HM Grand Central Hotel

There are a 7−Eleven and a supermarket nearby, which is handy. The room was okay, with plenty of hot water, a decent bed, a safety box, and other acceptable amenities. It's a 15-minute walk to Royal Place and the river, and about 20 minutes on foot to the airport bus stop. I can't say whether this is the best location, but it worked fine for me.

The street noise never lets up, and the rooms smell of smoke. The elevator rings on every floor it passes, which gets annoying. Getting in means climbing a ridiculous number of high steps, and often there's nobody to help with bags. The staff do try, but when you need to ask something, there shouldn't be seven people standing around reception doing nothing.

We went to the restaurant for lunch with my family, sat down at exactly 2:00, and didn't get food until 3:16. Then the order was wrong. At that point, just don't bring us food! The room itself was spacious and nice, but the shower pressure was extremely low and there was no door, so we had to work out how to shower without spraying the toilet and sink. The AC took an hour to turn on, and even at its lowest setting, 18 degrees, it only gave a slight breeze. Not ideal when it feels like 40 degrees outside.

The location was okay, with city attractions walkable, though we often used Grab, which cost $0.90-$1.80. We didn't try breakfast, so can't comment on it, but it was priced at $10.70 per person. At check-in we got a cold towel and a can of coke, a nice touch. Bring $50 in cash for the deposit. The bellboy showed us the room and how the air con worked. It had a big bed, a lovely bathroom, fridge, and safe. We had some trouble with the safe, but it worked eventually. There's a rooftop pool with comfortable sunbeds, four jacuzzis, and a steam room, with drinks available to buy. It was a pleasant stay at HM grand hotel.