Hastings House Country House Hotel

We had planned to visit Hastings House for a few years, so a couple of weeks ago we managed to make a reservation for 6 pm dinner on Saturday night. Our expectations were high. The walk up from the marina was nice, the table was nice, the young waitress was pleasant. Our appetizer was the escargot, very nice. Our first drinks were good. We didn’t see our waitress much, my wife’s glass of wine took a long time to come. Our fish was underdone, my surf and turf was quite good, but the service was under par. The waitress looking after other tables seemed to be quite engaged, and everywhere, while ours was nowhere to be seen. Quite frankly, we were disappointed. When the bill came, I explained to our waitress that our service was not what we expected. She then asked if we got out much.

We were very underwhelmed by our experience at Hastings House. We stay at Relais & Chateaux properties because we expect a certain standard, but sadly this one fell short. From check-in to check-out, the staff was poorly trained and left a lot to be desired. The accommodations were quite rustic. There’s no A/C in the rooms, which made it necessary to sleep with the windows open. Facilities were inexistent: no living room, bar, lounge, nothing. Our biggest disappointment was with your restaurant. We were celebrating our 20th anniversary but this was not acknowledged at all. Instead, we were made to feel like difficult guests because we wanted cocktails before dinner. We were begrudgingly accommodated, but brusquely told we could not order any small bites until we were seated for dinner. Pity, as we’d have enjoyed the caviar with our drinks. For dinner, the mushroom ravioli I ordered did not contain any mushrooms at all. I inquired about this, but our server said the chef confirmed there were mushrooms. And that was that. No apology, no offer to replace the dish or send out mushrooms on the side (since there were clearly none at all in my dish). We cancelled our reservation for the next evening, but nobody inquired about the reason. There was hardly any staff around at all, so they probably didn’t notice. After we left I replied to the hotel’s request for feedback, but got no response at all. Makes me feel like Relais & Chateaux are not what they used to be.

Beautiful gardens, comfortable rooms, but very badly let down from the off. by thevery abrupt “Who are you?” greeting from the receptionist, who only softened once she realised we were guests. She then denied saying it when we pointed out how unwelcoming it sounded, essentially calling us liars. She subsequently missed numerous opportunities to apologise properly or make us feel welcome, setting the tone for our whole stay. An email to the GM remained unacknowledged. The room was dated with awkward socket placement and a kettle with dead spiders inside. Breakfast has to be paid for, and at $45/head was terrible value, lacking choice and certainly did not match the "farm-to-table” branding (dried banana chips in the granola). Service was very average. This is a shame as the muffins delivered to our room were delicious. We've stayed at many Relais & Châteaux and have never felt so unwelcome. Cannot recommend. Update 3 weeks later: Finally, we contacted Relais and Chateaux. This prompted a reply from the hotel stating that they had meant to contact us while we were still there and were now offering a 'sincere apology'. This actually amounted to telling us that we misheard the receptionist's "How are you?" and misinterpreted it as "Who are you?". This was most definitely not the case. The inference is that we either don't understand English properly, can't hear properly or were lying! I have never left a negative review before. I like to leave positive reviews to call out excellence. Anyone can have a bad day, make a mistake etc., but please just own up to it.

Excellent fine dining, charming Sommelier and fabulous views, this place oozes island charm mixed with a modern touch

We stayed here two nights while on a Gulf Islands bike tour. Built on a hill overlooking the harbor. Rooms are individual and unique. Spacious and luxurious. All amenities. Great staff. Great views.