Royal Spa & Hotel Resort

The spa was a nice experience because we had the area completely to ourselves, and the package was included in our booking. The place has a luxurious feel and everything else was perfect, but it wasn’t kid-friendly. Breakfast was very limited. The administration service was awful: the woman didn’t understand the local language, English, Russian, or anything else. First she asked us to pay for breakfast, even though it was included, then insisted we had to pay for towels to shower in our room.

The rooms are amazing and the spa was great, so the hotel itself made for a very comfortable stay. Still, check-in took much too long because the receptionist struggled with English and wasn’t professional. Breakfast could be better too, especially the very limited protein choices. I stayed on 21 November. A great hotel, but those two things keep it from being perfect.

The nightclub downstairs makes the biggest difference to the stay. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, loud music carried clearly into the rooms and went on until 6 a.m. I asked at check-in whether it would be noisy and was told the rooms were quiet and it wouldn’t be an issue. That turned out to be untrue, and I was especially disappointed by the staff over that. The hotel looks glamorous, with spacious, fancy rooms and a lobby that’s very “Instagrammable.” Parking in the courtyard is included, as is access to a spacious, well-equipped fitness center. Room service breakfast is a nice idea, though the portions are small. One morning our order was forgotten; after I called reception, it arrived within five minutes. The location is good and there’s a lot of effort evident in the place, but it still feels unfinished and needs improvement.

This was the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in. We bought it as a five-star stay, but it felt more like two stars. The furniture was very old, the room looked out at air-conditioning motors, and the place is too far from the city center. The lights were all off, the revolving door didn’t work, and the spa and similar areas were closed. Breakfast came to the room and was very bad. There wasn’t even a bellboy or doorman, and the receptionist generally wasn’t helpful. On the first night the karaoke bar was open, and the music kept us awake until morning.