"I have a hard time deciding how many green dots to award to this hotel. One thing is clear: if you come expceting a five-star hotel, as they claim, you will be disappointed. But if you are happy with a four-star with minuscule rooms, then the hotel is quite alright.
A few days before my arrival I sent the hotel an email informing them of my late arrival as well as room preferences. They replied within minutes, and did so in a polite and professional way and confirmed my preferences would be honoured.
At check-in, I was met by a friendly receptionist who spoke English well and took care of the check-in process quickly. Check-out was equally quick and hassle-free.
My entry level single room on the 4th floor was clean and tidy, and overall in good condition, but, frankly, it felt more like a closet than a room. A hotel that claims five stars should not have rooms this small – double the size would be acceptable. Even for a four-star, the room was really tiny.
The room came with a comfortable bed, but the two pillows were unbelievably flimsy and thin. There was a socket by the bed, at floor level, and a 0.5 L carton of water on the bedside table on arrival, not replenished. There was a small desk, crammed with all kinds of hotel stuff which I had to move in the closet to make space for my belonings. While the desk came with a chair, there was no sitting area, no sofa, not even an armchair and a coffee table as there was simply no room for anything else in the tiny roomette. The AC worked well and I could adjust the temperature, but not turn it off. There was also a safe in the room. Noise insulation was poor, not only could I hear all conversations from the corridor but also the frequent sound of running water whenever someone turned on the tap. No traffic noise as the street outside is mostly pedestrian. Wifi was fast, reliable and easy to use.
The bathroom was equally cramped but came with a nice bathtub that filled quickly. There was also an overhead as well as a handheld shower, both with excellent water pressure. Apart from a bar of soap, amenities came in wall-mounted containers and included shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. No dental kits or shaving kits. A bathrobe and slippers were provided, the only amenity that felt five-star.
Breakfast was served in the ground floor breakfast room daily from 7 to 10:30. It was included in my room rate. They greet you and take you to your table, but sometimes the wait was unnecessarily long even though there was no queue as staff seemed to prioritize other duties. The buffet was sumptuous: high quality cold cuts, cheeses, breads, yoghurt and fresh fruit, berries and salad items. I also enjoyed the cereals and cakes.
I also tried the ground floor bistro, which was sort of a letdown. Service was not very attentive, the food was okay but nothing more and the price a bit on the high side. The bistro is open for lunch and dinner on most days and closed between meal times.
The common areas on the ground floor are stylish in a classical way, as was the room, and there is a certain old world charm to the hotel, so it was a nice experience overall. Most guests seemed to be European senior citizens enjoying their time in the city.
I paid 119 EUR/night, which as such was an acceptable price for what I got. The hotel enjoys a central location and is a 6 minute walk away from the airport bus stop as well as within walking distance to most sights, lots of restaurants and shopping."
