Arriving in the beautiful marble floored reception we were greeted by friendly, if somewhat slightly complacent, staff and escorted to our suite. With a balcony overlooking the park next door and the beautiful bay ahead, a large, wall-mounted flat screen TV, stunning bathroom and the usual amenities, the suite should have exceeded expectations. But there were one or two things amiss. 

 

First of all, it didn’t feel like it had been cleaned for some time; with dust on the tables, a vase full of water without flowers and a few scratches on the wall, the room felt as though it had been forgotten. However, once we returned from a dinner along the beautiful St Brellads Bay, we found our room prepared for bed and cleaned to a more than satisfactory standard. This warm evening welcome just about made up for the issues earlier. Overall, the suite was very nice, if somewhat moodily decorated in dark greens and purples for the businessmen of today.

 

As with any hotel, the most important thing is whether you can achieve a perfect sleep. This, for me, is where the Grand deserves praise. The two nights we spent in that bed were lovely. It was very soft, relaxing and very, very comfortable. No complaints there at all.

 

 

Breakfast is situated in a large dining room overlooking the bay which makes for a stunning early morning view. Here, the hotel presents the usual mix of lavish continental and full English choices in a buffet style along with fresh salmon, cold meats, fruit, cheeses and Jersey cream natural yogurts, the latter of which was lovely, and the presentation perfect. Despite the delicious food, the best thing about breakfast was the service from the ever polite and engaging restaurant staff. By the second morning our waitress had remembered our exact drink order and proceeded to engage in a nice conversation and even wished us a safe return home that afternoon. This made the restaurant team a world away from the slightly distant reception staff, who tended to keep to themselves until our presence at check-out.

 

The Grand is a five star hotel that attracts a lot of businessman and, indeed, feels luxurious and delivers a lovely night’s sleep. But, despite the very friendly restaurant staff, it’s a shame the room was dusty and forgotten. However the vibe was relaxed and it is the best hotel on Jersey.  

 

Written by David Hart

 

http://www.grandjersey.com/