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Minnesota-Minneapolis and St. Paul

Water Street Inn, Stillwater

Entrees--bad, service--worse. Our daughter's reception was held here on 9/26/09. When we called the following Monday with comments, we were told that had been no problems except with the expectations guests had for their steaks. On Tuesday the 29th I sent the following letter by registered mail explaining my specific complaints. I tried to keep the letter to one page so I omitted a few issues such as the 2 wine passes we ordered. Some tables were served 4 glasses of wine while others received none!!  It has been over 2 weeks and I have not heard one thing from their management or event planner. Frankly, I didn't really expect to get money refunded but I did not expect to be completely ignored... then again, maybe I shouldn't be surprised!! Beware.. Mr. Dougherty,        I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the quality of food and the lack of service at my daughter’s wedding reception last Saturday, September 26th. The couple was swayed by the Victorian charm and the scenic location of your hotel. In the spring, we attended a tasting with over 200 others in your ballroom. The wait staff was attentive and efficient and the hors d’oeuvres and entrees were delicious. We selected the New York Strip and the Grand Marnier Chicken with confidence and anticipation. The actual event was reminiscent of a classic bait-and-switch. In conversations with a number of our guests, their dining experiences were:             * The majority of their entrees were cold when they were served.             *The potatoes were undercooked and/or raw. *The Grand Marnier chicken was unrecognizable as the same entrée served at the   tasting. The glaze and the chicken itself were hard. In some cases, the wild rice was hard and crunchy, essentially uncooked. Some guests reported that, given how cold the meat was, they were concerned it was not thoroughly cooked and did not finish it. Some guests including the bride took a few bites and felt it was “inedible”. * The New York Strip was inconsistent. While some were good, others were served cold and rare. One guest sent his steak back to the kitchen twice and finally gave up when it was returned both times without any noticeable change. *Although the majority of the entrees ordered were steak, there were no steak knives available at the tables. * The time between the first entrees served and the last table served was an hour which caused my husband to ask that the hosted bar remain open during that time so that he could offer our guests something to drink while they waited as others were eating. *Water carafes were never re-filled at any time during the evening. * At 10:30 pm, more than 2 hours after dinner was served, the plates of congealing scraps were still on the tables. I had to make a special request to have them cleared at which point, one wait staff began to bus the dishes. This abysmal experience was not only a reflection on your hotel and its event planning team but on us as hosts as well. While I understand our contractual obligations to pay for the meals served regardless of their quality, I am abhorrent to pay the required gratuity which is by definition given as thanks for above-average service. I am requesting a refund of $1669.18.    

Re: Water Street Inn, Stillwater

  • edited December 2011
    Ahh, that's not good to hear.  We're having our reception there in May..
  • AmberDerekAmberDerek member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    That sucks!  I hope they reply.  I was in a wedding that had their reception there three years ago and the food was good.  The service from what I saw was decent.  I wonder if management changed?
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  • hkieslinghkiesling member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I'm so sorry you had to go through that. That's definately not what you want to worry about on your (or your daughter's) big day. Hopefully they reply soon.
  • We just had our wedding and reception at the Waterstreet Inn and LOVED all of it.  The staff there was super easy to work with, the food was amazing, the bartenders were fabulous, and everyone said we threw the best party ever... The best part...we did almost nothing and they took care of all of it!
    I would highly recommend having your wedding there... We couldn't be happier about how it turned out!!
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