Joker

I stayed here for a race at the racetrack, but the room was filthy. The beds were very hard and uncomfortable, the shower was dirty, and the toilet had hairs on the seat. There was also a really strong, unpleasant smell coming from the shower. For the price, this was terrible. I’d choose another hotel. One star only because I can’t give zero.

The receptionist was the bright spot: she was very friendly, helpful, and clearly tried hard. She even arranged a small fridge for our room and took out the trash. The bedding was clean, too, though the bed itself was extremely hard, and I didn’t want to inspect the mattress too closely for health reasons. Our room was right by the entrance, across from the gym and below the shared kitchen, so there was no escaping the noise. People started coming and going at 5 a.m.; then came the weightlifters and their music, the washing machine at 6:30, and a party upstairs that carried on past midnight. We also had a short power cut, which put our card game on hold while we sat in the dark. The bathroom was a mess of dirt, rust, and makeshift fixes. The shower head wasn’t properly attached, the drain didn’t work well, and there were lots of old dowel holes in the wall. The towel rack was rusty, and the toilet paper holder was gone, leaving just a hole. Hotel Joker really does feel like a mix of gym, youth hostel, and abandoned building site. If all you need is a roof and you can laugh through the discomfort, you might find the stay entertaining. Sleep seems to be optional here.

Works well for a stay, whether it’s just a few days or longer.

The staff were friendly and went out of their way to help us. The room was clean, and the bed was comfortable, but the bathroom setup was awkward: nowhere to put toothbrushes or other items, no towel hooks, and the shower sent water into the room because it had no door. The fan was noisy but didn’t seem to move any air. We were there for the World Sports Conference (WSBK). The room design was odd, and the backyard looked a bit like the entrance to the underworld, in the biblical sense. The chef’s idea of “okay” takes a pretty broad interpretation. That was partly down to communication, and I also hadn’t expected Pakistani/Indian food in the Czech Republic.