Central Mamaia

The breakfast team were the best part of our stay. The young staff were helpful, smiling, and ready to assist. Our first pool day was fine too, thanks to a bar worker who made an effort to make sure we were happy. The next day was completely different: no greetings or smiles, and I had to go to the bar to order. They told us to wait for Razvan, who walked past several times without taking our order, then served us with no hospitality. Staff at the bar were smoking and drinking while on duty in front of customers, something I’d never seen before. We stayed two nights in room 224. The room was small but acceptable, though nobody had checked that the phone worked, so we had to use our mobiles to call reception. We’d booked a double bed but were given one king bed. When we asked for another bed, they wanted an extra 150 Lei, which seemed unreasonable, so all of us slept in the same bed. At checkout, they demanded another 100 Lei for our six-year-old daughter, even though we had told reception at check-in that we were two adults and one child. After a long argument, they said the booking price would have been higher if we’d included her. I made a new booking with a six-year-old, and the price was unchanged. Only then did the manager agree to refund the extra charge. This hotel falls well short of hospitality standards and wouldn’t merit even one star. The bar staff need replacing.

I was charged extra for a sea view, then put on the first floor with a lovely view of the trees 😩. Pool access also costs extra. The furniture is 50 years old, just like in the communist era of the 1970s. Welcome back.

The breakfast by the pool was pretty tasty, and the coffee was good too. Rooms are average, though I liked the furniture. There’s air conditioning and a balcony, and some rooms have a sea view. The bathroom felt a bit dated.

The room was basic but clean, with good beds and fresh linen. It had a fridge, desk, working air conditioning, and a balcony with two chairs and a table. I missed having a small rack to dry clothes. The bathroom was simple, with a shower, toilet, and sink, but was clean and well kept. Towels were clean and in good condition, and the room was cleaned daily. The pool area was clean and in good shape, with a small pool, loungers, parasols, a lifeguard, and toilets. It was open from 0900-1800, and I liked seeing staff regularly check the water quality. The pool staff were cheerful and helpful. Breakfast was a buffet with a good range of hot and cold food, including fried, scrambled, and boiled eggs. It was regularly refilled with no empty platters, though the selection was well below the standard I’ve seen in Scandinavia and Germany. You could eat outside. Hotel Central is in the middle of the Mamaia seaside resort, just a few meters from the beach. It’s a typical communist-era seaside hotel that’s been renovated and upgraded in recent years. It has a pleasant garden, a private pool, a bar, and a restaurant. All rooms have balconies, and the free Wi-Fi worked well throughout the hotel. The location was nice, the rooms pleasant, and most places were within walking distance. For the price, I felt I got good value. Reception was the weak point. It took a while to reach the employee when I arrived to check in, and I missed some smiles and commitment to me as a guest. It was much the same at checkout and when I had other questions. That service shortfall feels like a leftover from the communist era and hasn’t improved much despite other changes in society.