Jacksons Hotel

We were here on a Groupon deal. Upsides. The welcome was friendly. The hotel has ample free car parking. There was an open fire smouldering in a hearth in reception. Check-​in was very quick and we were grateful for early access to our room in the new extension. The room was large and well furnished. It was very comfy. Also the large bed was very cosy. There was a decent sized tv on the wall so you could lie in bed to watch TV. Tea & powdered coffee in the room with tasty gingery biscuits. The bathroom was well stocked with towels, soap & shampoo. As we had an afternoon cream tea in our deal we left our luggage and returned to the bar to tuck in. We got a plain scone each, a butter in foil, cheap jam in a shallow plastic tub and a tad of light (maybe aerosol) cream in a tiny pot with a squirt of cheap strawberry syrup swirled on the cream. The choice was tea or ground coffee. The coffee was good as was the Irish tea, the scone was ok but could have been much better quality, the cream was tasteless and the jam had no discernible taste either. I’m glad I didn’t pay for it. Afternoon cream tea done, it was off to the leisure centre as we had three different seasons interchanging outside from sun to rain to hail. You need a swim cap for the pool. If you forget to bring your swim cap you can buy one in the leisure centre for € 3 or hire at € 2 a visit. I didn’t use the pool. The jacuzzi & steam bath were wonderful. Breakfast was very good: croissants, ham, kippers, plaice and the usual full Irish breakfast (annoyingly devoid of potato & soda breads which is mostly North Irish and way better) Downsides next. No soap anywhere in the male area of the leisure centre. We were in the new hotel block, here’s the deal, from main reception in the old block: you go up 3 flights of stairs (about 6 stairs per flight) from the top of the third flight, it took me two minutes, 130 steps to reach the lift to go to the 4^th floor to reach the room. Each stride I take is about two & a half feet so over 300 feet. The dividing corridor walkway was damp & cool but at least it was dry. It’s a similar time & distance from our room to the leisure centre, also with stairs to encounter. We were able to take our car over to the new part to get our cases to the room easier. We would have been unimpressed if we had to bring our luggage up (and back down) 3 flights of stairs and well over 300 feet each way to the car. Our room was cool. The radiator had been turned off, so I put it on to quick heat. The rooms here don’t have wifi; ours certainly didn’t. Dinner was a real disappointment, really I was shocked. I’d a tasteless pork pâté starter € 6.50 to start. I had a steak sandwich main€ 15. The meat was great taste & quality wedged in a pre-​frozen lightly grilled ciabatta bread with a small amount of sautéd onion and a scattering of mushrooms. But the French fried onions, chips & potato wedges are industrially made, pre frozen and bought in. I said this at check out. I was told they often make this stuff fresh. I’d like management of this four star hotel in the 21^st century, in the first world, to justifiably defend serving guests pre-​frozen, bought in, French fried onions, pre-​frozen chips and potato wedges. Also bought in pâté, with relish added out of a jar and packet based deeply unpleasant, watery pepper sauce? I’ll trust a skinny chef but never a lazy one. Seriously I’d remove whoever in management is responsible for this indefensible madness. The tourist board should take off at least one star too if this continues, while it shouldn’t have happened it’s easy fixed. It’s a long time since I was served up this rubbish. For it to happen in a 4 star hotel is inexcusable. I resent it and the ‘do you rightly’ attitude behind it. I wouldn’t dream of buying any of this pre-​frozen, high processed industrial muck to bring to my home. It’s just insulting, it shows bone idleness too and it’s two fingers to discernible diners. Why spend millions of Euro on a new bedroom wing and scrimp & save pence by serving cheap pre frozen French fried onions & frozen chips. These ingredients are as cheap and easy as it’s possible to make even in a domestic kitchen. This main meal was part of the Groupon deal. Had it not, I’d have sent the entire meal back, got a refund and left to find great food elsewhere. If I wanted pre frozen fast food I’d go to a burgerking, they’ll sell me 16 industrial made French fried onions for € 2 and fries at a Euro. This means we are unlikely to go back to this otherwise fairly decent hotel if an evening meal is part of the deal. A final note to management: good, fresh, properly cooked food is very important especially to travellers, it’s not hard to make, a 1^st year catering college student could do a lot better. I very much doubt I’d look forward to a return visit unless the weather is good enough for us to explore good restaurants but truth is we shouldn’t have to.