The Terrace Hotel

I traveled with my family to celebrate Thanksgiving, trusting that The Terrace Grille would provide a memorable holiday experience. My partner went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfectly arranged for our arrival. He kept me informed every step of the way and took all necessary measures to confirm our reservation in advance. Despite his efforts, we were met with disorganization, unprofessionalism, and a deeply uncomfortable situation upon arriving at the restaurant. I witnessed firsthand the level of care and preparation my partner put into this day. On 11/21/2024, he called the restaurant after experiencing technical issues with OpenTable and was assured by Garret that our reservation for seven at 1:00 PM was confirmed. Yet, when we arrived, we were told there was no record of our booking. Salvador, the host, returned with Sean, the manager, who reluctantly offered to seat us at 1:30 PM but imposed the condition that we vacate the table by 3:00 PM for the next party. Being given a strict time limit on a day meant for celebration and connection with loved ones was not only unprofessional but also incredibly disappointing. The situation felt rushed and awkward, completely undermining the festive spirit of Thanksgiving. To make matters worse, Sean not only failed to apologize but instead implied that the error was our fault for not booking through OpenTable despite the fact that OpenTable was malfunctioning, which is why the reservation was made over the phone in the first place. His dismissive and unkind demeanor only added to the discomfort. Adding insult to injury, we were not allowed to finish our drinks at the table they just started very disrespectfully cleaning and making noise around us, before we could fully enjoy the remainder of our holiday experience. This felt very unprofessional and rude, especially given the circumstances. As for the food, I fully support my companion’s description. The oysters were gritty with sand, the snow crab was overcooked and rubbery, and the Brussels sprouts were burned to the point of being inedible. The shrimp was the only remotely decent offering, though still overcooked. For a restaurant of this caliber, the quality was shockingly poor. It was both sad and disheartening to see my partner and his family well-laid plans unravel due to the lack of professionalism and care on the part of The Terrace Grille. This was supposed to be a day of joy and gratitude, but instead, it became a stressful and disappointing experience. If you are considering The Terrace Grille for a special occasion, I strongly advise against it. What should have been a highlight of our Thanksgiving holiday turned into a memory we’d prefer to forget.

We had a delightful stay. The location is perfect. Be sure to walk down to the lake and circumambulate, a lively stroll at any time. We found the staff friendly and helpful. We would love to see more information on permanent display about the history of the building (1924).This is only logical since bLakeland attracts so many people who are interested in architecture due to Florida Southern College and its Frank Loyd Wright designs. Take the stairs to top floors to get a sense of the historical. The breakfast was superb and reasonably priced. Mylik’s friendly, warm demeanor started our day off right.

We celebrated birthday for five enjoying the Saturday brunch. All five of us ordered a different entree. Everyone was happy with their choices. We had avocado toast, omelette, breakfast sandwich on brioche, pancakes, and Benedict. Our service from the valet to the host to our server was seamless. The bottomless mimosas weren’t bad either ;-)

I cannot thank the staff enough for all that they did to help us through Hurricane Milton: Leon, Emma, Salvador, and others made a very difficult situation has comfortable as possible. Even though many of them had to spend the night at the hotel to provide excellent service, they did so with grace and hospitality to those of us who felt misplaced and homeless.

The hotel is almost a 5. I didn’t like the bed. Rooms are nice clean complimentary water and coffees are great. We didn’t get complimentary breakfast but the food in the restaurant was great. They didn’t have regular coffee only decaf. I drank the coffee in the room.