Balkan

The hotel is just outside the city center in a quieter neighborhood. There's paid parking, plus some free spaces on nearby streets, so parking isn't a major issue. Breakfast is available, though it falls short even by hotel standards. The rooms are very basic for a hotel that presents itself this way. There's no air conditioning, and the windows only open a crack, making warm weather uncomfortable. The bathroom has no ventilation, so its dampness goes into a room you can barely air out. The physical room keys are another hassle: they only give you one, which is inconvenient when sharing with roommates, as we did at a large event. Service mostly means replacing towels and emptying the bin, which is enough in most situations. Reception isn't always helpful, depending on who's on shift.

Great location, and I can highly recommend this very good hotel. The restaurant is amazing, and the rooms are clean and comfortable. There's no socket near the bed, though, just an extension cord that isn't very long.

The room was okay and the price was very good. It's an excellent choice for a short stay, about a 10-minute walk from the nice city center. For a longer trip, breakfast might become an issue since there wasn't much variety.

The city view from the room was lovely, but that was about the only bright spot. It smelled dusty, and the minibar was empty. There wasn’t even a sewing kit or shoe-polishing kit, which felt lacking for a hotel rated four stars. The receptionist made the stay much worse. We needed to change the invoice details, and she turned it into a scene, raising her voice over something minor. From the first moment, before we’d even spoken, she seemed to have taken a dislike to me and didn’t try to hide it. I was there on a business trip and really didn’t expect to be shouted at over a small request. Very disappointing. I won’t stay there again.