Malate Pensionne

Cheap, and somewhere between not great and not too bad. The place was quiet and central, with decent WiFi and friendly, helpful security guards. The door had both a knob lock and a deadbolt. The room fan only had one speed, high. The shower had weak pressure and couldn't be adjusted, its faucet knobs were flimsy or broken, and the water turned cold after a few minutes. There was no room safe, and soap was the only amenity. Front desk hospitality was average.

It was an okay place for one night, but not a pleasant stay. The front desk woman was unfriendly when we checked in. The room was clean but had a musty smell and tiny roaches. They provided only one bar of soap and no other complimentary toiletries, unlike other budget hotels I've stayed in. The internet was slow, and there was little or no cellular signal in our room.

For the price, this was a really good stay in a decent location. My room was cute and quaint, with a little TV, a table, and a big comfy bed. The bathrooms were shared, with one shower and a few stalls, but they were clean. Over my three days, I never saw anyone else using them at the same time. WiFi barely reached my room, which was annoying. I spotted one cockroach in a corridor but wasn't bothered, and never saw any in my room. There's a lovely cafe downstairs, perfect for a morning coffee and pasty.

People with allergies should avoid this hotel. After one night at Malate Pensionne, I developed what I believe was fungal or mold toxicity, with a fever, headache, skin hives, and a bad throat. I stumbled out and checked into another hotel, even though I'd already paid for five nights. It's sad, because I love the hotel's history and nostalgic feel, and the staff were great and helped me change rooms. But the rooms need better ventilation and cleaning, as I found them unfit to inhabit. I was too sick to even try to get my money back, and it took a full week to recover. I'm worried about the staff's health too, since symptoms might only appear years after exposure.