We booked the Penmorvah Manor Hotel for our wedding reception in September 2006. When we initially met with them in May 2005, we were welcomed by their wedding planner and restaurant manager and discussed our plans in great detail.
We chose the venue because of the wonderful setting, overlooking the Helford River and whilst the décor was chintzy and dated, the place had a homely feel.
As the wedding day drew closer and we began to discuss the final arrangements, it became apparent that the hotel no longer had a wedding planner or restaurant manager.
We were being dealt with by the owners and their attitude, surprisingly, was not on the same courteous level as the wedding planner. Everything seemed to be too much trouble and communicating with them proved difficult, if not impossible; having triangulated conversations via us, the receptionist and the owners.
When we asked to arrange a food and wine tasting, as previously discussed with the wedding planner, we were told that we would have to book a table in the restaurant and pay to try the wedding menu!
A week before the wedding we met with them and we were suddenly told that there were a number of new constraints that we would have to abide by, including finishing the reception earlier than previously arranged. By this time we had paid the balance and were unable to consider alternative venues.
The day before the wedding, despite booking half of all the rooms in the hotel, our guests were confronted by an extremely rude receptionist and were made to feel very unwelcome. They were not shown to their rooms, their bags were not taken up for them and were made to feel that they were putting the staff out.
The food was good; the waiting staff were fairly competent, although bottles of wine and champagne were cleared off the tables before they had been finished. We had paid for a certain number of bottles of wine allowing four for each table. Our guests only received two per table and were charged for any extra bottles they asked for.
We were following the order of the day, as previously discussed with the owners. However, after the meal, we were told that we had to cut the cake immediately. Even though we had discussed with them and had decided to cut the cake AFTER the speeches. We were then told that “that’s not how we do it here”. They did not seem to grasp the fact that it was our day!
Some guests checked in during the wedding reception to be met with unclean rooms (mould and mildew on the shower curtain and in the bathroom) which they did not find acceptable (when the room had cost in excess Ł100 for one night). The owners were not willing to rectify the problem, saying that they were fully booked. When the guests said they would make alternate arrangements and stay elsewhere, the owners refused to give the guests back their deposits!
The buffet for the evening guests was nearly two hours late coming out (at 10.30pm!!) and we did not receive either an apology or an explanation for this.
All in all, the setting and the manor house was beautiful, but the owners were appallingly rude, not only to us, but also many of our guests. After spending the sort of money that you do on a wedding reception for 150 guests, we would not be able to recommend the Penmorvah Manor for their service or hospitality.
It was clear that the management want to get as much money as they can from weddings, but they had a couldn’t be bothered attitude when it came to providing the level of service that we thought we had paid for.
