Kay C.
Yelp
What a lovely October stay we had a Keswick Hall!! We had not been back since the major, pre covid, renovation and were pleasantly surprised by the quality and beauty of the new Keswick campus. Our trip was short, so we didn't get to go to the spa, but we did enjoy a rare October day of sunshine at the glorious pool. It was a highlight of our stay because it was so unexpected. The sheer beauty of the pool and its surroundings transports you.
Our room on the 5th floor was beautiful and immaculate. The only small things that could have made it slightly better would be an exhaust fan in the WC, more hooks in the Bathroom for wet towels, robes, etc, and a better remote for the TV. But again, these were small things and certainly didn't detract from the beauty and comfort of the room. Beautiful linens, Frete robes, smart room design, and live orchids made the room a sanctuary. The bath lotions, shampoo, and soaps were divine! The bathroom was huge and the shower was spa level.
The landscaping around the campus is exquisite as the plantings were lush, abundant, colorful and well maintained. Bravo to the grounds super.
The staff was well trained, polite and attentive. And while the staff overall seemed quite young, they were consistently friendly cheery and helpful.
If we had to give any constructive criticism, there were a few things we would upgrade or change, but again, these were mostly minor inconveniences ...
1. Put coffee makers in the rooms. Please, we beg of you! The only coffee available in the building was offered in the lobby and that service ended at 7 AM. (7 AM???) We could walk over to the restaurant (in a separate building), but sometimes you just need a starter cup before you emerge from the comfort of your cocoon. Again, one could order coffee from room service, but it would be nice to have a warm cup before you even talk to the outside world. If you like a fresh cup first thing in the morning, take your own 1 cup coffee maker for your room. You're welcome.
2. Build a canopy or covered walkway from the main hotel to the restaurant. It poured the night of our special dinner and everyone was scurrying for umbrellas. The walkways are beautiful but could use some sort of covered pergola connecting the buildings.
3. Marigold restaurant ... we were somewhat surprised at the level of pounding music when we arrived for dinner. It was so loud it was distracting. Now I get it. Most if not all of the people who work in the restaurant are probably under 30. And when we were that age, we loved loud music too. But when you're dropping $300+ for a nice dinner, some soft sexy jazz would be more fitting. We asked to be seated in the quietest area of the restaurant, so they seated us outside, which was better for noise reduction, but we were sort of on the fringe of things. Also, we arrived at Marigold 30 minutes early so we could sit at the bar and get a drink. Amidst the loud music and the influx of what seemed to be local residents into the bar, we could not catch either of the bartenders eye. It was like a scene out of "Cocktail" as they rushed around shaking elixirs. We tried to go back to the smaller bar in the hotel, but there must have been an event because there was a large group of people there too. Once again, no acknowledgement from the bartender. It was as if we were invisible. Alas, we gave up on a sexy pre-dinner martini and headed back to Marigold when our table was ready. The food was good but not amazing. It was comparable to fare at a nice steak house in any big city. Nothing to complain about and we enjoyed an app, salads, lobster and steak. Actually the fall salad was the best course, we both agreed.
4. Build a canopy over the main entrance to the hotel. It was pouring when we left and had to load up the car in the pouring rain. We, our bags, and our car interior were soaked. Some sort of covering to drive under at the front door would be invaluable during inclement weather.
All that said, it is a lovely luxury experience. We will definitely come back again and stay for a longer visit so we can enjoy the spa.