Landoll’s Castle Review
It could be the perfect getaway...
Landoll's Castle, near Ohio's Mohican State Park, is picturesque and immediately breathtaking. It represents what could be the epitome of perfection in a getaway experience. However, it falls short in a few critical areas.
First, let me start by explaining the positives.
The property is well taken care of, decorated, and manicured. When arriving at the castle, it definitely has the "wow" factor. The buildings, trees, decorations, property, etc. look amazing. My wife and I happened to be there during the holidays so the esthetics were an extra special treat with amazing lighting and decorations.
The room and ambiance were well done. We picked out our room online and weren't disappointed. The room was larger than expected, well decorated, very romantic, and the celtic music was a nice touch.
For the very rural location and remote nature of the property, the amenities available to guests were on par with more populated metropolitan areas. Having a spa, restaurant, and pool within walking distance was nicely accommodating.
Now, let's look at what could have made this a perfect experience but fell short enough to make it our only experience at Landoll's.
The staff was nice but not guest centric. For the type of property and experience Landoll's is shooting for, the check-in process and staff interaction was no different from a standard hotel. As such, there was not much instruction regarding the stay, amenities, or extras that would have made our time there better than or even as expected.
It was not occasion centric. As a precursor to our major celebration, my wife and I used this as a little romantic getaway to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. When we booked our reservation, Landoll's requested our occasion information but then never used it once we arrived. Quite honestly, from this standpoint, our pervious anniversary stay at a Hilton property was far better.
The pool experience was a big downer for a couple reasons. First, they offer a private reservation but the time availability and cost is not even close to practical. A romantic, private pool experience is offered from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM for $200 with a cracker, meat and cheese plate. Personally, I think 10 to Midnight would have been sufficient for half the price. Second, thank god we didn't rent the pool-house for that time because the pool water was cold and the hot tub was sub-par. For this property and the awesome pool cove design, a heated pool and a romantic (non stainless steel) hot tub would have been killer sweet.
The restaurant seemed like an off property afterthought that was not nicely tied to the castle experience. Granted, it was a bad night that we went, but when it comes to the guest experience, it's how you handle things and communicate that can make all the difference. In our case, they were understaffed and had some technical difficulties but made no attempt to communicate or go out of their way. Instead, our waitress disappeared for 20 minutes until we had to say something to the Manager. He asked us if we were staying at the castle but never understood what we were celebrating and, as a result, did nothing special to enhance our experience. Yet again, I was left with the feeling that we've had better celebration experiences at average dining establishments.
In the end, this was a nice experience that was worth the discounted holiday price we paid for our room, but it could have been a phenomenal experience that was memorable for all the right reasons. Instead, it was just a great property that didn't hit the customer experience mark due to a lack of attention to the details that matter. I hope this property can get it right because it could be elite.
