Kubalic Hotel

The rooms are clean and really comfortable, and the location just off the main road works well for a stopover. One odd thing: there’s no coffee served at breakfast. If you ask for Turkish coffee, they bring a note with no price on it. There generally isn’t a menu, so it feels like they can charge whatever they want.

The breakfast situation left us with surprise charges. Water and an omelette both came with extra bills, even though breakfast was included, and we were told eggs cost extra. It’s not about the amounts so much as being told in advance what you’ll have to pay. Juice was empty and staff didn’t refill it, and the breakfast choices were very limited. The service was poor for a four star hotel. No one helped with our luggage, even after we asked. The receptionist said she was alone, but another man came to help her with paperwork from a room on the room side, and we still got no luggage help. The card wallets were also in such bad shape they were coming apart. The air conditioning barely put out any air. A man at reception said he’d sort it out, but later the same receptionist sent a technician to our room, and he said that was the maximum. Whether the A/C was on or off made no difference to the room temperature. Behind the new look and cleanliness, the service and standards were very poor.

The room was clean, which was the one clear positive, but that alone didn’t make for a good stay. Several bits were broken or missing, including the wardrobe knobs and sink plugs. Noise came through from both inside and outside the hotel, and the soundproofing was so poor it was unbearable, especially for a room facing a busy main road. I was also given a smoking room that smelled strongly of stale nicotine. When I asked for a non-smoking room, I was politely told they were full and couldn’t do anything. Only after I pressed did they offer a smaller room than the category my travel agent had booked and paid for in advance, with no compensation. I didn’t mind the smaller size, though getting through the bathroom door could be a challenge for a larger person. Before booking, I’d been misled by all the glowing reviews. Maybe my expectations were unrealistic, but in 2022 I’d expect the hotel to check whether a guest is okay with a smoking room, or better yet, to ban smoking in rooms by default.

I stopped here while cycling after getting caught in the rain this spring. They found somewhere safe to keep my bike, and the staff were lovely. The room was beautiful and breakfast was great. When I headed off, they said, “come back soon.” I laughed, though I wish I could.