Abassides Palace

I should have read the reviews before booking. The photos online looked great, but the stay was stressful and uncomfortable, and I wouldn’t recommend this hotel. At arrival, they couldn’t find my booking. After a long discussion at reception, I was told I had to pay cash for two nights to stay. While I was sorting that out, other guests said they didn’t have water in their rooms, which was worrying. My room was unbearably hot, with the heaters on full despite the hot weather outside. There was no proper cooling, only cold shower water, and neither the safe nor TV worked. The whole hotel had a strong damp smell. I asked to cancel the second night and leave after one, but a staff member kept coming in and out of my room to try to fix the TV, so I couldn’t rest. The heat and poor air quality made it hard to breathe, like hot air was hitting the back of my throat. Opening the window barely helped because it was extremely noisy outside. When I said I’d rather leave, the staff member was dismissive and rude, telling me to “just sleep one night.” He said all rooms shared the same systems for water, heating, and TV. He showed me three other rooms, and they all seemed to have the same problems. The staff were rude, unprofessional, and dismissive. The bedding and towels didn’t seem washed; the towels smelled unpleasant and appeared to have been dried on heaters. There was no manager available, and the hotel seemed severely understaffed, with just one person at night and one during the day for a five-floor property.