A
Oak Island Resort & Spa
36 Treasure Drive
Western Shore, Nova Scotia B0J 3M0
Canada
Tuesday, 16-Aug-05 12:36:25 EDT
Oak Island Inn Resort & Spa Review Weekend August 12th 13th 2005 A quiet tranquil place where the damp smell of the sea and sounds of wave patiently await you. Hidden treasure has long been drawing people from all walks of life and I find the service at Oak Island Inn is also hidden deep waiting to be uncovered. I first arrived on a warm Friday night after supper where I was met by friendly well dressed staff at the front desk where they informed me about the Inn and sent me to an average room on the first floor. The room was clean, comfortable and quiet. Price range was a bit high for an average room at approx. $130.00 per night but a good night sleep is worth it. I was awakened in the morning to a new day full of sunshine and exploring the Inn where I quickly went off to the dinning room where I waited for my table. I waited there for approx. 7 min. Where I was taken to a dirty table and made to wait while this table was cleared. I noticed several cleaned tables and many staff . The staff were friendly and local I am sure, here I was asked " Just you" now, with a story to write and being there by myself with four others joining me for the weekend, I was made to feel that being alone at an Inn was a bad thing and eating alone was unspoken of. Buffet was the choice of the morning and was not a very good choice. The eggs were heavy and rubbery, bacon dry and overcooked, fresh fruit had several flies, Yogurt was uncovered, coffee was old and strong, but the toast whole wheat was excellent. And the price. Approx. $10.00 was a bit pricey for the limited selection. Supper was the next meal of this day and again I was made to feel almost embarrassed for eating alone. I was taken to another dirty table where again I waited for it to be cleaned. I had the pasta with chicken ( Excellent Choice) a craft of white wine chosen by my waitress ( Excellent Choice ) and fresh rolls that made the meal. Service during this meal as well as the meal was excellent. Drinks anyone? Well the bar area is small and quaint with a great choice of drinks, You feel you are tucked away in a lodge deep in a hide away with a large fireplace and oversize furniture it is well appointed and comfortable. However, be prepared to wait approx., 15 min for drinks to be served with 11 people in the bar. Again service is friendly but very slow. Manhattan’s were the drinks that most people were served and glasses were in short supply as there was a wedding booked in the Inn and that is where all the glasses went. My drinks were white rum with coke and the price was fair at $3.75 per drink. ( Lemon and Lime’s missing, missing glasses, but a good drink.) Bar closed, off to the Black Pearl for a live band and drinks, friendly local people and great music. A short walk and friendly local’s a good choice for a night out within walking distance. Back to the room where another good night sleep awaits ( This was a room I received after a cancellation for a reduced amount as the air-conditioned did not work.. ) with morning and discovery of the local area and Inn awaiting. Breakfast at the dinning room this time with sun in place we ate out side to a spectacular view of the water and the sounds of nature. Again, I was taken to a dirty table and made to wait for it to be cleaned when there were six clean tables. I mentioned this time to the lady who sat me that I was not impressed with this and was taken to a clean table. I was told "We are trying our best and we are busy" ( 12 people dinning, 6 Dirty Tables, 7 Staff , you do the math ) I remarked " We can always try harder" Tables were cleared very slowly and dirty dishes and tables scattered the outdoors area. Waitress was friendly and some talked so fast that it was hard to understand them, I heard one waitress tell guest that she was sorry for talking so fast. No coffee refills to be expected as they quickly pass by you unless you happen to get their attention. Waited for utensil to eat with as well as refills of juice. I ordered off the menu. ( People’s Choice ) and the meal was excellent. Overall a great way to start the new day. Price was approx. $11.00 and fair as well as good. Overall this is a nice place to go but try to book when there is not a wedding going on as they take up a lot of time of the staff and not tend to spend a lot of money there except the wedding party. Be prepared to wait, wait and you may have to wait some more from a meal to a drink. It is a slower pace with staff that appear to be seasonal. Some work enough to get unemployment stamps and then they are off. It is a simple way of life and not a bad place to get away. My choice for meals is Chester or the Mahone Bay area as the service is exceptional and food mouth watering. If you want to be pampered and taken care of with excellence this is not the place to stay. ( Spa Area not visited on this trip, but highly recommended by guest ) this will be my next review. Out of a scale of 1 - 10 the Oak Island Inn gets a 6. As the waitress told me there "we’re trying our best" and I say " We can always try harder"
|
|
|
|
|
|