Zola Hotel - Palais de Bohème

We stayed in room 205, a two-bedroom apartment, for four days with my partner and my mom. It was such a lovely visit: the rooms were nice and the staff really helpful. There's a free sauna area too, and you can reserve it at reception. Getting into the city is easy by metro or on foot, and there are food shops nearby for snacks.

I never got to stay, and the whole experience was awful. I booked through Booking.com and let the hotel know my flight was delayed, as they'd asked me to do for a late arrival. Check-in was listed as 2-10pm, and they gave me the night porter’s number and said to call 30 minutes before I arrived. I called over and over, with no answer. I reached the locked gates between 10 and 11pm and couldn't get in. A couple arriving at the same time got into their room with a lock-box code, but nobody had offered me that option. They let me into the lobby, where everything was locked and no one was there to help. I was stranded at night and had to book another hotel nearby. The hotel later said self check-in is available for just one room each night and other late guests depend on the night porter. If that's how it works, the porter needs to be reachable. I did get a full refund, but it was a huge inconvenience at that hour in a city I didn't know.

The building is beautiful, and the receptionist was friendly and helpful. My room was spacious, with a comfortable bed and a shower that worked well. It could do with more closet space. It's a little beyond the tourist center, but very well connected by tram and two metro stations, and the price for what you get is a very good deal.

From the serene area to the beautiful, characterful building, this felt like a special place to stay. Room 109 was large, comfortable, and had windows on two sides, with an antechamber separate from the bedroom. Everything was in excellent condition, and the staff were very friendly. I stayed two pleasant nights, and Vorgartenstrasse U1 station is at most a 10-minute walk away.