Feeling cheated about Shabbos Nachamu Program

amother

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:01 pm

My husband and I booked a shabbos Nachamu getaway at a local "program." I am withholding the name for Loshon Harah purposes.

I feel that we were completely scammed by the program director, who was, most of the shabbos, missing-in-action.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe these programs are supposed to be "over the top" in terms of food.

The food was OK, very basic. When we came in, there was a welcome lunch which was decent. Some fruit platters, some hot dishes (Cholent, Kugel), cold cuts, but basic turkey, pastrami and some Kielbasa, no real "good stuff" or fish of any sort.

After the lunch, the tea room had bags of potato chips and whole apples and bananas. That's it. No nuts, no nothing else.

The evening meal, which I'm upset about not because of the food, but because it took them over 2 hours to serve, was also, basic. No complaints over food quality.

The "oneg" after the meal, they threw down literally some pre-bought cake and cookies and a few bowls of candy. There were no fancy chocolates, no fruit, and no viennese crunch.

Shabbos morning got me very upset. There was cold cereal and milk, some basic cakes (sponge, marble, kokosh, etc), hard boiled eggs, and some cut up cantaloupe and watermelon. Nothing nothing fancy or different. I was hoping for a good cheesecake or something out of the ordinary.

Lunch there was no fish. Just eggs/liver, cholent, cold cut platter (pastrami, turkey, grilled chicken) and sorbet.

Shalosh Seudos there were rolls, tuna/eggs, salad, and smoked whitefish.

Team room after lunch absolutely a joke. They served potato chips and corn chips and cut up watermelon. There was no jelly rings, fancy chocolates, pistachios.

Aside from the meals, there was not enough food to go around. Maybe they got quite a few last-minute reservations, but they ran out of everything really quickly. I woke up early this morning or I was afraid I wouldn't get breakfast.

I'm not saying this to sound spoiled. I know it takes a lot of run such a program. But I work hard and have a job, and when you are spending so much on such a program, you expect a little more. It's a splurge/indulgence-purchase for most working people. I'm fine spending it if I'd get something for my money.

I think the people that did their own thing at Embassy Suites did better than we all did and paid a fraction of the price (About $1000 a room).

I also know the people who do this need to make money too, and I'm not saying they shouldn't take a cut, but they should also know what's "standard" in such a program tea room or at a breakfast.

Overall, I'm happy. They provided us meals, which were fresh. Hotel was nice. Am I wrong to feel, though that they took our money and "ripped us off?"

One woman, who was there and also very dissapointed, told us that they said over the phone to her there will be "9 Lavish meals" and really up-sold the program to get her to come. I'm not sure where they get nine from (I count 8 meals) but how can you call some cut-up cake and fruit a "Lavish" breakfast?

I"m sorry, but I feel gypped.

Anyone else relate, or went to a different program and had a better experience? I would love to know where to go next year if some other owners actually care about providing a good experience.

amother

Lemon

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:09 pm

If it was a very high end program, yes, I would probably expect high end food. If the cost was on the lower end for these types of programs, I would not expect anything over the top at all.

amother

Denim

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:20 pm

Why is it LH?
You want to know where to go next year.
I want to know where not to go next year.

amother

Peach

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:22 pm

Sounds like one of those programs that people keep griping about here. Do a search.

amother

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:24 pm

What should I search?

amother

Yellow

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:24 pm

Curious as to the cost. Agree that a very costly program would have higher expectations. This sounds on par for an average priced program. If you paid $1000 for the weekend (assuming it's for your family) I would call that average or even an economical program. If you want something truly lavish, it's going to cost a lot more, unfortunately.

amother

Peach

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:26 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

What should I search?

eg this thread: https://www.imamother.com/foru.....60058

I never went to any of these programs, I don't even live in the US. I just remember reading it here. So likely there's no connection to yours, it just reminded me of it.

Cheiny

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:30 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

It depends what you paid. If you paid a lot then you’d have some small complaint about the food not being what you expected (it sounds like 99% of your complaint IS about the food...slow service is pretty common even in the most lavish program, which I’ve esperienced.). It doesn’t sound like you were made to starve or anything close to that. I’d venture to say you get what you pay for usually, but once in a while it could be a mistake on the caterer’s part having underestimated and running out of food. It doesn’t sound like your place made anyone go hungry. How much did you pay per person?

In any case, your best bet at this point is to contact the person who ran the program and see what they say.

amother

Crimson

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:32 pm

I have no idea which program you’re referring to but in general you get what you pay for in life.

Re:Embassy Suites Parsippany-I was thinking of starting a thread on that.
I was very disappointed with the atmosphere and anti-Semitic attitude and never went back again.
The management there is very happy to get bookings from all the frum families but once you get there they treat you like prisoners.
We wanted to walk out of the hotel to get some fresh air after the Friday night meal and the night guard stopped us going down quietly on the staircase and told us we could not walk around the hotel at night.

It’s also a major chillul Hashem with all the noise the cooped up kids make in the lobby and halls.
See Trip Adviser for an idea of the lovely reviews that the hotel guests write up.

amother

Burgundy

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:40 pm

The lavish programs are the chassidish programs. We've been with basically every chassidish run program and it was always over the top. What you're describing doesn't sound like one of the typical chassidish programs. There's one program that there are always issues with and most people know not to book with them.

Cheiny

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:43 pm

[quote="amother [ Burgundy ]"]The lavish programs are the chassidish programs. quote]

Nothing could be further from the truth. Jewish Heritage Center, gateways and other programs are lavish and food is over the top and they are not chassidish.

amother

Burgundy

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:45 pm

Cheiny I've been with non chassidish programs as well. When it comes to food, the chassidish know how to do it right.

amother

Wine

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 4:59 pm

amother [ Crimson ] wrote:

That's horrible. The parents should be parenting. Don't they have any consideration of others? I see this at kiddishes which is why I won't open my home to a ladies kiddish.

Surrendered

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 5:05 pm

OP, I believe I was at the same hotel as you this shabbos. According to the menu you described.
I lowered my expectations before I got there and was actually very happy with whatever I did get. I focused on enjoying the quality time with my family while being served good food.

The only thing that got me upset was that When I came to breakfast (10:30), there was almost no food left. When I got to the cooking scrambled eggs station, they said: That's it, no more making anything anymore. Waiters don't serve them...
Otherwise it was pretty nice, not to complain.

Last edited by Surrendered on Sun, Aug 18 2019, 5:09 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Peach

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 5:07 pm

Surrendered wrote:

What made you lower your expectations before you got there?

Surrendered

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 5:13 pm

My motto in life is: Lower your expectations so you appreciate everything positive in life much more!!! I notice everything in a positive way.
I always go places with a low expectations so that whatever happens (and there's always some flop and disappointment), I should be fine with it.

amother

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 5:13 pm

I paid the rate they asked. The rate was standard of all the nachamu programs. I did inquire around. I chose this one because he said it was a mixed crowd. The owner was chassidish, actually.

Can you post the name of the Chassidish program that is over-the-top and that people are happy about?

I don't want to post the name of the program because this is a public forum. It might be L'toeles for one person but not for others reading it. If another user posts, that's on their cheshbon, but I don't want it on mine.

I'm not saying the food was a "war zone" or anything, far from it. Shabbos was decent. The crowd was very nice, the hotel was clean. The food was acceptable if I'd be spending shabbos at a friend's house, but unacceptable for taking so much money from people. That's how I would describe it.

Surrendered: It probably was the same. Why did you lower your expectations? Did you get a break?

amother

Blonde

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 5:19 pm

Surrendered wrote:

This happens even at the high end programs! If you come to the breakfast just as they’re about to close it down, you can’t expect them to still have everything left. I’ll bet 10:30 was when breakfast ended, no?

Cheiny

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 5:20 pm

amother [ Burgundy ] wrote:

Cheiny I've been with non chassidish programs as well. When it comes to food, the chassidisg know how to do it right.

I’m not saying they don’t, what I’m saying is that it’s not true that the non-chassidish don’t do over the top.

amother

Sun, Aug 18 2019, 5:24 pm

Can you post the name of the program that does over the top? That's the one I want to go to next year!