Boutique Hotel Madison

The check-in was a mess: the rooms had been set up for seven people instead of nine, so we had to ask for another bed. The sofa bed was left with a sheet too small to cover it. We asked for a replacement, got one that was stained and ripped, and had to make the bed ourselves again. Towels for three people were missing too, and they didn’t have enough. At checkout, they charged us 3 euros for opening a Kinder Bueno that had been offered in a basket on the flat’s kitchen counter when we arrived. They also wanted payment for wine we never touched. Keeping about 12 mini bottles of booze in the mini fridge was annoying when we needed the room for the kids’ food. We were seven adults and two kids, staying three nights in a room for four and an apartment advertised for four people plus one child. The apartment was too cramped for that many, though it might suit two parents with a child. It was outside the hotel’s main building, and its quality didn’t feel like four-star standard. We ended up using a shared space in front of the adjacent apartment, separated from it only by a glass door, which probably wasn’t pleasant for those guests. The hotel rooms were more spacious and better by comparison. We didn’t enjoy our stay. The hotel’s name and star rating both seem off, and these were a few things I wouldn’t expect from a four-star place.

The apartment smelled awful, like perfume had been used to cover smoke and sweat. It also wasn’t properly air-conditioned: there was a small unit in the living room that barely worked, while both bedrooms stayed hot, with a long corridor and another short one between them and the living room. The washing machine had nowhere nearby to hang clothes, and there was no dryer either. I’d chosen the place for its spa and washing machine, then found out after paying that the spa cost an extra €100. The biggest apartment I booked was across the street, up on the fourth floor with no elevator. It didn’t feel like four-star accommodation, and even the welcome carpet was terribly dirty. The photos don’t show what it’s really like. Staff were okay, maybe nice, but that was the end of the positives. I was traveling with my kids and so tired that I stayed. Otherwise I’d have asked for a reimbursement. For the same price, I could have booked two rooms at the Hampton Hotel and fit us all comfortably. They said the garage was full and suggested street parking, but there weren’t any spaces. The hotel offered one of its street spots for €20. Most hotels charge less, usually around €15, so parking on the street cost me a lot. I wouldn’t recommend this place at that price. You’d be better off somewhere else.

The breakfast was excellent, the room had a nice feel, the staff were kind, and it’s not far from the city center. Those things made it worth a three-star rating for a visit to zagreb. A few things could be better: the spa shown on the booking is only included with certain rooms. There was a mirror only in the bathroom, and no bin in the room. The stair handrail is poorly designed and could cause minor harm. Staff advised against using the parking, leaving street parking as the only option. These issues were manageable, though, and could have been much worse.

The jacuzzi stopped working, so we couldn’t use the room we’d paid for and were moved to a smaller one in pretty bad condition. The receptionist said they knew it needed renovation and apologized. They didn’t offer a partial or full refund, just said the owner would call the next day. He never did. Breakfast was 5/10.