Elite Hotel

We arrived at 21:00 in winter, when there weren't many guests, and reception still welcomed us nicely. It may be worth letting them know your arrival time ahead of time. The building is being reconstructed, but the hotel itself isn’t directly affected. It can look closed, so take the lift to the third floor for reception; there’s also a mall or something in the building. Our central room was spacious and clean, with heating that worked well in winter, a nice bathroom, and a good hot shower. Internet was reliable, and breakfast was included, with five dishes to choose from plus some extras on the tables.

The location made getting around easy, with shops, a shopping centre, taxis, public transport, restaurants, currency exchange, banks, and parks nearby. There’s also parking out front and an off-licence downstairs, which was handy. We booked a three-day family stay over the phone from the UK with manager Alex, who kindly offered us a fair family package. We arrived late at night with our two toddlers, and the receptionist greeted us warmly. Everyone on staff was helpful and lovely. The rooms had appealing interiors that made it easy to relax, and breakfast was delicious. We enjoyed our stay at Elite Hotel.

For a couple of days, it’s fine. The Wi-Fi was okay, though not especially fast, and breakfast was basic. The hotel is downtown, above a small shopping centre, and you have to take the lift up to reception.

The staff, including housekeeping, were friendly, and check-in and checkout were quick. The central location in Balti, right above a good supermarket, was another plus. The problems were harder to overlook: the internet was painfully slow and unusable after 22:00, so remote work or even regular browsing would be tough. Hot water took about seven minutes to come through, then the shower pressure faded after a few minutes. When it rained, water leaked from the ceiling skylight beside the bed. At $60 a night, it felt like a lot for Balti, Moldova.