Revive Boutique Hotel

The night receptionist, Aram, was pleasant, welcoming, and professional, as was the older receptionist. They were always polite and smiling. My experience with one daytime receptionist, possibly named Mariam, was very different: she rarely acknowledged guests and usually answered requests negatively. I often felt like an intrusion instead of a welcome guest. Hospitality needs basic manners, consistent service, and enough language skills to help people feel comfortable. I chose this hotel after canceling a Marriott because I wanted to support a small local business with decent reviews and a good location. After traveling through Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan, this was unfortunately the weakest hotel experience of the trip. The poor service had me seriously considering leaving early. On my first night, six days before checkout, I noticed a large yellowish water stain on the ceiling right above the bed. Reception said there were NO other rooms available when I asked to move. I asked if they could repaint it that day or the next, and we agreed. About 30 minutes later, reception knocked and said another room had suddenly opened up. I appreciated that and moved, since I hadn't unpacked. Then, about 20 minutes after that, two older housekeeping staff came in without greeting or explanation. One abruptly pulled the blanket off a bed, and the other went into the bathroom and took a set of towels. They didn't apologize, smile, or say anything. It felt intrusive, as though I was causing them trouble. As a solo traveler, I'd never had that happen before, and at first I assumed it might be a cultural misunderstanding. Later, I asked reception to borrow a fork because I knew there was a kitchen. The receptionist said NO, claiming she had NO access to it, so I had to go out and buy one. That was part of a pattern: requests were usually met with “NO,” with no effort to help or suggest another option. I reread other reviews and saw similar complaints, especially about service and water. One guest mentioned water problems, and management's reply seemed defensive rather than constructive. The hotel listing said a complimentary bottle of water would be provided on the first day, but I didn't get one. When I asked, the receptionist said I could buy water from the fridge in the room. I pointed out that the included bottle hadn't been provided, and she then got a key, went to the kitchen, and brought me one, despite having earlier said she had no kitchen access. At another point, I was told I could drink the “toilet water.” I assumed it was a language issue and clarified that I meant the bathroom faucet. At 1:00 a.m. during checkout, the night-shift gentleman asked me to give the hotel a rating of 10. I explained that the room and service didn't justify an honest score of 10, and that asking for a perfect rating undermines reviews, since feedback is needed for improvement. I couldn't give a 10 just because someone asked. I hope management uses honest, constructive feedback to invest in proper training for reception and housekeeping so future guests have a better stay.