Cousture Hotel

The most upsetting part of our stay was how one receptionist treated us on our last day. Our family of three had an evening flight, so we checked out early, left our bags at reception, and spent the day in the city. At 7 PM, we returned to charge our phones and book an airport taxi, which arrived at 7:30. We’d already told her we were waiting for a taxi, yet she acted as if we were loitering. There was nobody else in reception, but she came over to ask when we had checked out, looked at her watch, and tutted. She seemed annoyed by our presence even though we were out of her way. She refused our request to use a bathroom, saying there were only bathrooms in the rooms. When we asked about the hotel restaurant’s bathroom, she discouraged us by saying we’d have to pay for drinks, despite us having just checked out and paid for our stay. She wore a mocking smile through much of the conversation and showed little empathy. I’ve worked in various hotel roles, including reception, and found the encounter baffling. We later left a review about what happened, and the hotel’s response, in our view, lied about the entire incident. We’ve never had this kind of treatment as guests, and it says a lot about their customer service and how they value guests. The room facilities also fell short of 3-star standards. Lightbulbs flickered or wouldn’t turn on, the air conditioning didn’t work properly, the shower head was loose and wouldn’t stay put, and a missing tile behind the toilet left water leaking onto the bathroom floor. The restaurant next door made the room smell terrible, and soundproofing was poor. Breakfast was miserable; a bakery offers better choices for half the price.

The staff were unpleasant throughout my stay, and every conversation with the receptionist ended in a rude response. When I tried speaking the local language, she said, “I don’t understand you,” then asked, “are you french” in a demeaning tone. When I questioned why we had to leave our keys at reception, she replied, “we are not thieves.” After checkout, when I asked to use the toilet, she said, “you’re not a guest.” The key arrangement was strange: guests had to leave their room keys, not cards, at reception for “security reasons,” then wait a couple of minutes to get them back. The receptionist took her time even when I was clearly in a rush. There was no room to store luggage before or after the stay. When we collected our bags, the receptionist didn’t even check whether they were ours. The hotel is centrally located, but it’s on a busy street, so expect nighttime noise. The room was small and the walls didn’t block sound. There was no safe, and the very relaxed security left me feeling unsafe. I would not recommend this hotel.

I could hear every car and motorcycle from the street all night, like sleeping beside a freeway. The beds were uncomfortable, with thin, lumpy pillows, and I barely slept. The room felt cramped, there was no coffee or washcloths, and some staff had a bad attitude. The elevator was out of order, so we had to carry all our luggage down the stairs from one of the upper floors. For what I paid, I expected much better. It was terrible value. Save your money and stay somewhere else.

The woman at reception had a bad attitude and barely spoke English. She made it clear she wasn’t happy that we were waiting in the lobby. We were the only people there, and there was no bathroom or safe place for luggage, so I don’t know what her problem was. We travel a lot, and this was the first time waiting in a lobby felt like such a nuisance.