Pension Old Town

The view from the upper rooms was pleasant, and waking up with the sunrise right in your face was enjoyable if that’s your thing. I’d read the reviews and was a little anxious arriving here as a last resort, but it wasn’t terrible. The room decor was tacky and kind of ugly. The AC worked, but barely, so if you’re freezing or boiling, it could take a while to make a difference. The shower water wasn’t warm enough either. We didn’t stay for breakfast, so I can’t comment on that, but while we were checking in, a big bug crawled across the reception floor and greeted us. It’s far from perfect, though not as awful as some reviews might suggest.

I wasn’t happy with our stay. The rooms might be called modest, though even that feels generous. The curtain tassels fell off when we closed them, only one light above the bed worked, the hallway was dark, and we weren’t given fresh towels. The duvet was actually a mattress cover. At reception, the woman behind the counter didn’t speak English and kept saying “document, document” to us. At breakfast, it would’ve been nice if the coffee machine worked. Cheap? Yes.

This old Soviet style hotel had very basic breakfast, and cleanliness was the main problem. The carpet was so dirty each time I stayed that sleepers were a must, but the hotel didn’t provide any. The toilet was dirty too. I visited in the cold season and early spring. Hot water wasn’t always available and was sometimes dirty. Heating ran for only a couple of hours in the evening, leaving it really cold for the rest of the day.

It’s a very old fashioned place, with few services because of the lack of staff. Still, I quite liked it. The location is very central for going out for a drink or something to eat. If you want an authentic Romanian hotel, go there, it’s good. If you prefer modern, go somewhere else.