EA Hotel Crystal Palace

There was no reception after 7 pm, so it took ages to get into our room. Once inside, the air conditioning wasn't working, it was 27°C, and there was no fan. The next day reception didn't open until 1 pm. To be fair, the young woman changed our hotel, and I'm glad she did because the other one was much better. Crystal needs updating, and there was a white stain on the top sheet.

The rooms had old furniture, and my mattress was hard and concave. Cleanliness was very good, though, and breakfast had a good variety. The noise was the real problem: loud music from the corridor woke me and friends in other rooms at 7:00 and continued late. You could also hear everyone's room code beeping and the recorded “DOOR OPEN!” and “DOOR CLOSED!” messages. If you want to rest in peace and quiet, this hotel isn't for you. When I asked reception for a calmer room, the staff seemed annoyed, even though at least 30 people checked in later that day, so there seemed to be options. Later, staff gossiped about us in Russian, and my colleagues understood the insults.

The room was small and very hot, with stuffy air, and the corridor music started at 7 am. The bed was good. Soap was already empty in the shower when we arrived, and after asking for two days, we still got none. They put the towels back as if clean even though they were dirty. We left them on the floor the next day, but they were returned to their place again, with no clue. I asked to be moved and got no answer. Be careful with the listing: the double room is one of the last photos on Booking, but the bathroom and toilet weren't shown there and looked nothing like the photos being used. For service, the man meant to check us in left us waiting for 15 minutes, and the woman we asked for help showed no interest. We couldn't ask for anything more. I'd suggest skipping the breakfast option. This hotel is below the minimum standard, and I won't come back.

Four stars? Maybe two. This was probably the worst hotel I've ever stayed in, and I don't understand how the relevant authority gave it four stars. The location is good, but the building and rooms are old. There were stains all over the carpet, and many walls were dirty or scratched. The corridor was pitch black in places because the automatic light sensors were in the wrong spots. The TV was small and had no international channels. One button was coming loose from my jacket, but they didn't have a sewing kit anywhere in the hotel, something I'd normally expect in a four-star place. There was no public area to socialize, and breakfast was very poor. I do not recommend it.