"The location is excellent, with plenty of restaurants and cafés within walking distance. The rooms were clean and generally comfortable.
However, the room design left us scratching our heads. In Room 824, there was no separate light in the shower area, and the glass shower door was completely transparent. If you’re travelling with friends rather than a partner, be prepared for an unexpected “Full Monty” experience!
The toilet arrangement wasn’t much better. There was no lock on the toilet door, so unless you’re singing loudly while doing your business, you might end up giving someone an unpleasant surprise.
We had two rooms on different floors (6 and 8). Strangely, if you want to visit friends staying on another floor, you cannot travel directly between floors. Instead, you must go down to the lobby and take another lift to the required floor. We were told this is for security reasons, although it felt more inconvenient than secure.
The following is the complaint that was sent through feedback form to hotel management-
I am writing to formally complain about an incident that occurred during our recent stay at your hotel.
We had a reservation for three nights consisting of two rooms for five adults. Upon check-in, we were asked to pay a €300 security deposit, which we did without objection.
However, on the third evening of our stay, three members of our group, who were sharing one of the rooms, returned to the hotel after having a late meal. To their surprise, their room key cards were no longer functioning. When they approached reception for assistance, they were informed that they would not be granted access to their room unless they paid a further €300 deposit.
This demand was both unexpected and concerning, particularly as a deposit had already been paid at check-in. The situation became even more suspicious when, after several attempts to make the payment using three different bank cards, the reception staff suggested that they withdraw cash from an ATM and make the payment in cash instead.
My friends quite rightly refused to make a cash payment. What followed only increased our concerns: the amount requested was suddenly reduced from €300 to €150, and when this was also refused, it was reduced again to €100. This arbitrary reduction raises serious questions about the legitimacy and purpose of the requested payment.
As guests staying in a five-star hotel, we found this treatment wholly unacceptable. Preventing paying guests from accessing their room late at night and repeatedly changing the amount demanded for entry created the impression of an attempted scam rather than a legitimate hotel procedure.
I would appreciate a full explanation of:
• Why our room access cards were deactivated.
• Why an additional deposit was requested despite a deposit already having been paid at check-in.
• Why reception staff requested cash payment via an ATM.
• Why the requested amount was repeatedly reduced when payment was refused.
This experience significantly detracted from our stay and fell far below the standards we would expect from a hotel of your reputation. I look forward to your prompt response and an explanation of the events that took place.
Yours faithfully,
Sanjay"
