Hotel Westminster

The room smelled strongly of sewage, and I spotted tiny cockroaches in it. The coffee cups looked like they hadn’t been washed. Unfortunately, the cleanliness was below the standard I expected for a five-star hotel.

The upgrade after we complained the next day completely changed our stay. Mr. Komi helped turn things around, and the upgraded room felt like better value for the price. I’d return for that room, but only at the Executive price. Our first room, on the first level, was gloomy and lacked basic facilities. If we’d stayed there, our review would have been two stars. We arrived after midnight to find the hotel closed, which isn’t what I expect from a five-star place, and the night desk didn’t listen to our requests. The rooms need a lot of refurbishment, though they are kept very clean. The HVAC shut off during the night and we got cold. The minibar could be better, though the wines were good. The lobby is great, and the location is excellent. The bar staff are amazing and serve quality drinks, but once again the music system was down. The day staff, housekeeping, and bar team were great. The night reception should be replaced. With proper refurbishment, this could be a great hotel, but it’s losing its potential.

They wouldn’t refund my stay, and I had to write several times just to get an invoice so I could pursue legal remedies. I’m still wondering where the insurance company is. This hotel seems to have manager Georgioantonio sell guests a faulty product he knows is faulty, promise that any problem will be handled, and then disappear. Don’t trust his replies to reviews. Believe the reviews and run. They haven’t handled anything. My diamond ring was stolen here, and I believe the hotel colluded to hide it. The heating in my room didn’t work, and even the toilet broke. The hardware is cheap, there’s no general manager, and everyone acts as if they don’t know how badly the place is in disrepair. It’s so bad it’s almost hilarious. After everything that happened, they eventually started following the law. Then the acting general manager tried to stop me from warning other travelers by threatening me with a defamation lawsuit. The photo of their broken toilet and the police reports about the alleged theft from a safe are not lies. The fact that this place is still operating feels like a failure of consumer protection and corporate greed at its worst. Caveat vraiment emptor.

The location is excellent, and it’s the hotel’s only saving grace. My room smelled of sewer gas, probably because the shower needed to be run frequently. Getting in is awkward too, since you have to climb a flight of stairs before reaching the cramped elevator.