If you are a stickler for service, then the Renaissance in downtown Asheville North Carolina may not be the hotel for you on your next golf vacation. When we travel to Asheville, NC on golf vacations or any other vacation, the downtown area is our favorite lodging location. There are a multitude of great restaurants, bars, shopping and other entertainment options all within walking distance. However, there are a limited amount of hotel and lodging options in downtown Asheville.

On our last trip to this city nestled in the North Carolina mountains, we at chose to stay at the Renaissance hotel. This Asheville, NC hotel regularly receives high marks but it also charges high rates. Our nightly rate was slightly above $200 before taxes.

The outside design of this downtown Asheville hotel reflects an era gone by but the interior is modern and luxurious. The lobby is spacious and provides a comfortable seating area adjacent to an inside bar. There is also a nice outside patio for relaxing in the cool mountain air. Our room had amazingly comfortable beds, flat screen televisions and provided plenty of space. In simple terms, the atmosphere and facilities are first-class. Unfortunately, our experience with the hotel staff and the service they provided was more like no-class.

We travel often to research golf vacation locations and the local area and understand that everyone and every place can experience a bad day. Usually with an apology and a smile almost anything can be forgiven and rectified. However what we experienced at the Renaissance was borderline ridiculous for any service-oriented business and unforgivable for a hotel that charges over $200 a night.

Before departing on our vacation to Asheville, North Carolina, we placed an order to have a fresh fruit plate and hummus plate waiting on us upon arrival.

When we arrived, neither was anywhere to be seen. Our bellhop promised to take care of this oversight. After an hour, there was still no food. We called the front desk and they forwarded us to room service. The phone rang and rang with no answer. Finally after another 45 minutes someone finally answered and our order was brought to the room thirty minutes later. No apologies and no discount.

We later called the front desk to get a cab. The desk clerk told us a cab would be there in fifteen minutes and we could meet them downstairs outside of the lobby. My traveling partner went down to have a smoke and I followed in fifteen minutes.

After another ten minutes and no cab, I went in to ask what was going on. The front desk clerk told me, "Oh I meant to call you and tell you that it would be an hour and a half at least before any cab could come." I told her I had been in the room and no one called to let us know. She replied, "I was going to call you." And that was good enough service I guess as she stood there with a blank stare on her face Once again, no apology.

Our service nightmare was not over. The next morning we decided to order room service. Once again I called and called and no one answered. I called the front desk and they tried to reach room service to no avail as well. The front desk clerk then told me," Well, I just don't know what to do. Maybe you should just eat down here."

I asked to speak to the manager and it turned out that the person that delivers room service also answers the phone and takes the orders. There was a full-service restaurant downstairs. Would it be too hard to have someone take the orders while someone delivered meals? If you can't do that, why not have an answering machine? Where is the common sense here?

As we checked out, I told the front desk clerk about the horrible service and problems we experienced (lack of pre-ordered food in room, no extra pillows as requested, dust covering the room even after maid service, constant drilling and hammering in the room next door, no reachable room service and one bell hop for an oversold hotel) and once again along with a dumbfounded blank stare I was told, "We are really busy this weekend." No apologies offered.

This whole fiasco was really a shame as the Renaissance in downtown Asheville, North Carolina is a nice building and a perfect location. The potential is there to provide golf vacationers or anyone else on vacation in Asheville, NC a wonderful hotel experience. But at this time, we can not recommend this Asheville hotel to anyone and would never spend our money there again.

Copyright 2007 Evans Putman and http://www.PerfectGolfVacations.com - All Rights Reserved. Reprints allowed with no changes, omissions, or additions. All links must be left live and in tact.