Grandhan Hotel

The room was roomy, the beds were comfortable, and the staff were kind and helpful. But the hotel felt poorly maintained. Paint was peeling from the walls, and the carpets in both the rooms and hallways were old, stained, and partly torn. The bathroom cleanliness was a serious problem, and the general hygiene gave an impression of neglect. We changed rooms, but the second bathroom still had an unpleasant sewage smell and wasn’t much cleaner. Since it was late at night, we had no choice but to stay. The whole experience was quite uncomfortable.

The hotel has an ornate, somewhat fancy look, with curtains and carpet everywhere. But the room we requested as non-smoking smelled strongly of cigarettes. We switched rooms several times. By the third move, housekeeping asked us to “please go in the room,” as if we were causing trouble in the hallway. They didn’t speak English, so I used a translator to explain. The staff member, who smoked herself, didn’t agree that there was a smell, but offered to show us other rooms. One had been aired out with the windows open and smelled less, though it still had a cigarette odor. As a non-smoker, I could clearly smell it. We were tired and it was late, so we settled for the least smelly room. For a hotel that wasn’t cheap, the service didn’t feel luxurious, and some spots, including our mini fridge, weren’t very clean. Because we changed rooms so many times at check-in, the room we finally chose had an empty fridge. It was stocked the next day and daily after that, but we were charged for drinks that hadn’t been there on the first day. I tried to explain this to the front desk at checkout, but they didn’t seem to understand what I was saying. It wasn’t much money, so I let it go. The lobby restaurant also serves a very good breakfast buffet. Some items, such as freshly squeezed juice, cost extra.

I’d recommend this place for a business trip. The rooms are large and nice, the beds are comfortable, and the internet is fast. Staff are mostly friendly and helpful. I had no hot water for two weeks, though they eventually fixed it. I don’t eat breakfast, so I can’t comment on that. Farms nearby brought a disgusting fertilizer smell for a couple of days.

We stopped here at the last minute in the middle of a snowstorm, so I was grateful they had a room for us. The Grandhan Hotel wasn’t the best place I’ve stayed, though. The rooms smelled heavily of cigarette smoke, it isn’t pet-friendly, and breakfast was just okay.