The
hospitality industry goes through tremendous challenges which are not simply
restricted to adhering to the traditional tools of the trade so to speak. While necessary to implement and maintain the
quality and quantity of your products and services, keeping your economic
efficiencies in sight, today’s highly technological world of global
connectivity imposes a slightly bigger burden on those in the hospitality
business.
Gone
are the days of faceless, heartless, soulless enterprises and the corporate aloofness
that comes with it. Gone are the times
when indifferent executive attitudes towards consumers do not account the “human”
value in measuring the worth of their product.
Rafayel
believes that hospitality is about serving “people,” about cultivating
relationships with them; about being transparent with them; about admitting
mistakes; about finding success in its failures; about exchanging meaningful
dialogue with their customers; about honesty and integrity.
As
an operating business, we are proud of our guests’ patronage, both the old and
the new. But like any establishment, we
are not impervious to praise or criticism whatever the case may be. Our policy is to publicly express our deepest
appreciation to compliments, or address any guest criticism or complaint, as and when they come. This is the reason why
we take the extra effort to explain any inadvertent oversight on our part, or
rectify misconceptions that our guest may create unknowingly based on their
unique individual taste or character.
No
review on our hotel is unimportant; not a single guest is insignificant for
us. We are proud to share our guest
comments and the quick-time way our management reacts to them, which
substantiates our open-door policy of meaningful and productive dialogue:
Guest
Review
“Poor location, good
food, noisy restaurant, trendy room”
July 17, 2012
My wife and I stayed here for 2 nights whilst visiting
Wimbledon, staff were very friendly,curteous and attentive, the reviews are
slightly misleading in that it is in a poor location, not somewhere you'd want
to walk around and also the train/tube stations are too far to walk to and you
have to wait at least 10-15 minutes for a taxi, they have an hourly scehduled
taxi service to clapham junction, which is Ok if you plan to travel on the
hour. Restaurant is well positioned and food is lovely,but it is very noisy,
not sure if that's to do with building, the sounds seems to reveberate and the
barmen insist on throwing empty bottles from a great height to create the
sound. Ok if you want somewhere to stay not very romantic.
Rafayel
Management reply
July
18, 2012
Dear
Guest
We thank you for your review and are glad to note that overall you enjoyed our
product and services.
It is disheartening and rather annoying that some people keep talking about
where we are located and we have to keep repeating ourselves that this is
highlighted in all our websites and that you are taking an informed decision
when booking to stay with us. Specially more so when you get a room which is
twice the size of a normal London room with large bathrooms in return. We take
pride in that.
However we reiterate that we are not far away from stations. Infact in good
weather conditions many of our guests prefer to walk to Clapham Junction
Station which could be reached within 8 minutes rather than using our shuttle which
by the way is every 30 minutes and not hourly as you have mentioned. Further,
Battersea square with a variety of restaurants is just 5 minutes walk from the
hotel and a brisk walk will take you to Kings Road, Chelsea within 12 to 15
minutes...So we are not in an isolated location after all.
We are glad to note that you enjoyed our food and services in our restaurant.
Banyan on the Thames is one of the rare busy restaurants in Battersea. When
it’s busy you say it is noisy and when the restaurant is quiet it’s said that
it has no soul. We are sorry about the noise made by the barman. It is against
Health & Safety to throw bottles, and we have checked on CCTV and found
that it was the clanging of bottles in a busy bar environment and not throwing
them away.
We have beautiful views of the River Thames and Chelsea Harbour across the
river, and you could walk undisturbed for miles along the embankment which
could be very romantic indeed.
We thank you once again in the hope that you will visit Battersea and Hotel
Rafayel in the near future.
Guest
Review
“Beautiful in all
aspects”
July 15, 2012
We only stayed here for one night but I wish that
it had been longer. Our suite room was very large and amazing! It had a working
area with a desk, a relaxing area with a sofa and table which we used to eat
our deliciousdinner from the room service menu. The bedroom area had a large tv
which we could control all of the lights and the air con from which was very
handy throughout the night! It was a shame that we had a first floor room as we
only had a view of the car park out of our massive window opposite the bed
which seemed like such a waste. Very good value for money, we booked the night
before through a coparison website which definitely helped with the cost! We
would both love to stay there again and i am most sure that we will, the
service was outstanding and the spa and resteraunt were exceptional.
Rafayel
Management reply
July
18, 2012
Dear
Guest
We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and experienced the hospitality of
our Restaurant and Spa too.
We are encouraged and motivated when our guests are happy and appreciate our
services.
Thank you for your review, and we sincerely hope to see you soon !
Guest
Review
“Such a let down”
July 13, 2012
I really
cant see the point in complaining about the hotel's inconvenient location -
this is made very clear on their website and on the main booking websites so it
is unfair and pointless to complain about this. However, I do agree that the
area is just - well, drab. My heart sank as we arrived in our taxi, all I could
see was what I later realised were private apartments and it just looked so
messy - the full glass windows meant you could just see weird piles of clothes
and furniture - it was just horrible. The reception area is weird. I agree it
is like a loading bay and again I just felt so disappointed when I walked
inside it was just really small, no glamour or slickness it was just like
walking into a department store - really weird.
Our room was also really irritating, The docking station didnt work (took nearly
1 hour to get it sorted and when it did you could hardly hear it). We decided
to use the TV music system instead and that was a complete joke it was as if
the remote was from another TV - complete waste of time so the build up to
going out and getting ready was just completely flattened. The bathroom
(without a bath) was a massive disappointment and why it does it not state
"shower room" is wrong - I have a skin condition and showers
aggrevate it massively so this was a real annoyance. There was no proper area
to get ready - one of us had to use the mirror inside the wardrobe and I tried
to use the bathroom but it was so dark it was just pathetic. The main lightbulb
had also gone but I got fed up of ringing reception and getting no answer so
just put up with it.
Although we had a partial view of the river, we were directly on the main road
with a view straight into someones office and a builders merchant - it was
really really depressing - plus the helipad started to get on my nerves after a
while considering I couldnt even drown the noise out with music! As the room
layout is long and thin you cant really help but be on view to the road,
builders merchant and girl sat at her desk so had to keep the blinds closed -
pretty pointless having a room with a view then - maybe vertical blinds would
be more sensible instead of roller blinds DRRR?! at least then you could see
the nice bit of the view and still have some light and privacy.
The room is SO badly appointed. I never stay in anything less than 5 star as
not going away often I would rather make the most of it and have stayed in some
beautiful places around Europe and this place defintely is not 5 star any day
of the week. There were so many basic things missing and what was there was
just rubbish - hairdryer without a nozzle/broken lights/broken docking
station/stupid TV/no fire exit instructions (great!) and loads of other things.
It just had no panache and you didnt feel like you had treated yourself. I felt
like I was in an office block - when you approach you will see what I mean. I
expect it looks impressive from the water front but as we were not arriving by
boat (!) then you cant really appreciate this.
Have not stayed in many London hotels so cant compare but I really didnt enjoy
it. The view out of the bar and the bar itself is lovely but thats it. Maybe if
this was owned by a chain then it may have a chance but it just felt like an
old office block trying to be a hotel and not really working! I cant complain
about the price but so wish I had paid more for an established brand as I
couldnt help feeling like a fool. How this has got 5* rating I have no idea -
even the spa was weird as the jacuzzi was right next to the window in the
corridor and when I walked past I just got some guys backside in my face - it
was so wrong!
What should have been a treat just didnt feel like it in any way at all. It was
amateur and strange and although I could sit here nit picking and moaning I can
only sum in up by saying how disappointing and depressing it was and lots of
irritation which is not how I should feel about a 5* hotel in London. It has no
personality, no warmth and no hospitality - like an office block!
Rafayel
Management Reply
July
17, 2012
Dear
Guest,
Thank you for posting your review which we find to be totally unfounded and
hyped. We are what we are but we are not what you have tried us to portray. It
is such a letdown to work 'so hard' and face with such a debilitating kind of
criticism that has little merit. As is our policy, we are always keen to exchange
dialogue with our admirers and critics alike, taking their recommendations and
suggestions to heart in our continuous quest to improve the quality of our
amenities and services, or to rectify misconceptions as the case may be.
Unfortunately, most of the points you raise or the description of the area you
highlight do not in any way reflect the quality of our hotel or the environs we
are set in, neither does your review suggest any constructive criticism to help
us serve you better. On the contrary, it gives a reader a completely distorted
picture of our establishment which serves no purpose other than imperiling our
business.
Battersea on Thames is anything but drab. We are sorry to learn that you found
the area “drab” and that the reception area was “weird.” Every individual has a
different sense of aesthetics or glamour and perhaps it did not appeal to
yours. On the contrary, most of our guests have highly praised our
lobby/reception areas, among other things, with all its floral arrangements and
artistic pieces that decorate the place. Rafayel is a boutique hotel uniquely
designed with state-of-the-art amenities that have earned it remarkable awards
and citations not in the least the 2011 Wandsworth Green Business Awards. The
analogy to a department store is unfair and misleading, and we also find
ourselves bewildered over your statement that it was like a loading bay.
Battersea has come a very long way from being a “dogs and cats home” to
becoming one of the most upcoming and expensive properties in London or, as
some have termed it, the “Monte Carlo of London.” Hotel Rafayel, located in the
landmark Falcon Wharf building on “the sunny side of London” with its beautiful
views of the River Thames, will also enjoy the prestige of being showcased as one
of the 700 of the city’s best buildings in Open House London’s architectural
event due in September 2012. Your individual review is such a stark contrast to
the kind of professional accolades and individual praise we have received, and
continue to enjoy, that we can only attribute it to your personal taste.
We are sorry that you were not happy with your room. We take great pride in the
fact that our rooms are equipped with the most advanced innovative
technological VDA Micromaster touch systems. Even the most
technologically-challenged guests have been nothing less than impressed. In the
last 2 years since we opened we have lost 180 iPod docking stations and TV
remotes and many that suffered abusive use, which regretfully we cannot
complain about, however, we believe our helpful staff was prompt in their
assistance.
With regards to your complaints on the shower, our website highlights in its
rooms introduction section that baths are available in some rooms. Had you
informed our staff you had a skin condition that could not tolerate showers
(even though our faucets have multiple jettisoning options), they would have
been happy to recommend an alternative arrangement. As far as the lights are
concerned, please note that the hotel is fully fitted with Philips’
eco-friendly innovative energy-saving LED lamps. Hotel Rafayel has been used as
Global Philips Corporation’s case study for being the first hotel of its kind
to use this technology. We would happily send you web links to review these
unfortunately posting terms and conditions do not allow such publicity, but
please feel free to search for reference.
We would disagree that our rooms are badly appointed. All our guests have
enjoyed the immensely spacious luxury of Rafayel rooms and bathrooms which most
hotel rooms in London lack. Our windows, which are highly insulated and
specifically designed to keep out outdoor noise, offer better views than many
hotels in London that mostly consist of unsightly rooftops and chimneys. Your
comments on the spa are unjustified too; the Jacuzzi is well-positioned and
well concealed to respect the privacy of users. We are proud to say that River
Wellbeing is a boutique spa in a boutique hotel but offers treatments and
facilities that have earned it high ratings.
It distresses us when any of our guests take the extra effort to mock and
criticise our facilities when they pay the most economical rates with zero
service charges in the current financial environment. With the rates we offer,
it seems unfair to pass judgement on the whole location, the hotel’s design
concept, and completely disregard the quality of our services. We are still a
new business but have achieved tremendous success with what we are, how we are,
and where we are. We cannot discount the thousands of professional and
individual acknowledgements and recognition of our establishment over your
review, but believing that every guest is important, we take the liberty of
addressing your comments in the interest of fairness, transparency and honesty.
We thank you once again.
Guest
Review
“Wish we could have
stayed longer”
July 10, 2012
We only stayed at this hotel for one night after
returning from Paris at 10pm on a Monday night however I wish we were staying
for at least a week. We got a great deal through last minute.com booking 2
weeks before with a total cost fo £129.00 per night.
The reception was serene and beautifully designed and the reception staff
incredibly helpful and polite. We were given a ground floor room (a shame as I
was looking forward to seeing the London skyline) however it did not matter in
the slightest the room was AMAZING!!!!
We were given a complimentary upgrade to a double deluxe, the room was huge,
the carpet was obviously very new, super soft and bouncy, the rain-style shower
was fantastic I could have stayed in there all night and the bed was
beautifully comfortable - a massive struggle to get up in the morning.
We also made use of the complimentary shuttle service in the morning to Clapham
junction at 7:30am, having our own car to take us was a great help and ensured
that meetings were arrived at on-time and stress free.
A fantastic hotel - I will definitely be going back.
Rafayel Management Reply
July 11, 2012
Dear Guest
We are delighted you enjoyed your short stay with us. It's a shame you didn't
have the opportunity to experience our Restaurant 'Banyan on the Thames' and
our 'River Wellbeing' Spa.
We look forward to welcome you back very soon for a longer stay.
What a delightful review to read !
Guest
Review
“Great potential, poorly
managed.”
July 15, 2012
A frustatingly mixed review.... Great potential,
if managed better - I think the website does this hotel lots of favours and
they could start by managing peoples expectations....!
Firstly, the location is a bit of a headache, not really a stone throw away
from anything, more of a helicopter flight away (which is probably why theirs a
heli port on your doorstep at this hotel (probably the owners - he has thought
it through).
but if location isnt a concern, then you'll get an amazing room at a budget
price with excellent food, so no need to even venture out!
great for getaways where the room is more important than locations and things
to do!
Rafayel Management Reply
July 17, 2012
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your positive comments on your stay at Rafayel. We try our best
to incorporate and implement our customers’ recommendations which helps us to
enhance the quality of our services.
We very much appreciate the fact that you highly rate our room and food, two
very important factors that are attributed to a well-managed and efficiently
operated establishment. Therefore, we are confused with the cryptic and
ambiguous caption of your review that it has “great potential but is poorly
managed.”
Our website goes the extra mile to let people know exactly who we are, what we
offer and where we are located. We disagree that it misleads people’s
expectations as our website carries more information than is the norm. We are
perfectly aware of our limitations, in terms of transportation and commutes,
which we have tried to mitigate by offering free shuttle services to Clapham
Junction and Clapham Common, with Bus 170 at our doorstep which takes you
directly to the heart of London within 20 minutes. We also offer car parking at
£15/day in a non-congestion zone, which you will not find anywhere else in
London.
Your oblique reference to the helipad and the owner is improper as there is no
connection between the two. This sounds very personal. With a small business
like ours it’s a battle of survival.
We have great faith and pride in Battersea – an area witnessing the kind of
development that has put it on the map, let alone the fact that it has fast
become the urban social and dining hot-spot, with Kings Road being a mere 12-15
minutes’ walk away. When you chose Rafayel, you took an informed decision so to
imply that it is in the middle of nowhere is unfair and gives the reader a
false impression.
We thank you once again for your appreciative comments on our facility and look
forward to your repeat visit soon.
