Pooltop Guesthouse

We stayed at Pooltop for three nights when we first arrived, then came back for one more before leaving. We'd definitely choose it again. The rooms are simple but had everything we needed, and the beds were really comfortable. The relaxed feel of the hotel was part of the appeal, especially the rooftop restaurant, where the food was good and the views fantastic.

The staff were very nice, and the upstairs pool, game room, and restaurant were pleasant. The food was good, though prices felt like the usual overpriced PP prices. The rooms, on the other hand, felt prehistoric, with a strong smell of fresh roach kill. I doubt we'd stay again unless they upgrade and modernize the rooms.

The location is the only thing I can recommend, though maybe some of the other rooms are better. Cockroaches aren't my idea of a vacation companion, and the service needs work. I hope the hotel uses this feedback to improve things for future guests. My first impression was already disappointing because the room's only window looked into the corridor, so I had to keep it shut for privacy. One towel was dirty, and on my second day I saw a cockroach crossing the room. Reception said they'd replace the towel and clean up, but when I came back that evening, nothing had been done. The receptionist said he might have forgotten to tell housekeeping, or they might not have followed through. I couldn't quite understand because of a bit of a language barrier. The room wasn't cleaned until my last day. Checkout was another issue. The day before, I asked if I could leave smoothly around 5 AM because my bus was early, and was told yes. When I arrived in a hurry, staff said they had to inspect the room before letting me go, despite having my debit card and being able to charge it if there was damage.

Reception staff were really friendly, always greeting us and helping arrange onward travel. The pool is a nice extra, whether you want to lounge there by day or have a drink at sunset. We stayed in a double room with a balcony, which suited us perfectly, though we could hear people in the corridors late at night since the rooms aren't very soundproof. It wasn't terrible. The restaurant surprised us. We hadn't seen many people eating there, but decided to try it and weren't disappointed. The spaghetti bolognaise was 10/10, and lunch was great too. Pooltop is a great budget-friendly hotel with high-quality service and rooms.