Axel Hotel Bilbao

"Pros: The rooms at the Axel Hotel Bilbao are beautifully and modernly decorated. Additionally, the hotel offers a lovely view over the city, has a fresh look and feel, and features a very comfortable shower. Cons and service: Unfortunately, the service during both check-in and check-out was completely unprofessional. In the hospitality industry, professional customer service and friendliness are core requirements for staff. While this hotel prides itself on being an LGBTQ+-friendly chain, it is simply not enough to employ transgender staff if that is the only thing a person brings to the table. You expect a baseline level of hospitality, a proper greeting, feedback questions, and an accurate bill. Instead, we faced a blunt, incorrect accusation about outstanding costs without even a basic "goodbye." Inclusivity is wonderful, but professionalism and common courtesy remain the absolute foundation of hospitality. This experience fell short."

"Stayed there on the 4th of August paid over €400 for a classic suite room for 1 night. When we got to the room it love nice no issues. Rooftop pool was green with tiles coming off the bottom of it and only around 6 beds to lay out on with most laying on around the pool with little to no space, when returned to our room there was a significant leak through the lights in our bathroom which was highly dangerous. When we complained to the front desk they informed us that they had no rooms to change us even after I offered to take a lower rate room and to give us a form of refund for the room change this was not an option as the hotel was full which I understand. However we didn’t get to wash, use the bathrooms etc before the night and didn’t want to stay in the room fearing safety as well as the hygiene as we were informed it was from the shower drain above us. The leaking started at 8:30pm and when we returned at 12am it was still dripping. I complained and was informed the manager was informed and would arrange some compensation. I went down the the desk at 10:45 the next morning and the manager was not present. The front desk person informed us to grab some breakfast ans that the manager was going to speak with us before we left at 12 which did not happen so we were provided with and email that didn’t exist. At 11:45 as we were checking out the maintenance came to check the room as we were packing our bags therefore there was nothing done during our stay to fix the issue. When I finally got through to the manager using the general email of the hotel and ringing over 5 times we were told there was no reason for compensation despite being told when we were leaving that the manager was aware and would follow up with compensation a complete health and safety hazard and lack of any accountability or customer care."

"Axel Hotels is known for catering to the LGBTQ+ community, promoting a space of diversity and inclusion. However, during my stay, it felt like this marketing strategy has backfired. When around 85% of the guests are straight, the original concept loses its meaning. While diversity is great, management might want to rethink their positioning if they want to keep attracting the community they claim to represent. The hardware of the hotel is top-notch. The location is excellent and serves as a perfect base for exploring the city. My room at the front of the building was nice. It featured a spacious open shower which was a highlight of the functional room layout. Gym and spa facilities decent. The hotel itself is good, but potential visitors should note that Bilbao has become highly touristic. Because of this massive influx of visitors, the relaxed, authentic Spanish atmosphere and the level of service can sometimes feel compromised and rushed."