Hotel Casa Gardenia by Blossom Hotels

The room looked nothing like the pictures. When we arrived the window was open and there were bugs everywhere. We were moved to another room that was almost smaller. The only view was a wall, and there was a hole in it. The rooms were poorly soundproofed. A woman in the same corridor asked what our room looked like because hers was dusty and dirty. There was hardly any space at all. I’m 60 kg and 1.63. The shower door wouldn’t close fully, and the shower was confusing to use. First it was burning hot, then ice cold, and the sink did the same. As soon as we sat on the bed, everything started itching. The pillows and blankets were uncomfortable, and the beds were damp. At first we thought it might be bedbugs, but I hope it was just poor washing equipment. The cleaning wasn’t proper. They just made the bed, left a few clean towels, and replaced the toilet paper. We got two water bottles and two small pieces of chocolate in the room, and that was it, regardless of how long the stay was. Breakfast was so-so, with bugs in the fruit. The milk was available but warm and thick. The pool looked nothing like the pictures either, with bugs everywhere, dirty chairs, and an awful view. The internet didn’t work upstairs. People fought and yelled in the streets, dogs barked through the night, and someone brought a dog next to our room that barked day and night. It was a rough neighborhood with a lot of scammers.

The biggest problem was the room getting far too hot. We couldn’t open the overhead window because it was raining, and when we tried, it was locked. We asked reception for a fan, but they didn’t have one. The only suggestion was to sit in a public area with fresh air, which doesn’t help when you need to sleep in your room. Staff confirmed that the system is central heating and ventilation and can’t be set to a particular room temperature, despite the hotel advertising air conditioning. The whole thing felt misleading and disappointing. There was nowhere to put personal things like makeup in the toilet area. The smallest room was so cramped that even a small Ryanair-sized suitcase couldn’t be opened without bumping into things and getting in the way. For the price, I wouldn’t recommend it.

We spent three nights here with breakfast included and had a really pleasant stay. The staff were welcoming and very friendly. Breakfast combined a buffet with made-to-order eggs or omelets, and there was good coffee and tea plus a dispenser for cold, room-temperature, or sparkling water. The rooms are compact but comfortable for two. The bathroom had excellent water pressure, though hot water took a little while to arrive on the second floor. And the toilet paper was actually good quality, not that thin, cheap kind, which I appreciated. The hotel is wheelchair accessible with a lift, although the lift is quite small. Some rooms on the upper floors need a few steps because of the split-level layout. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk to the center. The neighborhood is busy and a bit off the beaten path. It didn’t feel scary, just a little rougher. The place was clean and good value, I’d give it a solid 8/10.

This feels like an overpriced hostel in a bad location and an unsafe neighborhood. The room has no wardrobe, just a tiny hanger, and the little standing balcony has a poor view. At night, noise makes it hard to sleep, though they do provide earplugs. The AC is disconnected throughout fall and winter, so if you need fresh air, you have to open the balcony and put up with the noise using earplugs. There’s no elevator except between floors 1 and 2, so you have to carry your luggage up and down. They have a lift for disabled guests but won’t let you use it for bags. There’s nowhere to sit by reception, just an office where you stand, and no phone in the room to call them. If you need anything, you have to go downstairs. And the bathtub on the terrace is what they call a swimming pool. Calling this a hotel is a joke.