Majestic Minima Hotel

The air conditioner was really noisy, and the balcony looked straight onto the car park. The rooms are tiny, with barely space to walk around or store luggage. There’s no smart TV, microwave or toaster, the carpet was filthy with stains all over, and the shower is very small. Maybe it’s fine for one person who just needs a bed for a night. It’s cheap for a reason, but I wish I’d looked harder for somewhere better for a stay longer than one night.

The 2pm check-in felt a little late, but otherwise I had no complaints. The price was affordable, and the basic amenities covered what I needed for a long weekend. I liked having my own balcony as well as access to a bigger shared one. It’s in a cute neighbourhood with lots of cafes, and you can walk or take the bus to the city centre.

The manager eventually agreed that charging a £100 deposit over a little water on the carpet was unacceptable. It wasn’t damage, and the water could dry in less than 10 minutes with a window open. It didn’t come from us either, as the plastic bottles we’d put away had been moved. We’d left the room spotless, removed the sheets and sorted the rubbish to make things easier for housekeeping. Getting that resolved was an ordeal. Check-out should have taken five minutes, but we waited over an hour while the receptionist first asked us to wait as she inspected the room, then said the cleaning team needed another 10 minutes. Other guests checked out without waiting, except for one other person of colour. It made us wonder if people’s appearance affects how much confidence they get. We asked for photo evidence of the stain and said it was fake because it hadn’t been there when we left. We had to walk back across the neighbourhood with the manager to check the room, since reception is a 5-10 minute walk away. From the start, the room hadn’t been cleaned properly. There was lots of hair in the bed, and the dirty sheets hadn’t been changed. The receptionist was arrogant and seemed to judge people by their appearance. The housekeepers seemed to be trying to pin the blame on us, perhaps hoping to block the room and avoid cleaning it. They asked for a £100 deposit on top of the advertised price and seemed to do everything they could to keep it. To me, this felt like racism and a scam.

We’ve just checked in for a very expensive three-night stay, and our balcony faces a huge brick wall. The booking information never mentioned that. There’s no little bedside table and nowhere to put luggage. Maybe we’d feel better if the room didn’t make us feel imprisoned.