Springs Hotel Ulaanbaatar

The reception staff were very polite and helpful. The rooms were okay, and the hotel has two restaurants, one Japanese and one Chinese. Its location is very good if you need to stay in the city centre. We accidentally booked without breakfast, but it turned out to be a good choice because Tous les Jours is nearby and we ate there.

The room was unsafe too: its window was held together with tape, and a few days into our stay, the ceiling above the shower collapsed while I was in it. Plaster and dirty black water fell on me. When I told the so-called “manager,” he brushed it off with, “It’s fine, what do you want me to do about it?” While we were away on a day tour, staff messaged to say they were entering our room and moving our things to another one without our permission or any prior notice. There was no valid reason given, and it left us deeply uncomfortable for the rest of the stay. At checkout, they then tried to charge me $200 for “ceiling damage,” even though that was the ceiling that had collapsed on me. A colleague was charged an absurd amount for makeup on a towel. When we refused to pay, we were locked in the hotel until payment was made. It was incredibly scary as female travellers. The hotel is dated, dirty, and reeks of cigarette smoke throughout, despite signs threatening a $100 smoking fine. Clearly, nobody enforces it. Staff professionalism was nonexistent. Around 7:15am one morning, I found front desk staff asleep on the couch. There's constant security at the entrance, apparently because of the massage parlour downstairs, which seems to attract only male visitors. It makes the atmosphere uncomfortable for guests. This place is unsafe, unsanitary, unprofessional, and deeply concerning. It needs a full refurbishment or to be shut down, and they may hit you with random charges when you leave. Stay somewhere else. There are much better and safer options nearby.

The room had a really good view straight over downtown Ulaanbaatar. The hotel provides the basics, including a clean bed, a clean room, and a bottle of water at check-in. I didn't see an ATM on site, so I think you have to walk across the street to find one. Laundry is kind of expensive. They charge in US dollars, and if you pay in local currency, their conversion rate isn't very good. That's why I gave it three stars.

The location was amazing, close to all the amenities, and the price was great. We arrived in the morning, and the staff kindly let us check in much earlier for free. Everyone was really helpful and friendly, so we enjoyed our stay. Good value for money, and I'd recommend this hotel.