Pontac House Hotel
"Beyond expectations...."
By Mrs Jacqueline B, Henley-on-Thames, UK
29 July 2014
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I stayed at Pontac House Hotel with my sister for just 4 nights, but wished it could have been longer. Our stay was amazing and we felt really sad to leave. Our room had a balcony and sea view. It was located at the front of the hotel and was on the first floor, which we had requested before arrival. There are also sea view/balcony rooms on the ground and second floors. The bedroom had both a double and single bed in a spacious, CLEAN and beautifully decorated interior. Noticeably, there were many facilities and provisions in the room, some not normally associated with a 3* hotel. There was an abundance of storage, a large integral luggage space, loads of clothes hangers, coffee/tea facilities, clock radio, flat screen TV, pen/paper, optional newspapers, hairdryer and hair/shower/soap/shower caps, shoeshine provisions etc. Laundry and room service was provided and Wifi was available in the public rooms. There were ample towels changed daily and housekeeping was faultless.The traffic on the coastal road between the hotel and the beach did not trouble us at all, the view from our room was lovely and we were able to relax on the balcony before going down to dinner. I had read reports that there were smells of sewage from the seafront balconies, all I could smell was seaweed! Initially not the nicest smell, but not the fault of the hotel....and it was unnoticeable after sitting on the balcony for a few minutes. It certainly did not detract from our visit and we had our window/sliding glass door open at all times. We chose to order dinner from the very comfortable bar. All bar/waiting staff are attentive, friendly and provide an excellent, unobstrusive service. I have stayed in 5* hotels all over the world and the staff here rank amongst the best. They had the class of a superior grade and the friendliness of a family run hotel. Nothing was too much trouble for any of them...you only had to ask. The food was beyond expectation. At booking stage we opted to go for half board and had no regrets. Breakfast was freshly cooked, non greasy, the best ingredients and the menu provided lots of choice. We could not fault it. We were surprised to find that dinner was 4 courses (excellent for the price), again all fresh, delicious ingredients and the service, as always, impeccable. Both food and drink delivery was prompt, served courteously....and water was also provided at the table. We chose to have liqueur coffees after our meal at an extra cost, which could be taken at the table or in the bar/lounge. We felt thoroughly spoilt. All the public rooms in the hotel were tastefully decorated (as were the bedrooms). It is a period hotel with high ceilings and French doors opening out to gardens. Many features have been retained in the original building, The decor feels fresh and airy, the bar and restaurant having a coastal theme. The swimming pool area has an adjacent garden with plenty of quality tables/chairs/sunbeds....and shady trees or umbrellas for those who want to keep out of the sun. The photos do not do the garden justice. It was very peaceful - a lovely place to rewind after a day's sightseeing. It is well maintained, clean and tidy. The hotel supplies towels for the swimming pool upon request. A bus stops outside the hotel, which I think runs between Gorey and St Helier, where other buses operate to the rest of the island. There was a car park at the rear of the hotel (screened from the garden) and steps or a ramp up to hotel reception. One point I would like to stress further, is my high opinion of the staff - their work is obviously not just a job - being of service and ensuring customers are happy is important to them -.they are thoughtful, show attention to detail, are well trained, happy and eager to please, many having worked at this hotel for a number of years. Overall, I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough. The hotel owners/management and staff aspire to and provide a service well above 3* expectation. Thank you to all the staff for making our stay special. We will certainly return.