VIVERE Hotel, ARTOTEL Curated

Even the smallest room type is a decent size, and the light colors make it feel bright and comfortable. It's a pretty good hotel for the size, comfort, and value. Check-in was easy and the staff were helpful. The room key cards had to be reset a lot. Other guests I met at the elevator had the same issue. Noise also carries through the rooms. I could hear the person next door tapping their card to get in. Still, it could work for a night or two while you're in the area.

Mba Mega and her Guest Relations team were always around, resourceful, and made us feel looked after. Mba Riani also made sure the room was ready for our birthday stay. Their warmth made a real difference, and I'll definitely return to Vivere. The room was spacious, with a super comfortable bed. The bathroom was great too, with two sinks and a comfortable bathtub, and the water pressure and temperature were just right. We did have a small electrical issue, with the power and TV going off and on a few times, though we're not sure what caused it.

Breakfast was awful. The first morning the fritters were cold, the black porridge tasted bitter, and the healthy juice was weird. On my last morning there were fewer choices, and it was the same menu as the day before, despite staff saying it changed daily. The spaghetti was rubbery, and the cheese omelette I asked for tasted like it was made with very cheap eggs. The coffee machine had good coffee yesterday, but today I couldn't drink any of the options. Maybe they ran out of beans or used a different kind. The room and bathroom had old dirty mold stains everywhere. The duvet smelled like a man's armpit even though the room had been cleaned, and the towel was so rough it irritated my sensitive skin. Housekeeping took my used slippers after cleaning and didn't leave a new pair, leaving me on cold, dusty marble floors. The room wasn't soundproof, so outside noise and the neighbors came through clearly. The pool staff didn't say anything to kids eating right by the pool. The gym opened late in the morning because the hotel uses an outside fitness center. Coffee couldn't be taken out of the restaurant, which seemed ridiculous when free coffee was also available in the room. The receptionist kept texting me on WhatsApp about silly things, including a blood spot housekeeping found that I hadn't even noticed. The location was inconvenient, a bit far from ICE BSD and next to more reputable hotels that made this one look worse. Crossing the road was hard without a zebra crossing.

I celebrated my wife's birthday at Vivere Hotel, and the romantic dinner setup made it feel special. Everything was arranged beautifully, with a warm, intimate atmosphere.