The Gate Hotel

The rooms are pretty ordinary, but fine for a night after a long drive, and the bathrooms are clean and nice. Reception staff were pleasant, spoke perfect English, and got us checked in quickly. Breakfast was amazing and included in the price. It did feel a little pricey, though.

Our tour director had their purse stolen from the front desk when we arrived. The staff were dismissive and rude, and didn’t offer help or move quickly to involve the police. Our rooms were dirty and smelled, and breakfast seemed to be made from leftover dinner ingredients. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

The breakfast was basic but alright, and the coffee from the bar was excellent 👌. The main lobby, restaurant, and sixth floor where I stayed looked like they’d been renovated one or maybe two years ago. I had two or three mosquitoes in my room, but there was a plug-in repellent. I think the hotel is better than some people say.

The advertised 24-hour self-service laundry is outside and around the corner, in an area that didn’t feel safe. The light runs on a timer, so it keeps going completely dark. It’s cash only, but reception had no change and wouldn’t let me withdraw cash using EFTPOS. There was no ATM in the hotel or nearby. Our bus tour included dinner and breakfast. Dinner was spiral pasta with jarred neopolatana sauce and olives, which I had to cover in parmesan to make edible. The main was two slices of turkey breast in jus and a spoonful of baked potato, handed over with a snarl from the wait staff. Vegetarians got plain egg omelettes 15 minutes after everyone else had been served potatoes. Dessert was store-bought chocolate and vanilla ice cream cups with plastic spoons. My room smelled of sewage, and the staff made us feel unwelcome, like an inconvenience. When I asked for a large cup of hot water to take to my room, the waiter rudely said I could only have a small one. He pushed it roughly onto the counter, spilling it into the saucer. I asked for a spoon and got a grunt before he reluctantly gave me one. Avoid this place at all costs.