NH Gran Hotel Casino Extremadura

We got bumped up to a superior room for the same price as soon as we arrived, which was a great start. The room was enormous, with a separate bedroom and bathroom, a walk-in shower, and the toilet and bidet in their own separate area. The huge double bed was made from two singles, but you couldn't feel a join at all. It was a lot of comfort for the price. Breakfast had a great selection and a lovely view over the river bridges. Reception were the definition of professional, and the underground car park was huge with really easy access. A taxi to the town centre cost €7.50, and we walked back in 20 minutes. I've paid more for UK Premier Inns, and this felt like the sort of place I'd expect to cost over 200 a night. Absolutely magnificent, faultless.

After two nights without proper sleep, we decided to leave. We come to Badajoz often and usually stay at the NH, but this visit was horrible, and we won't return. The room was like a sauna, over 23 degrees Celsius and sometimes up to 24. We called reception several times. They were very professional, but couldn't fix it, and that didn't help us sleep. The temperature is controlled centrally, so you can't adjust it in the room. Cooling is switched off overnight, and the temperature keeps climbing. It's not acceptable for such a basic comfort to be this bad.

The casino felt gloomy and depressing. There were boring machines and just one blackjack table, with no noisy machines, celebrations, or sense of fun. Everyone working there, from the pit boss to the servers, looked as if they were losing money. Not a smile in sight. The casino manager and staff also shouldn't take smoke breaks on the same balcony guests use. By US standards, I'd call this a three-star hotel at best. It says five stars, but there's no bellman, valet, pool, or spa, and maintenance is lacking. Some floorboards are broken, the elevators have scratched posters and graffiti, dining tables and chairs are worn out, and public restroom hand dryers are broken. Maybe the US and Europe rate hotels differently.

The breakfast room has a lovely view over the river and part of town, and the omelette with cheese and mushrooms was very good. I also liked the prosciutto and tomato toast, fresh fruit, and freshly squeezed orange juice. The croissants were ordinary, and the cappuccino wasn't very good. Breakfast wasn't a buffet as the booking site showed, because of the pandemic. You could still choose the same things, but there was no menu, so you had to guess what was available. The waiter mentioned some popular choices, not all of them. Coffee and toast cost €10, while the €15 option was much better value. The room looked more dated than in the photos, and there was no bathrobe despite what the pictures showed. They provided shampoo and shower gel, but no body lotion or conditioner. Nobody helped with the luggage on arrival. The minibar had water and a Coke. Parking was €18 a night. For a five-star hotel, this felt poor. The service wasn't rude, just not especially warm, and it left me feeling a little like I wasn't meant to be there.