The Occidental Hotel

For a budget stay where you just need the basics, this hotel is decent. The shared bathroom and shower spaces are roomy and very clean. The beds aren’t especially comfortable, but I did get some sleep. If you book a room with two beds, I’d avoid room 33. Turning on its air conditioner made the room smell like black mould. I’m certain I was breathing it in while I was there, and the whole system needs to be replaced. It felt gross and really unhealthy, like people could get sick. Apart from that, it’s a reasonable place.

If you’re trying to keep costs down and will spend most of your time out exploring, it does the job. Most of the places I wanted to visit were within walking distance, and it’s inexpensive. The washrooms are clean and work fine, though they’re shared, and when it’s quiet it can feel like you have the place to yourself. The building looks old and worn, more like a Cecil hotel than somewhere high-end. There’s no reception staff on site, and room rentals are handled elsewhere. I wasn’t given the WiFi password, and the phone numbers on the door were confusing and may not work with a phone from another country. I also wasn’t sure how well the air conditioner worked.

I came across the place late one afternoon and found it buzzing with people in office clothes, inside and out, having beers and chatting. The happy hour runs Monday to Saturday from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM, with craft beer pints starting at $7. Finding a table then can be tricky, but you can take your drink anywhere on the premises. I had the Grifter Pale Ale, which was smooth and fruity, and the lively crowd made it even better.

Very basic and old, but the location is hard to beat for the price. It’s 100m from the train station, and the airport is 20 min away by train. After-hours check-in was easy, I just asked for the key at the bar. Handy for transfer passengers wanting to walk around the city centre. We left our luggage there during the day.