Hôtel-Restaurant l'Auberge

Unless there’s somewhere special I have in mind, I tend to have a habit of patronising the restaurant attached to the accommodation I have booked. At this stage I have only booked a single night in Spa. At dinner I notice there are no ashtrays on the tables. I ask if this is a smoke free restaurant. The waiter tells me that at the moment no one is smoking, but they are allowed to smoke if they wish. I ask if I can move if someone starts smoking. No! Once you sit down, you cannot move. {emphasis on the full stop} Okay, so I’m paying over $100 for dinner and if some inconsiderate wants to smoke and ruin my night, then I have to just suck it all up. After that conversation, the waiter now serves me without eye contact. The food is placed on the table, he utters something in French and briskly walks away. There is no explanation as to what is in the soup of the day. The table next to me appears to have ordered soup of the day as well, but it is a completely different colour. So did I get yesterday’s leftovers. To those who speak French he jokes and smiles – the ultimate shmoozer. In the French part of Belgium, no one seems to speak English. Not an issue – it’s their country – but the change from the Dutch part to the French part is interesting. I am now looked down upon for not speaking their local language. I get the whole language thing, but as an Australian coming to Europe for a couple of months, am I really expected to learn 5 or 6 differnt languages to make everyone happy. As to the waiter; his shoes are cheap; his pants are too long as he can’t be bothered taking them up and they are sliding down under his pot belly since he’s not wearing a belt. Yet somewhere in his mind he is above me in status without knowing a single thing about me. After both waiters ignore me for ages, he finally comes to collect my glass. He looks at me with raised eyebrows. There is no verbalised question as to whether I would like another glass of wine, more a disdainful look – he will not lower himself to utter words to someone less than himself. I request another glass and ask if it could be in a bigger glass, explaining that Pinot Noir needs to breathe – I was initially served a much smaller glass than every other table. Hmmpph. Okay He placed the glass on my table and walked away as quickly as he could with no eye contact. I raised my palms to the sky in exasperation as he walked away. He approached me a few minutes later and told me that his fellow waitress had claimed I was still asking him a question when he walked away. I explained why I felt aggrieved and he told me that he was sorry I had interpreted things this way. After dinner I walk across the square to anothet hotel who gives me an air conditioned room for 10% less for the following night.

De locatie van dit hotel is geweldig, pal in het centrum van Spa. Er is ook een prima restaurant aan verbonden. Ruime en zeer nette kamers met een goed dubbel bed. Ook de badkamer mag gezien worden, ruim met inloopdouche. De WC is apart. Kleine minibar aanwezig. Het ontbijt is ok maar kan iets uitgebreider, een omeletje zou niet misstaan. De bediening was vriendelijk maar een beetje stijf. Natuurlijk is de voertaal Frans maar denk dat voor Nederlandse gasten dit toch moeilijk is. De ober bij het ontbijt sprak vloeiend Nederlands. Ik miste ook een aparte ingang voor het hotel.

Met een vriendin 2 dagen naar Spa gegaan. Oorspronkelijk dit hotel geboekt via ***********, echter iets fout gegaan in de reservering waardoor we geen bevestiging ontvangen hadden en reservering ook niet in *********** app stond. Vandaar nieuwe reservering gemaakt bij ander hotel. Eenmaal in Spa aangekomen bleek Auberge wel de reservering van *********** doorgekregen te hebben. Wij zijn langs Auberge gegaan om de situatie uit te leggen en oplossing te zoeken, hier wilde ze echter niet aan meewerken. Zeer star en was probleem van ***********, zij zouden no show opgeven zodat volle pond doorberekend wordt. Aangegeven goed te begrijpen hoe vervelend de situatie was en dat we graag de commissie wilde betalen die zij aan *********** moeten betalen, starheid bleef en vooral de dame was zeer onvriendelijk. Klantvriendelijkheid dus een 0, er niet geslapen maar korte tijd dat we binnen waren wel gezien dat het interieur zeer oudbollig en outdated is. Zijn vele leukere hotels én restaurants in Spa