Hotel Bristol

Our room was decent and the location was nice, but I can't comment on breakfast since we didn't have it. The shower curtain over the tub wouldn't stay open, so each shower left the bathroom floor a little flooded. Two things made this one of my worst hotel experiences. On our last morning, my husband had already gone to the office to visit work colleagues, and I went to check out. The front desk said we hadn't paid and made me pay again, even though we had prepaid through Expedia. I called my husband and confirmed we'd paid, then contacted Expedia. They called the hotel and confirmed it too. It took a lot of back and forth, made harder by the language barrier and the staff's unwillingness to help. After I got off the phone, I was waiting to speak with them while several staff members stood outside smoking. They saw me but ignored me. It turned out to be a hotel system error, with nothing wrong on our or Expedia's side. The hotel offered to refund me, but insisted on an international wire transfer instead of crediting my card. That left me out $10 for the foreign exchange fee from the duplicate payment, which my bank wouldn't refund. I later tried to explain this by WhatsApp to a front desk employee, who told me to "be kind" even though I was just frustrated. It was the same person who had accused me of lying that morning. The front desk later repaid the $10 separately, but the problem was how they handled the whole mistake, not the amount. The other awful incident happened mid-day during our stay. I was alone and had just come out of the shower when front desk staff came with a man and let themselves into our room without warning, knocking or asking permission. I was half dressed. Later, the staff said he was there for building repairs or maintenance, but he had no tools or equipment, didn't look like housekeeping, and seemed surprised and amused to see me. It looked like they were showing him around, even into an occupied guest room. The hotel replied to this review and denied that anyone entered our room unannounced. I know what happened and have no reason to make it up. Future guests may want to notice the unprofessional tone management uses in replies to negative reviews. You may be called a liar or a "bad customer" for no good reason. I've stayed in everything from bare-bones places well below Hotel Bristol to upscale hotels, and Hotel Bristol's management is still at the bottom. Guests should be wary.

The room was compact but worked well enough for a few nights. The bathroom was a bit cramped, though the shower was good, and the staff were friendly. It's close to the railway station, while the good restaurants are about a ten-minute walk away. I'd definitely stay again.

The central location was great, the breakfast very good, and the room was very clean and cleaned every day. The staff were kind and helpful. But I found the place disgusting for the price and wouldn't recommend it at what they charge. There was a terrible musty smell as soon as you entered. The lobby was extremely cramped, with no real place for breakfast. Inside it was stuffy, and the staff refused to turn on the air conditioning, giving various reasons. My first-floor room was dark and dreary, with no daylight. Its window faced an internal shaft lined with air conditioners, and all of them dripped constantly. The drops hit the lower-floor units, making so much noise it was practically impossible to sleep. The elevator was noisy too, and sound passed straight through the room doors. Staying there felt like being stuck in a hole or a cell, with darkness, misery and a horrible smell. For me it wasn't worth more than 50 euros.

The beds were big and comfortable, and the location was pretty good for public transport. Reception and cleaning staff were competent and helpful. But breakfast was poor, with very few choices. I'm allergic to wheat, and there was almost nothing for me beyond the many breads and cakes. The room felt cramped and unpleasant. It stayed dark even with the curtains open and the dim lights on. The air conditioning was far too strong for such a small space, while the heat and street noise made sleeping with the windows open impossible. Several bathroom things were broken, including the shower door, which wouldn't roll properly, and the toilet flush.