Henderson Castle Review

Lets cut to the chase...

I will NOT be returning here, and all my friends have been told my story and said "THANK YOU for telling me, I will NOT be going there either." 

We stayed 3 nights for our 10th anniversary and bought the groupon deal spa package for 2 spa services. We choose 2 couples massages.

Night one and Two we stayed in Cottage suite B, it had cob webs behind the tv, dirty glasses, tacky magazines laying around, a bottle of sparkling mineral water that had a price tag on it for $6.95, The walks were not clear of snow and ice AND soap wrappers on the bathroom floor. That is just what I found in the first 5 minutes. Then I went to take a bath later that night and the faucet does not let water go into the tub, instead it just flows backwards onto the floor! OUT of the tub. I informed the front desk of the problem and watched them text the maintenance guy about it. Then I spoke with the maintenance guy the next day and he said, "Oh yeah, that's broke. We have so many new people here right now. They were supposed to tell you not to use it. It breaks a month after we fix it if someone bumps it, so we don't fix it anymore. All those fancy faucets are broken in the castle." WHAT?! MORE faucets are broken AND won't be fixed?! That is not acceptable!

Night three we stayed in the French room. The hot water leaked in the tub, not just dripped it flowed a pencil line thick of water. I told the owner and was told "yes we have a plumber coming tomorrow". I some how doubt that, since I was told the maintenance guy was the one that would deal with the plumbing issue in the Cottage. There was also a soap wrapper on the floor in this bathroom, too! There was also some kind of purple goo on the marble floor next to the bed. Probably a dried drip of juice or wine.

I not ONCE seen someone with a mop in the castle the whole 4 days we were there. Though the whole place is hard wood or hard type flooring. I walked up to my massage with no shoes on in my robe on Wednesday and my feet were FILTHY!

The roof top hot top was had large amounts of green algae in it! The snow had not been cleared to get to the hot tub. The sliding roof door also broke on our last night there.

Then (yes there is MORE) our massages were supposed to start at 2pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday it didn't start till 3pm, but we were warned that it would be starting later at 2:30pm, but then we had paperwork to fill out and one of the massage therapists was rather chatty and we didn't get started till after 3pm.

But the worst customer service that really did me in was Wednesday's massage was to be done by one of the therapist that was there on Tuesday plus a different one (couples massage, means 2 therapists). She says to us, "see you tomorrow at 2pm." Then she shows up at 3:10pm! She was my husbands therapist. Mine was there at 1:30pm prepping the room and waiting on her. At 2:20pm, after the staff telling us multiple times that our therapist would arrive "soon", I asked my therapist if he had to leave at a certain time. He replied that he needed to leave by 3:30pm at the latest. So, I told him to get started with me and then my husband could join us when his therapist finally arrived. SO, our $160 1 hour couples massage that day ended up being TEN minutes of overlapping time with 50 minutes of a private massage for each of us. I complained for FIFTEEN minutes at the front desk before someone finally offered me a full breakfast ($18 value) for us in return for a our troubles. When I didn't respond the owner offered it as "breakfast in bed" which meant they walked it up the stairs from the kitchen to our room... big fat deal after ALL the stuff I've been complaining about up to this point. I also had to pay 18% gratitude and 6% tax on our spa package. Which I new I had to pay and expected that. But I feel they should of given us our second massage for either half price or FREE and that would of covered those fees, cause the groupon was already paid for.

I went to Pizza Hut 2 weeks before this and THEY noticed they messed up our order, gave it to us for FREE, AND gave us, for FREE, a replacement pizza and bread sticks. Pizza Hut people! Not a "fancy" restaurant and Bed and Breakfast. That gives you fruit and cereal for breakfast and charges $20 a head for LUNCH.

OH and instead of investing money into building an office in one of the towers on the third floor, how about they fix the issues (leaky and broken things) and pay for more reliable staff that cleans better, keeps the walks clear, and shows up on time?! There was construction going on in one of the towers and we were told it was going to be an office. We didn't stay in the Italian room, but the shower is broken in there and we are told might never be fixed.

The service at Henderson Castle is Far below 1 star, but that is the lowest rating I could give it. The atmosphere and charm of being a castle is the only thing this place has going for it. I gave them ample opportunity to make things "right" and they sunk further and further away. Despite the bad service, broken things, and dirty atmosphere and mediocre breakfast.... we were able to enjoy each others company and do some shopping. Though we wanted to go to South Haven after one of our massages, but as they BOTH started late and ended too late to bother driving over there. The staff new this as well. Just shakin my head.

I really hope they get their act together, as the charm of the castle is indeed nice. It's what drew me to go there in the first place.