Hotel Arcade

The reception team made us feel really welcome. Both women were kind, friendly, and quick to help, which made the stay much more comfortable. We were right in the city centre, and our room looked out over the main square, so we could enjoy the Christmas market from there too.

The central location was the main plus, with restaurants and pubs nearby. The rooms were small and poorly lit, and there’s neither an elevator nor air conditioning. Breakfast was ordinary and not very tasty. I chose the hotel because reviews praised it, so I was disappointed that it wasn’t what I expected.

The bed was comfortable, and the location was great. But I wouldn’t stay at Arcade again. I travel often because my husband works in film and we end up in all sorts of places, and the staff here made this one of my most disappointing hotel stays in a long time. The room looked much more worn than the lovely photos suggested, with old 80s carpet. It was hot, and there’s no air conditioning. I hadn’t thought to check for AC when booking because it’s been so long since I stayed somewhere without it. I won’t make that mistake again. There’s no elevator either, which made carrying my heavy bag and my Pomeranian up two flights even worse in the heat. The staff interaction was the biggest problem. I checked in with my dog, and the first receptionist saw him but didn’t charge a pet fee. At about 6:30 the next morning, I walked him and greeted the new receptionist in Slovak. She didn’t answer. When I came back in, she stopped me and aggressively demanded my room number, then said they hadn’t known I had a dog and I hadn’t paid the fee. I explained that I’d brought him in at check-in and was happy to pay, but she kept berating me about it anyway. It was an intense exchange over 20€, before coffee, at 6:30 in the morning. It also cost quite a bit more than other hotels nearby. For that price, I’d rather have coffee before someone yells at me.

We booked three months ahead and were still given two rooms on the second floor. There’s no lift, and having to use stairs made the place feel unwelcoming and dated. I know some European three-star hotels don’t have elevators, but in 2017 I found that unacceptable. The rooms also had very few power sockets, so I had to turn half the bed into a desk to use my laptop, even though there was a plug panel under the bed. There was no satellite TV or English-language channel, which left English-speaking guests feeling unwelcome. Finding the hotel was difficult, and parking was confusing. We needed clear directions by email, ideally with a map and arrows showing where to park, instead of being left to wander around. The town’s setup and standards were hard for me to figure out. Everything felt very old, and using the soap and shampoo was a pain. I didn’t expect much comfort from a three-star hotel, but it still lacked any sense of modernity or international appeal. Having to leave before 10 a.m. also felt rude. It cost more than InPoint Apartment in Krakow, Poland, while the quality was nowhere near as good, maybe one tenth of it.