Akotika Boutique

We had a fabulous time here, with delicious food, friendly service and a view that’s a showstopper. The hotel is a stunning and very impressive building, and it’s a fantastic spot for breakfast even if you’re not staying there. Highly recommended, especially paired with a walk through the old city shuk, just a few minutes away.

The pictures on the website and booking site are completely misleading. The hotel looks nothing like them, and at the insanely high price we felt properly scammed. Bird droppings covered the stairs and alleyways leading to our room. Everything was filthy inside too. There was hair and dust all over the room, including on the stained sheets, and the shower was moldy, falling apart and leaking onto the rest of the floor. They’d left a mop in the room in advance for us to push the water away. Our breakfast table was dirty with dust and dirt, and when we asked staff to clean it, they didn’t. The sauna we wanted to use was the filthiest thing I’ve ever seen, completely unsanitary. We wouldn’t have dared step into it. It was a truly horrible stay. Stay away.

The room itself was cool and unusual, with high-quality amenities, but anyone with an injury or disability should avoid it because there are lots of steep, narrow stairs. We also liked that the hotel is tucked into the old city alleyways, though the surrounding area was filthy, with lots of litter, stray cats and bad smells. The service was the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced at a hotel. At check-in they said we owed tax. I asked if I could check whether I’d already paid, and the man checking us in, who I think was named Sa’id, freaked out and said he’d cancel the reservation. Then the staff cussed us out, apparently thinking we couldn’t understand them calling us derogatory names. There was no hot water in our room. Instead of telling us to turn on the boiler, they made us move rooms at 11pm, then move back to our original room in the morning. It was uncomfortable and weird. They advertise online access to a lounge, but didn’t tell us we wouldn’t be able to use it for nearly our whole stay because a bridal party had booked it. The breakfast looked like it might be cute and fun, but the food was awful and the service painfully slow and inefficient.

The breakfast staff seemed a little stretched, but the food was tasty and came with a sea view. I also lost a pair of earrings during my stay, and the hotel called the next day to say they’d found them. I really appreciated that they took the time to look. I liked this boutique hotel, especially its location and cute room, and I’d love to stay again if I’m back in Akko.