Thrift with Tyler
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An underwhelming experience in hospitality.
All online appearances lead to the idea this dining destination is going to be a well curated experience. Just know - this dining destination would not be in business if it were not attached to a hotel.
Hotel restaurants can be hit or miss, this one is a BIG miss. Recently one Sunday a friend booked brunch at Pom Court, located in the lobby of Hotel
Granada. The menu looked lively , it was on OpenTable - what could go wrong? I call it a dining destination, because it’s not a restaurant - it’s a hotel lobby with a kitchen.
Upon arrival I was unable to find the restaurant. There is no sign, no hostess stand, no tables set, no silverware, no dining tables (really). I asked a member of the hotel - “Hi, how are you? Where is the restaurant located?” With a look of disgust & no reply to my greeting, she finally said “you are in it” - quickly walking away. We kind of laughed it off, but it should have been one of the first red flags.
The second red flag should have been seating yourself. Our party of four found a table and waited for a hotel staff member or anyone to formally explain what was going on exactly. Sitting at a nice sized empty table with no placemats, silverware, glassware, or any sign this was a working restaurant. Our server soon arrived, passing our menus (wearing clothes from home, casually dressed in a champion hooded sweatshirt). Calm in demeanor, with no introduction to the restaurant, menu or cocktail offerings, we began to navigate this peculiar experience.
It was clear our feelings weren’t out of the norm as another party was leaving we kind of joked about the vibe and waved bye to the only other “restaurant” guests. The lobby was silent, no music. There were no guests on the patio or in the restaurant except for our table. Soon our cocktails arrived & they were lovely. The bartender was listening to music in his earbud & again, in the most laughable & confusing spirit - we joked with each other that we wish we could hear some music too! Occasionally a hotel guest would check out, offering some sort of reprieve from the silent hotel lobby.
Our meals soon arrived & they were delicious. Please note the price of the menu on their website does not reflect the cost in person. For instance, the burger reflects a $19 cost online, but a $21 cost in person. There were no Bellinis this day & we joked “You know what sounds good - a Bellini”
Soon it was time to order more cocktails, however the bartender had now vanished. Our server highlighted he was missing and apologized for the delay. 15 minutes later, our second round arrived.
This $300+ (with tip) brunch was about to end & I confirmed with our server if they validate our parking. She was very aloof & was unsure how parking worked. And advised me “I could check with the front desk” . As I was about to tip her (fairly) on the handheld kiosk passed around the table, I asked if I needed to speak with the front desk or was she going to ask about parking. She soon returned with shrugged shoulders advising they didn’t have much pull with valet & the cost would be $20 to park. This was disappointing, but expected with the odd experience we encountered. Everything just felt so out of place and not hospitable or welcoming. Almost felt like we were burdening anyone to work that day.
I wouldn’t recommend spending $320.00 on a Sunday brunch at Pom Court. While the meal was delicious, the professionalism & informal hospitality was not a welcoming spirit to return. With some attention to detail, light training & customer service initiatives, this hotel lobby restaurant has great potential’