Swiss Hotel

I’m only grateful to the security guard who recommended a hotel that could take me during curfew and helped me get there. I’d arrived at Swiss Hotel after midnight, exhausted from traveling from Switzerland to Lviv by two planes and two trains, crossing the border. Despite having booked the room through Booking.com about a month earlier for September 15 to 17, the hotel had sold it to someone else. Three days before I arrived, I’d called to confirm the reservation and ask if reception was open 24 hours. They said yes. On September 15 at 6:00 a.m., I set off from Switzerland. The administrator kept saying he’d called me after 8:00 p.m. and I hadn’t answered, which isn’t surprising given the journey I was on. The hotel told my company I never arrived, charged the money to my card, and isn’t planning to refund it. My subjective conclusion is that “the temptation to sell one room is twice as important as the interests of the customer.” This is just my personal experience with Swiss Hotel.

The good parts were the location, a fairly comfortable bed, and an iron they brought when we asked. The pillows seemed outdated, though, and the blanket was rather small for the bed. At checkout, nobody even asked how we’d liked our stay. We’d booked a comfort room. It was spacious, but dark and stuffy, and we were given one under the roof with a slanted ceiling where you could hit your head getting into bed. The windows were tiny and faced another window, which was a big disappointment. The decor also looked nothing like the photos on Booking or the hotel website. The bathroom was large and bright, but the toiletries were very cheap and there was no hair conditioner. There is an elevator, but it doesn’t reach all the floors or rooms. The staircases are old, with narrow steps, so keep that in mind if you have trouble walking. I won’t choose this hotel for my next stay in Lviv.

The Valentino Restaurant service was mediocre, though the food was surprisingly good and very reasonably priced. Breakfast was standard, but the bread was always stale, there were no product descriptions, and the service was almost nonexistent. Staff hid behind the bar checking their phones, or we waited up to 10 min for someone to appear. The hotel is lovely and near the Center, and the room was very clean. The mattress was very good, and the bathroom was spacious with a great old fashioned bathtub. The Standard Room looked onto the next building and was quite dark, with no sunlight. Watch out for the taxi fare if the hotel calls one: I paid 500 for the hotel called taxi and 125.00 for the retour, as they receive a hefty kick back. Check the official price lists for beverages too, since I was charged different prices for the same product.

Andriy deserves a special mention for going above and beyond to help me with some logistic issues. I was blown away by the customer service here. Nothing was a hassle, and the reception staff were brilliant. They were so hospitable that I’d love to have them visit my own country so I could return the kindness. The rooms were modern, with excellent climate control, and housekeeping were outstanding. Both the upstairs restaurant and downstairs breakfast were fantastic and very good value. The location near the CBD was handy, with souvenirs, pharmaceuticals, and whatever else you need easy to find. Andriy is an exceptional host for his country. I’ll refer my friends to stay at the Swiss Hotel every time.