Michelle K.
Yelp
We visited White face Lodge in July of 2021. If you are interested in a comprehensive review, read on. If you need the big picture, it is this: My family had a phenomenal time in some really wonderful accommodations that are run with sub-par service across the board.
I want to note up front that "Whiteface" Lodge is NOT just in a name. I saw exactly three families of color and not one black person the entire visit. It was a little strange, and I wondered what is keeping a more diverse clientele from visiting.
The grounds are magnificent. It is clear that whoever is in charge of the landscape cares deeply about the place. The landscaping is impeccable.The room was large, with a tiny full kitchen and a sweet little washer/dryer. It was pretty clean, although there was a sock under the dresser and a pacifier under the nightstand. They have Netflix you can sign into, as well as some sort of cable/Direct TV.
The pools are wonderful, and where my family spent most of our time. Towels were large and always well stocked. Water was crystal clear and zero funk in the tubs.
I had a spectacular massage with Eric in the spa. The spa itself I give a seven. There were no benches in the showers to put toiletries, or step to shave. The bench right outside the shower is upholstered? Also in both the steam room and sauna the door handles became extremely hot. They really need to cover those.
Now, prior to arrival, I called the hotel to ask about the camp program, as the website had changed. No one answered at concierge. Finally I got the front desk who told me I should speak to the activities director and routed me to his voicemail. I left a message enquiring about the camp. Never got a call back. This would be a pattern.
We arrived on a Tuesday, and the front desk was lovely but not helpful. We were not given a map of the grounds or any kind of orientation at all. We were given cookies, which were great. I asked about speaking to the concierge and was told that they don't really have one right now. They said they were happy to answer any questions.
Spa opened at 9am Wednesday and I was on it, as I hadn't pre-booked a massage and REALLY wanted one. I was told that their system was down and they could not book appointments. Sad. We had some pool time and left to see town. On the way out I asked the front desk if the spa system was up, and they told me it was the first they had heard of a problem. On the way back in, it was a new staff, so I asked them and got the same reply. I also tried to ask my camp questions, but they didn't know these answers either. They tried to call people to ask, but they couldn't reach them. They offered me people's cards, but as no one was getting back to me, this made little sense. I was upset at this point and asked to see a manager. I was told there was no manager in the building. (This was a lie.) I was told the only way to contact a manager would be to call Jill Mann, the front office manager. I did this, and left a message expressing my frustrations (in a very professional way) with the quality of service I was seeing. This person never called me back. This is not acceptable. The day before we left I asked to speak with the GM. Now here is where the training actually kicked in, because the clerk tried like heck to get me to talk to someone else. I love it when I ask to talk to someone and they ask me if I would prefer to talk to his assistant.
So about 2.5 hours later I get a call from Joe Giannino, GM. He gets out pen and paper but is not interested in what I am saying. He goes on a soliloquy about the troubles in staffing and sourcing glassware. I bring him back to the present. I don't need to hear all about how the sausage is made, I'm not here about the minor annoyances. These are management issues. He is receptive and cordial, but is careful not to take any responsibility or offer any apology. He does confirm he was there on Wednesday, when I was told there was no manager on site. He deemed the lack of responses to my messages "unacceptable" and said he would talk to staff about it. I believed that 40%. He was very interested in why I declined to speak with his assistant.
Other minor annoyances - you can't get anyone other than the front desk on the phone. Call housekeeping, concierge, restaurants, etc, it rings until " The guest you are trying to reach is unavailable."
Not a high level of pick-up around the grounds, especially during S'mores. There was always a ton of trash.
I would love to see clotheslines in the bathroom and better TP. I will review the restaurant separately, as I am running out of characters.
Overall, as I said, I do want to emphasize that my family had a great time, and the good here absolutely outweighs the bad. I would say, though, that in this current situation you should not expect the overall level of personalized and knowledgeable service you would ordinarily count on from a place of this price point
