"We spent seven nights at the Radisson Blu Hotel Nice in a Superior Room with a city view for three people and paid approximately €4,300 for our stay – originally without breakfast. At a hotel of this category, and especially at this price level, I do not expect excessive luxury, but I certainly expect a clean, dry, well-maintained room and facilities that meet the standards being advertised. Unfortunately, our stay was a major disappointment in several respects.
By far the biggest problem was our Superior Room. From the very first moment we entered the room, there was a very strong and unpleasant mould/damp smell. It was particularly noticeable whenever the air conditioning was not running. With the air conditioning on, the smell could be masked slightly, but it never truly disappeared.
As the windows could only be opened to a very limited extent, we had practically no possibility of properly airing out the room. I can understand that hotel windows may not open fully for safety reasons. However, in that case it is even more important that the ventilation, air quality and humidity control in the room function properly. In our room, this was clearly not the case.
Even more concerning were the visible signs of dampness and moisture around the area where the wall meets the ceiling, which I have also documented with photographs. I seriously question how a room in this condition could have been approved and released for guests. Housekeeping staff enter these rooms regularly, and in my opinion it would be very difficult not to notice either the intense smell or the visible signs of moisture.
The humidity problem became particularly obvious with our towels. Even when they were hung up, they often did not dry properly. We stayed for seven days and constantly had to deal with damp towels, including the towels we took to the beach. There was a small heating/drying facility inside the cupboard, but in our experience it was completely inadequate. The overall atmosphere in the room felt damp, stuffy and extremely uncomfortable.
For me, this eventually went beyond a simple matter of comfort. During our stay, I repeatedly experienced headaches and a very dry throat, and I also had difficulty sleeping. Of course, I cannot and do not want to medically claim that these symptoms were directly caused by the dampness or the smell in the room. What I can say as a fact is that I felt physically very uncomfortable while spending time in that room. Sleeping for seven nights in a room with such an intense damp/mould smell was simply unacceptable to me.
I actually intended to request a meeting with management the day after our arrival. In the end, we tried to remain calm and enjoy our holiday despite the situation. Looking back, however, I believe that a room in this condition should have resulted in an immediate solution.
We even asked for a paid upgrade to a sea-view room and were fully prepared to pay the additional cost, partly because we hoped it would provide a better opportunity to get fresh air into the room. Unfortunately, we were informed that no suitable room was available.
The housekeeping also did not meet the standard I would expect from a hotel of this category. In particular, the floor did not appear to be cleaned thoroughly enough.
When we arrived, the required extra bed was also missing, even though the room had been booked for three people. I do, however, want to specifically mention one member of staff at reception who handled the situation in a very friendly and professional manner. As compensation for the inconvenience, we were offered complimentary breakfast for the duration of our stay. We genuinely appreciated this gesture. There were also several other members of the reception team who were friendly and helpful.
Unfortunately, the breakfast itself did not particularly impress us. The coffee, in particular, was very disappointing for a hotel of this category.
We also found the prices for additional drinks excessive. The complimentary water provided in the room was sometimes not sufficient for three people. An additional small bottle of water at the hotel cost approximately €5–6, while a small coffee from the self-service machine was around €3.50. Considering the already very high cost of the stay, this did not leave a particularly guest-friendly impression.
Another major disappointment was the fitness centre and the swimming pool, especially because these two facilities were among the main reasons we chose this hotel in the first place.
We did not choose the Radisson Blu primarily because of its location. There are several hotels in Nice offering a comparable location. We specifically chose this hotel because it advertised both a swimming pool and a fitness centre. As we normally work out several times a week, having proper fitness facilities was important to us when choosing our hotel.
Unfortunately, the fitness centre was extremely disappointing. It was very small and had only a limited amount of equipment. For anyone who trains regularly and wants to complete a proper workout, the possibilities were extremely limited. We expected considerably more from a fitness centre in a hotel of this category and price range.
The pool area was equally disappointing. During our visit, the pool water had a very unpleasant smell, to the point that we did not feel comfortable actually swimming in it. In the end, we only put our feet in the water and decided not to use the pool.
In addition, we were practically never able to find available sun loungers. They repeatedly appeared to be fully occupied, so we eventually stopped trying to use the pool area and went to the beach instead. This was particularly frustrating because the pool had been one of the main reasons we chose this hotel.
The service at the pool bar unfortunately did not improve our impression. On one occasion, we sat there for approximately 20 minutes without anyone approaching us to ask whether we would like to order something. Eventually, we simply left.
Overall, during our stay we sometimes had the impression that some members of staff were overwhelmed and that the organisation was lacking. I do not want to criticise every employee, as we also met some genuinely friendly and helpful members of staff. To us, it seemed more like a general organisational or staffing issue.
The comfort of the large lobby was also not always satisfactory. While the area directly around reception was air-conditioned, another part of the lobby became noticeably warm during the day.
We also noticed that certain guests, for example arriving airline crews, sometimes received a very personal and attentive welcome from management. There is obviously nothing wrong with welcoming particular guests warmly. However, in my opinion, every guest should receive the same level of respect and attention, especially when they are experiencing serious problems during their stay.
And this is the most important point for me: Every guest, regardless of whether they have booked a city-view or sea-view room, should be entitled to a clean, dry and properly inspected room. Choosing a city view should never mean compromising on basic standards such as cleanliness, air quality or the general condition of the room.
I have stayed in many hotels around the world, including in Paris, London, New York and several locations in the South of France. Some of those hotels had fewer stars and were considerably less expensive, yet provided exceptionally clean, fresh and well-maintained rooms. For that reason, I cannot excuse the condition of our Superior Room because of the location or any other circumstances.
If a room has visible signs of moisture, smells strongly of mould or dampness, cannot be properly aired out and even towels struggle to dry, then in my opinion that room should not be given to another guest until the cause has been professionally investigated and resolved.
The pool and fitness centre were important factors in our decision to book this particular hotel. When a hotel advertises such facilities and guests choose the property partly because of them, those facilities form part of the experience they are paying for. In our case, unfortunately, neither the pool nor the fitness centre provided what we reasonably expected from a Radisson Blu.
For approximately €4,500 for seven nights for three people – originally without breakfast –, the overall value for money was simply unacceptable.
Because of the condition of our room, I will also be contacting hotel management directly and providing the photographs I took. My intention is not to criticise a hotel over minor inconveniences. A missing extra bed, waiting times or occasional organisational issues can happen. A room with an intense damp/mould smell and visible signs of moisture, however, is not a minor issue.
From an international hotel brand such as Radisson Blu, and at this price level, I expect appropriate quality control – both regarding the rooms and the facilities being offered.
Our conclusion: There were certainly some friendly and helpful members of staff, and I want to acknowledge them. Unfortunately, they could not compensate for the serious issues with our room or our disappointment with the pool, fitness centre, housekeeping and, at times, the service.
A Radisson Blu should not provide guests with a room in this condition. Unfortunately, our Superior Room and the overall experience did not come close to the standard or value we expected from a hotel in this category."
