Ponda – The Park i Ponda, Goa

"I booked through Hotels.com and signed up to pay at the venue.Two months before the arrival date, the hotel sent me insistent, unprofessional messages asking for full payment upfront. I had no issues paying, but the handling of the matter by Le Meridien was appalling. There is only one proper restaurant on site (and two bars) (although they advertise 3 restaurants) More than 25% of the dishes on the menu are 'out of stock'. For our entire stay (9 days) the restaurant could not come up with prawns. Perhaps they want you to avail of the buffet, but then why offer a la carte? There is zero co-ordination between the front office, the restaurant, the pool bar, etc. We had to sign in when using the pool. Other times, not. Sometimes we had to pay at the pool bar, other times, we had to charge to the room. The Front Office staff are ignorant about hospitality- I was pointedly told at they did not have a concierge facility, so could not help with any suggestions for where to go. The Supervisor there was helpful but the rest of the staff refuse to make eye contact. They just type on their computers. I received more information from the taxi drivers who stand outside the hotel. I have stayed at other Le Meridien hotels and this was abysmally disappointing in comparison. Some five stars must be granted: The Games Room (clean, well appointed, and appeals to all ages) The Gym (good equipment, modern) Location (12 min to beach)"