XO Hotels Blue Tower

The room fridge didn't work, which was frustrating, and when we brought up problems, the response was mediocre at best. There were no real apologies, more of a "that's just how it is" attitude. For the price, I wouldn't recommend the hotel at all. The online photos look quite different from the reality, and it wasn't as described. In my view, this is a 3-star place at best, not 4 stars. Breakfast ran until 10:30 am, but around 10:15 a large part of the cleaning staff came in to eat. They were very loud and it completely spoiled the hotel atmosphere. It felt like sitting in a staff canteen, and they mostly spoke in a foreign language, which made me uncomfortable, as if I were part of their conversation. There were dirty plates and spoons, so cleanliness clearly wasn't a priority. The selection was okay, but the only meat was pork, with no meat option for Muslim guests who don't eat pork and very few vegetarian choices. The room was extremely small, with huge pillars taking up a lot of the space, so you could barely open a suitcase. The carpet smelled bad and didn't seem clean. At least the bathroom was clean. The soap and shampoo were mediocre, okay for the body but not really suitable for washing hair. The area itself was okay, about 20 minutes by bus to the city, and there's a supermarket and gym right next door. But the area outside the hotel was dirty, and in the evenings people often stood by the entrance drinking and hanging around, which didn't feel welcoming. We asked about upgrading to a bigger room, but the extra charge they offered was unreasonably high despite how little usable space the pillars left. Checkout was at 11:00 am, and someone knocked exactly then, ready to clean the room. They were punctual about that, but other service matters were handled poorly.

We got a good deal, so the price felt fair for what we got. The staff were friendly, and checking in was really smooth. The hotel itself is old and needs renovation. The room was spacious and the bed comfortable, but the bathtub was a bit rusty. I don't think it deserves four stars, more like three, though for the price we paid it felt right.

The room was clean, modern, and nice, and the location was fine. But the receptionists seemed careless and moody. For a 4-star hotel, not having a smart TV felt unacceptable. When I asked whether it had YouTube or English subtitles, the receptionist just said they didn't know. I'd call it 3 stars at best.

The hotel is some distance from the center, though the tram or metro gets you there quickly. We stayed on the 9th floor and could hear traffic in the distance, but the room's insulation was good. The room itself was new and clean, with AC, comfortable beds and linens, and a coffee machine for making tea or coffee. The staff were friendly, and self check-in and check-out were available. Housekeeping was great. We had a small issue with the bathtub but managed to sort it out. I'd definitely stay here again.