Hotel Royal

The gardens and pool were a real pleasure, and our room was comfortable, with lots of fluffy towels and toiletries. The shower, though, was tiny. I’m not the smallest person, but not the biggest either, and I can’t see how some older guests or people with limited mobility could manage it. We stayed for two nights in early September. The hotel looks lovely from outside, and the shared areas are attractive and welcoming. On arrival, we were greeted, but had to handle our own luggage. My husband is 75 and I’m 79. Staff generally felt distant and unhelpful, especially the breakfast attendant, who stood looking haughty across the room instead of checking whether guests needed anything. Breakfast looked like a huge spread across several tables, but much of it wasn’t appealing. There were two cheeses and lots of white bread, but no rolls that first morning. Fruit was limited to apples, plums and prunes. The cereals weren’t very health focused, with no nuts to add, and there was no milk on the tables. The juices had added sugar. Scrambled eggs with bacon was the only hot choice, and there was no vegetarian option. It was cold and smelled foul. The croissants were good, though. We ate at 9:15 on the first morning and were offered coffee, but it arrived mostly froth in a small cup, and nobody offered us more. The next day we went down at 8:30. There was still no brown bread, and the same haughty waitress was there. This didn’t feel like a four-star stay. Three stars, perhaps, but we were hoping for a little holiday luxury and came away disappointed.

Reception staff were very kind and helpful, and the building itself is lovely, clean and nicely decorated. Our room wasn’t very large, though the bathroom was spacious, and the location close to the lake is excellent. I’d still recommend the hotel, even with a few letdowns for a four-star place. There was no complimentary bottle of water. I’ve usually found one, sometimes with a welcome drink, even at three-star hotels and outside summer. They turned off the air conditioning at 9 in the morning, so we were sweating while packing before checkout. Opening the window for fresh air wasn’t much help: flies and mosquitoes quickly got into the room, and there was no screen. The shower cubicle was too small despite the bathroom’s size. They also don’t accept all the usual credit cards.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the pool was decent, with plenty of room to lounge beside it or on the big second-floor terrace facing the lake. The setting is lovely, right by the water, with walks, bars and restaurants all within easy walking distance. It’s good value too, and just a short drive from plenty of attractions.

During a record heat wave, there was no air conditioning, even though we were paying for a room advertised as air conditioned. The manager said it was being kept off to save money. They told us we could pay an extra energy fee, and we agreed, but then they went back on that and switched it off again. Our room is over 90 degrees. This hotel was a highlight of an earlier visit. Now it feels run down, understaffed and unwilling to make guests feel welcome. Very, very disappointing.