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'Welcome to the Parker' Premieres Tonight; First Review Calls it a Snoozefest

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 4200 E Palm Canyon Dr [map], Palm Springs, CA, United States, 92264
July 26, 2007 at 2:21 PM | by | Comment (1)

We are very excited to watch the first episode of the Welcome to the Parker reality show despite the fact that the NY Daily News called it "boring on every level" and gave it only a one-star.

As we wrote the other week, the show follows the staff at the Parker Palm Springs Hotel, from the perfection-obsessed manager (that's Samir, above)to the tempermental cook to a punk-rock styled room-service waiter. In the first episode the hotel welcomes guests in town for the "Pong Springs" ping pong tournament, as well as a pushy food critic.

David Hinckley of the NY Daily News writes:

The big drama turns out to be gracefully convincing the team it can't set up its tables on the lawn of the Gene Autry House because they would ruin the grass.

The staff is unmemorable, the ping-pong team is cartoonish and the whole thing plays a little like someone decided to remake "Upstairs, Downstairs" with Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell.

The closest "The Parker" comes to delivering an actual celebrity is a brief scene in which the manager directs the staff to create a larger fruit bowl for Woody Allen.

But we never see Woody Allen, only his fruit bowl, and that's a shame.

Indeed you can watch this last bit on the preview for the show posted on the BravoTV site. It also looks like Bravo previewed an extended clip last night as the message boards are already gabbing about the truthiness of this show.

All we have to say is that it's reality TV which mean its only about 5 percent reality and 95 percent underpaid TV writers. Look what happened with Tori and Dean and Man vs. Wild.

Nevertheless, we'll have our full report on the premiere tomorrow.

Related Stories:
· Hotel show is boring on every level [NY Daily News]
· New Reality Show About Parker Palm Springs Hotel Set to Debut July 26th on Bravo [HotelChatter]

Hotels mentioned in this story

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Return to » 'Welcome to the Parker' Premieres Tonight; First Review Calls it a Snoozefest


'Welcome to the Parker' - a Shame

There is only one word to describe « Welcome to The Parker » : SHAME.

This show displays the most unprofessional staff (at every level)  you could find in a "so called" luxury hotel/resort....

Furthermore, this staff is  so arrogant - the opposite of luxury hospitality !

Where are the discretion, tact, style, good manners, impeccable education, etiquette and spontaneous efficacy from a the staff of a 5 star hotel ?

Everything seems so cheap and disorganized in that hotel that I am wondering if this show was not initially sponsored/created by a competitor to ruin the image of this hotel.

The GM, Samir, probably a self-made-man (according to his bigheaded speech) - Obviously, without the academic background, style and knowledge to fit this position.
This lack of knowledge makes him say stupid things like "before the guest was always right, now, it is different".  
Does that mean that it is a privilege for guests to be so lucky to stay in that hotel ?
Come on, Mister GM, show some respect for your guests and for the Parker Corporation (owner of this hotel) and get yourself some REAL hospitality knowledge !!!
This GM is a truly a disgrace for the hospitality industry!
Please, don't tell me that the PARKER is an INNOVATING PIONNEER and that THIS IS THE NEW TRENDY way to run a luxury hotel .
Look at the way the staff speaks, swears  and dresses !!!

Preparing a fruit basket  for Woody Allen (by the way...  if I was a celebrity, I would definitely erase the Parker  from my list of hotels...) ---
Several attempts and 3 to 4 people were needed to prepare a .... basic fruit basket.
Is that such a complicated task ???
We ended up with a truly "non-WOW" basket  (despite what the GM said).

The food critic was...  a mockery  !!!  Aren't food critics supposed to make their assessment remaining anonymous - so as to discover the real thing - instead of being pampered like VIPs ?

Finally, the announcement with trumpets of this remarkable designer, Jonathan Adler...  sorry but the furniture and the atmosphere of this hotel looks like cheap & kitsch student IKEA furniture.

Conclusion:  The Parker Corporation should get their feet back on solid ground and look at hospitality business with more humility ----  hiring skilled professionals and not a bunch of idiots !

Hints to learn about real luxury hospitality: Mandarin Oriental (NYC), Ritz Carlton (Shanghai), De Crillon (Paris).

PAF on July 28, 2007 at 6:48 PM #Permalink

Return to » 'Welcome to the Parker' Premieres Tonight; First Review Calls it a Snoozefest

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