Welcoming atmosphere, very nicely designed hotel, good interior design choices, but, and a big but, you realise the staff aren't up to scratch. So a supposed 5 star hotel becomes between a 3 and a 4 because of that.
Most of the staff are perfectly pleasant but ineffectual, both in the reception and restaurant. This is a management issue not a staff issue. There felt a complete absence of oversight from management to assist staff, so you got the sense that trainees were running the place.
We went for lunch across the bay in the marina at Cappucino and remembered what service was. I'd temporarily forgotten. Places like The Standard can probably blame Covid for recruitment difficulties but when you get 2 hospitality venues in the same town with 2 vastly different service outcomes you begin to realise its a management issue.
There were staff exceptions at The Standard : 2 female staff in the restaurant, one with short brown hair, the other with long blond hair. Both exemplary, hardworking and tried their very best and carried the rest of the restaurant staff.
The reception staff were present but there was 'nobody home'. Again, no guiding hand from a senior member of staff.
2 issues with the room : we had a smell in our junior suite, a damp ammonia smell, probably the drains; when the wind picked up the outside shutters would make a gentle but noticeable rattle; housekeeping was a bit shambolic.
We enjoyed our stay but the hotel underperforms
