CuisinArt Resort & Spa - Anguilla Horrible service, operations and staff/policies. Not for families, not for luxury. Anguilla, Other

CuisinArt Resort and Spa is a dated property with service as an afterthought.  We feel ripped off for ever having gone there and have requested our money back from them on two occasions - now it has been almost a month, and I haven't received any resolve.

1. We did not receive the food that we requested, as promised by the Chef and agreed upon via email before our arrival. We are strict vegetarians and decided to stay at Cuisinart solely based on the promise that our food requirements would be met by the resort. The chef and kitchen promised fresh steamed vegetables for our baby on several occasions, instead, we received vegetables that were hard and appeared to have been microwaved. We often received food for our baby long after we had already finished our meals, and as a result, ended up feeding our baby bread, as this was the only thing available for her to eat while we ate.

2. We were never offered a tour of the grounds when we arrived. We didnt even know that it was complimentary until we saw other guests being shown the property.

3. 80% of our food orders were incorrect or not cooked properly including what we ordered for our baby. Items that we requested like Tofu and Hummus, we were repeatedly told by the staff were not available. We realized that this was not true when we spoke to other guests who ordered them and the Chef himself confirmed they had been available.

4. We were booked with our child in a smoking room even though we requested a non-smoking room. We did not know we were booked in a smoking room until smoke poured in from the adjoining room two days before our departure. We were moved a day before our trip ended and spent 3 hours having to re-pack and be moved - after spending 5 days in a smoking room.

5. We were turned away from dining at Santorini one night (their fancier restaurant) because we did not eat meat.

Our first complaint was on November 12th. We were told by the concierge 10 minutes before our 7PM dinner reservation that we could not dine at Santorini because the pri-fixed menu was not vegetarian. We were going to the Jazz concert that night and wanted to enjoy fine dining at Santorini - we also invited another guest to dine with us. I informed the concierge that Chef Daniel promised to cook vegetarian for us, and to please double check with the food and beverage manager, Jim.

We were again denied and told that we would unfortunately have to dine at the cafe. Being turned away was very upsetting. We have a 9 month old daughter and do not always have an opportunity to dine out and enjoy live music, which is another reason why we chose Cuisinart.

While dining at the cafe, Stephane (the GM) came to our table and rudely explained the reason we were turned away - it was because the menu was pri-fixed and not vegetarian. We informed Stephan that the Chef had promised to cook us vegetarian during our stay, and he again explained that he could not accomodate us due to the menu, without apology, and as if we were bothering him. We eventually decided against going to the concert that night after being turned away and Stephans rude behavior.

The next day, we found out from another couple we met at the resort that were also vegetarians, not only were they welcomed to Santorini the night we were turned away, they were also treated to a special vegetarian meal prepared by the Chef himself. Needless to say, we were extremely upset that other guests were accomodated and we were not. My wife informed Stephane what we had found out about the other guests and that we were very upset.

She also explained the reason for our trip - my wife lost her father just months before and we wanted to get away and heal. My wife was brought to tears and yet Stephane did nothing to apologize or fix the situation until I spoke to him. He was much more responsive to me and offered free tickets to the Jazz concert, a complimentary couples massage and the equivalent of a free nights stay and a sit down with Chef Daniel to go over a special menu. We hoped that this would turn our experience at Cuisinart around, but unfortunately it got worse.

From that day until the day of our departure, we were clearly marked as the "problem couple", because the staff knew who we were everywhere we went. We were being watched and the staff was on edge anticipating what we might "complain" about. This was uncomfortable to say the least and completely unfair. This is not the type of treatment one expects from a resort.

The concierge sent us horseback riding - but not where we wanted to go.  We requested a romantic ride horseback at the better property on the island, Cap Jaluca.  CuisinArt's concierge staff sent us to the wrong stable.  Because of their extremely important oversight, we got hurt on those un-tame horses.  Our lawyer said it was probably because they get a kick back from the stable.  Needless to say, even after getting bucked off a horse, they never offered us our money back.

We chose CuisinArt Resort and Spa based on cuisine and the fact that the vegetables were grown organically in a hydro garden. Our decision was further solidified by the promise from Chef Daniel and management that our vegetarian needs would be met. Cuisinart fell drastically short. The cuisine was at best average, and our baby was not properly nourished at all during our stay. Being booked in a smoking room with a child well into our stay cannot be excused.

Now, three weeks later - we are waiting for Bob Dixon, the committee chairperson to get back to us regarding the inadequate check-out they provided us with on property.  None of the charges we paid on the incidentals should have been paid by us.  Instead, we paid for it or else they wouldn't let us leave the property.