Tisza Gyöngye Apartmanok

The location was fantastic, with the aqua park right across the road and most city centre sights within a 10-minute walk. There’s free parking just outside, and breakfast was very good. Staff were pleasant and professional, too. Getting in was easy with codes for the gate and apartment, so there were no keys to deal with. The apartment itself was clean, quiet, and very spacious, with everything we needed. They’d even left recommendations for restaurants and shops, and we tried some that we liked. I’d happily stay again.

The balcony faced the river, and the room was spacious with a perfect mattress. The equipment was basic but clean and in good condition, and the kitchen had everything. Breakfast was amazing, brought right to the apartment, with tasty local fruit and vegetables. You can park on the street in front of the entrance, but it’s public parking and paid.

Alexandra, the landlady, was great. We’d been told well before booking that there would be a very loud party upstairs one night, and we said we didn’t mind. Still, on the evening of the party, she offered us another room for the night, which was generous. We stayed put, but appreciated the offer. Check-in is self-service, with no reception. You get codes for the gate and apartment, so it’s easy to arrive whenever you like. There’s parking in front, and the city centre is only a few minutes away on foot, just across the bridge. We weren’t very keen on the optional breakfast, though that’s a matter of taste. We’d definitely come back to these apartments in Szeged.

The check-in was quick and went smoothly, but the condition of the place was terrible. At first it seemed okay, then nearly everything we touched felt broken or filthy. The dishes, floors and bathroom were dirty. I boiled the dishes with salt and disinfectant, and was lucky to have paper towels to use as a sponge and towel. The sheets were too small, so we ended up touching the old mattress. The pillows were huge and hard, and the linens were very worn. The towels were stiff and old, and the kitchen towel was stained. There was a bad smell, as if someone had smoked inside and they’d tried to cover it with unpleasant perfume. No hand soap was provided, and there was barely any dish detergent. It was disgusting to touch anything, but we arrived late and had no choice. The place looked like a motel or student dorm. We could hear loud music from a nearby disco until 5 am. There’s also a large field outside where concerts are sometimes held. A stage was being built during our stay, presumably for a weekend concert. It looked as though some concertgoers, possibly stoned or drunk, crash at this motel and don’t care about cleanliness or anything. After I sent Alexa pictures and complained, she said they had a professional cleaning team and that next time I should stay in a 5-star hotel. The following day she accused me of deliberately breaking a ceramic stovetop and a drawer, and sent a picture of dirty dishes I’d left. I didn’t think we were expected to clean the apartment before leaving. Even if I’d wanted to wash the dishes, there was no detergent and the sponge clearly hadn’t been changed, as the picture shows. I’m also not sure whether this business pays taxes. Alexa asked me to pay by Revolut, and I never got a receipt for the stay. Words are one thing, but the pictures show the condition. I included screenshots of messages from Alexa as well. I wish her and the business well and hope they get lots of clients, but people should know what this place is like.