Hotel Medinblu

The main shopping drag is just behind the hotel, with lots of restaurants, and the place is cozy with nice rooms and great staff. The breakfast selection was limited, though the staff tried to accommodate us. We weren't very impressed by Tera restaurant either. I sent the pasta back, but it still came out too al dente, and my sea bass was overcooked and chewy.

The rooms were modern, and the staff were very polite, but they seemed focused on getting the job done rather than being friendly. Noise was a problem: all the staff seemed to yell at 6am, and my room appeared to be below the breakfast dining area.

We left at midnight because the room was totally unacceptable for a four star hotel: it was in the basement, had NO WINDOW, no bathroom ventilation, and smelled of cockroach killer. When we complained, they said we'd booked an economy room, but the booking information never made clear what that meant. They said there was no other room available. We had a five night reservation, so our agency contacted them the next morning. They told her they had a room on the ground floor with a window. When we went to see it, it was STILL in the basement, with a window onto a narrow leftover open space containing empty bottle cages and trash, which they call a courtyard in their descriptions. A friend travelling with us got a ground floor room with a window onto an air shaft, but he was staying only a couple of nights and chose to remain. How can a hotel with rooms like these have four stars? Unless you make it crystal clear you'll get a room facing the street, avoid this place. And after the hotel's reply, an apology in English would have been more appropriate.

We had a fantastic 5 days. The rooms, location, and staff were all perfect, and nothing was too much trouble for the helpful team. Front desk staff were always polite and ready to help. At breakfast, Chris and his team greeted us with happy smiles and remembered our coffee order. This should be a five star hotel.