"I could not decide between a rating of 3 or 4, and although overall we enjoyed our stay in Montenegro, there is definitely room for improvement compared to other Leading Hotels of the World and luxury hotels we have stayed at.
The development and hotel itself are stunning with gorgeous views over the Marina and Adriatic Sea.
We arrived around midday. The bellboy was not at the door and we wheeled our suitcases to the reception. We were greeted warmly, asked to hand in passports, and told to take a seat, suitcases in tow. Just then, the bellboy arrived, apologetic, and helped us with the bags. He brought us cold towels, no welcome drink (which we later saw others receive). The reception team should have at least acknowledged that the bellboy would be out shortly and asked us to leave our bags on the side rather than having to drag them to the sofas. Check in was quick and our room was ready early, which was much appreciated.
The hotel was quiet during our stay, and although we were greeted with a smile when we walked past staff, service was generally lacking. It was often difficult to get a waiter’s attention at breakfast (even with just a handful of guests). Unlike most other high end luxury hotels (which I consider the Chedi brand to be), we were not once asked how our stay was going or whether we enjoyed our stay, not even at check out. At other hotels, management and staff genuinely want to know about our experience to ensure there are no problems - be it the receptionist on duty, the waiter or restaurant supervisor, and even higher management. We have always experienced better service in Asia and the Middle East than Europe, but as a Chedi, I feel the hotel could really do better.
Our room was spacious with a beautiful view. It was cleaned well and turned down each evening. Our only issue (and a big issue) with the room was the shampoo and conditioner dispensers. They are likely refilled as the black tape is missing on many bottles (although I am not sure they are meant to be). When refilled, the straw inside falls out and so it is impossible to pump out the product. I had an issue with the conditioner mid way through a shower on the first day. When I unscrewed the lid as I could not use the pump, there were 3 straws loose inside the bottle. Annoying when trying to have a shower but also very unhygienic, as someone is putting their fingers in to reattach these straws. We had a similar issue with the shampoo the following day. I did call reception, who did not seem bothered or apologetic at all, and just said they would send someone around.
The indoor pool and spa area, although small, were lovely. The pool was heated to a reasonable temperature but the steam room could be a bit warmer. The sauna was perfect. There was a funny smell outside the steam room for the duration of our stay.
We did not try the hotel restaurants apart from breakfast as we preferred the menus of other restaurants around the marina and also ate in town. The quality of breakfast was good but hot food choices were limited.
We chose The Chedi over One and Only due to location, but will probably try One and Only next time."
