Lancaster HOST Resort and Conference Center
Written: Oct 30 '06
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: The room was where the convention was
Cons: Bad odors in the room, slack people at the desk, an overall worn look.
The Bottom Line: The Lancaster Area has many places to stay. This is not one of them.
|
|
|
| popsrocks's Full Review: Lancaster HOST Resort and Conference Center, PA |
I stayed at the Lancaster HOST Resort and Conference Center this last weekend. I have been there before for the same conference. This year was the worst and it only seems to be going down hill.
Receptions Desk
Unknown to me I was checked in by a colleague. When I went up to the desk they couldn't find my name. After some calls back to my colleague who was about five minutes ahead of me and searching for her room, she asked me to ask the desk where the D section was. The gal was pretty snotty and curt.. saying the place is a circle and its between the B section and F. When I went out there, I could see that the awning for our section was gone and there were no markings as to what section it was. When one is walking around with luggage from the interior court without a car its quite a walk. The desk was no help.
I also found out that this "Conference Center" has NO PC for use. You've got to be kidding!! If you don't have a laptop of your own, they send you three miles away to a Visitors Center PC that doesn't even get to all Internet sites.
Room
I had my luggage in hand and instead of instructing me that there should be plenty of parking by the room, the gal at the desk pointed the way through a stairwell going down and to the outside and a walk through the large pool area that did not have a walkway for the luggage on wheels. The passageway to our hall was cluttered with old chairs that sat out in the rain for days. Great site just outside our doors. I mentioned the awning was gone and once keying my way into the building I could see the hall carpeting is quite worn.
The room was pleasant enough but hot to an extreme. I had to turn off the blower switch and the thermostat never worked all weekend. You either had heat on and toasted or had to turn it off completely.
The hotel is now renovating rooms. By the looks of the carpet, this one was recently done. The bed was a king and comfortable. The room was clean and came with the usual consisting of a coffee machine, iron and board, clock radio and a 19" TV that was from hell. Every time I was watching something it would be fine for a while and then the picture would fade to ghostly images or some kind of horrible noises would come from it. It was the haunted TV. Every night I went through this. No help from the desk.
The bathroom was also clean though quite small. The only standing space was three feet by two and a half feet. The lighting was fine in the bathroom and the hairdryer was available. The water pressure and hot/cold temps were fine. The only plus of the Lancaster Host Resort for the weekend were the towels. They were quite fluffy, large and good quality. Smelled good too.
Smell did I just say. Four or five times over the weekend an odor would permeate the room. It smelled like sewage back-up. Upon each call to the desk, they said, "They would check it out". When I inquired about moving my room, I was told they couldn't because they were totally booked.
Maybe I'm being picky but this is the only place I have ever been too that did not cover the pillows with the bed spread. Is this the new and upcoming trend starting in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country?
Rooms were cleaned well each night. ha, I didn't need turn down service because the bedspread was already turned down from the pillows. What! No little mints each day?
A Newspaper was slipped under my door the first two days. On the third day they slipped me the bill. No paper. Rooms were $130 per night.
Amenities
This place must attract many families in the summer season with its huge swimming pool outside and inside pool too. Outside they had a mini-golf course. Rinky dink golf for sure. Out back they have an 18 hole golf course. I didn't play but it looked OK from a distance. At one time the inside rooms that surround the large pool and play area might have felt like a resort type place with a bar, and recreation like volleyball, play areas for kids and such.
Location
This place is right in the heart of the shopping Outlets and across the street from Dutch Wonderland, though I would never think of crossing RT30 on foot. Many of the Amish sites are nearby and for longer distance travel both Hershey 30 miles and Gettysburg 70 miles away are doable as side trips from the area.
Last Thoughts
I found the help at this place lacking enthusiasm and friendliness. It's almost like they have been working the place too long. Except for the hard to regulate temperatures and the odors in my room (not a good thing) and the haunted TV the room was OK. I do want to mention that the back area of the hotel is extremely quiet BUT, the doors slamming are a terrible nuisance. They just SLAM! and SLAM!. No exaggerating here.
There were some signs in the lobby area saying sorry about the renovations but man, they need to renovate the back area and soon. Instead of getting a clean and airy outdoors feeling I felt I was in an alley-way of some urban area. NOT GOOD.
I spent my days at the convention or doing Amish Country destinations and food stops. Thankfully I wasn't married to the hotel. I only used it to sleep at night and listen to the pleasant sounds of SLAMMIN' doors.
I ate twice at the convention. Never at the hotel's two restaurants. The food was not good. The first night the chicken or veal cutlet was overly salty. On closing night they gave me a piece of chicken that must have been prepared for mummification. It was dry and tasteless. I couldn't tell you if the foods came from their own kitchens or a private caterer. It just wasn't good. Thankfully the area has some excellent restaurants.
The only reason I would stay at this place is the convenience of the convention on the grounds. Nothing else would draw me to it.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Visitors Center
DUTCH WONDERLAND An amusement park for young families.
The Cherry Crest's Amazing Maize Maze This is family fun at its best!
Sight and Sound Millennium Theatre, One of the Most Popular Venues in the East
Tangers Name Brand Shopping Mall
Good'n Plenty Restaurant Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking served Family Style
Miller's SmorgasbordExcellent Pennsylvania Dutch Fare served buffet style
Cherry Lane Motor Inn A nice well priced, place to stay while in PA. Dutch Country
Pennsylvania, a great State An overview
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.