Grand Central Hotel

It was my first visit to Macedonia, and I was nervous, but the hotel made me feel right at home. Reception was so kind and ready to answer my questions. Housekeeping were lovely too, and rushed my laundry after I spilled something on my coat. The food was delicious, the rooms were soundproof, and the location sits perfectly between the old bazaar, the clock tower, and the pedestrian shopping street. My other family members picked nearby hotels, and none were as satisfied as we were. I’ll definitely stay here again when I come back.

The hotel looks amazing in the photos, and that part is true. But everything else was severely lacking. The location was perfect, but the staff seemed annoyed we were there, and I can’t understand how it has such good reviews or a 4-star rating. We were only there 3 nights, and otherwise would have left for another hotel. We arrived late, and thankfully friends in Bitola learned reception would close before we got there and arranged for us to get our keys in advance. Without that, we might have slept in the car. The restaurant was still open, but when we went down hungry after the flight and nearly 2 hours driving, they told us it was shut. Eventually they gave us a bottle of water and charged it to our room. There was a kettle but no tea, coffee, milk, or anything complimentary. The bedding was dirty, and there was nobody around to help. We were cold, with just a sheet and what looked like a mattress protector, no cover. There was no room service, nothing. We went to bed hungry and disappointed. At 8am breakfast, we expected a buffet but got a menu with odd choices, including a ham and cheese toastie with chips and chicken stew among the 5 options. No toast, only tiny bread pieces, and every choice said it came with sweet cake, but none of us ever got any. I asked for decaf coffee, which they didn’t have, then asked for hot water so I could use the sachets I’d brought. I can’t drink caffeine without getting very ill. They brought a carafe of cold water. My daughter asked for water and got orange juice instead. We put a room service sign on the door, and they basically just emptied the bins. When packing to go home, I noticed they’d thrown away the other half of my toothbrush travel box. One morning at breakfast, a big group of men came in, and the waitress put an ashtray on every table. We were surrounded by smoking men in the breakfast area. We moved as far away as possible, while the staff looked puzzled. It was horrible. Before heading to a wedding, I ordered a glass of wine and was asked if I wanted a large or small. I said large, and they brought a whole bottle. I said I only wanted a glass, but was left with the bottle, which nobody could drink since we were leaving the next day. On our last morning, the roads around the hotel were closed. We needed to get to the airport, but nobody could tell us what was happening. While we waited for breakfast, my son spoke to a policeman, who said there was a marathon. To get out, we had to leave right then, at 8am, or wait until after 1pm. We cancelled breakfast, packed in a rush, got the car, and lifted the road cordons to get out. Nobody had told us about the closure. Before leaving, we asked to pay the bill, but nobody knew what it was. They said 8 euros. We had no time to argue, so paid and left. Reception was never staffed except for a grumpy man the day after we arrived, who scanned our passports without saying anything.

Grand Central Hotel is in Bitola, North Macedonia, and has a garden, restaurant, and bar. Rooms include air conditioning, a desk, and a patio with a city view, plus a private bathroom, flat-screen TV, bed linen, and towels. WiFi is free, and a paid airport shuttle is available. It’s a great place to stay in Bitola.

We stayed 2 nights in a modern room. The best part was breakfast and the warm welcome from the ladies who prepared and served it. We have difficult dietary requirements, but vegan and vegetarian food was no issue. They really did their best and were so warm-hearted. Thank you. I’d recommend this hotel.