they feeling uninspired, as we can honestly rate our experience a 5 out of 10, with that being the result of a clean room and the efforts of your wait staff in the restaurant!