A-Austerlitz Hotel

The central location is a plus, and the reception area seems to be the only part recently updated. My first stay here will also be my last. I haven’t felt this uncomfortable in a hotel for a long time. The room looked like it had been redone in the 1980s and left that way. It was shabby and not clean enough, with furniture that seemed about 50 years old in an unpleasant way. The bed was rock hard. The wooden floor creaked with every step, and the walls let through everything. A man next door talked until after 11 pm, and I could hear him so clearly it felt like he was sitting by the corner of my bed. Hallway and street noise kept me awake too.

The staff were kind and ready to help, and the facilities and rooms matched their descriptions. The one snag was the booking option for a smoking room, since there weren’t any available. That could be improved. The hotel is close to the city center, with a tram or public transport stop about a two minute walk away, so getting around is easy.

I’m young and have dealt with plenty of different situations, but my stay here was pretty horrible. The room was very old and had no services. Internet cost extra and didn’t even work, and the reception staff barely spoke English. Breakfast was one of the most awkward buffets I’ve come across, with a few cheap discount items and truly horrible coffee. Then a waitress kicked me out of my room at 9, even though checkout was at 10:30. I can understand this kind of service for 10 euros a night, but not at 90 euros. I really have no words.

The rooms were spacious and clean, and breakfast was small but enough, served upstairs with a view over the city. The reception staff were super friendly. Rooms near the elevator can be very noisy because of the corridor door, though. Apart from that, everything was great.