Campanile Annemasse Gare - Genève

I booked through Booking.com during a week when Geneva was busy because of an event. The rate was a little higher than usual, though only slightly more than other hotels, especially in Geneva. At about 20:00, after a full day of work and while I was on my way there, the hotel called to say my reservation had been cancelled because I hadn't paid by 18:00 and there were no rooms left. My Booking.com reservation still showed as confirmed, but they said there was nothing they could do. No one had told me about a payment deadline, and my card was already in the booking system, where payment deadlines are handled automatically. I had to find another place after 20:00. Unbelievable. I suspect they had double-booked and didn't want to admit it, or cancelled my booking so they could charge three or four times more for the room to someone desperate because the city was full. Never again. Stay away!

The reception staff were kind and quick to respond, and the air conditioning worked really well. The bed comfort deserves five stars, as does the convenient location. The breakfast buffet had a good variety and plenty of good choices. The city noise was standard, but not much of a bother, and the small room was normal for its class. It was dirty, though. We had to wash the floor, kettle, tables, and other things ourselves. I agree with the other reviews that hygiene needs improvement, no photo needed. It's a good, convenient place to stay once it's been cleaned. The staff truly deserve five stars.

I stayed four nights with a colleague and was very disappointed. The room wasn't clean from the first day, and there was hair in the bathroom from a previous guest. The toilet wouldn't flush, and my colleague's bathtub was clogged. We emailed but got no response, so I had to call. They even offered to show us how to fix the problems ourselves, which isn't what I'm paying for. The room wasn't cleaned once during our stay, the towels smelled dusty, and breakfast was served ice cold on the last day. I normally never write reviews, but this was simply unacceptable. I wouldn't recommend it.

The only real plus was the convenient location: a quick train ride to Geneva, with plenty of takeout places nearby. But I wouldn't recommend staying here. We couldn't get the outdoor self check-in machines to work, and when we asked for help there was no response. We had to run inside when someone left the building. At reception, they didn't seem to care. A few days earlier, they had charged me a $270 "holding fee" without telling me, so I cancelled my card. Most of the receptionists couldn't speak English, and we had to use Google Translate to communicate. The room was poorly cleaned, with hair all over the bed and even a half roll of toilet paper left behind. The air conditioner was broken, too. I'd spend more to stay in Geneva or at another hotel.