Potemkinn Hotel

A new, cozy hotel with a really nice design. There were a few little unfinished details, but the location is very good and the design gets a 5+.

We were greeted by a friendly hostess in the lobby, who showed us to our third-floor room and explained how the hotel amenities worked. We’d come for four days. The room was cozy and nicely furnished, with paintings and lots of different lights, from loft lamps to arched lanterns. A table lamp would have made it more comfortable. The soundproofing was excellent, and being right by Deribasovskaya Street was especially nice, with cafes and restaurants all within walking distance for evening strolls. The air conditioning worked well, the bathroom was clean, and there was a kettle, tea and coffee for two, and disposable slippers. The window had a mosquito net. The balcony was closed when we arrived because of an insect infestation. There were some signs of wear, such as chipped furniture, dust in places, and exposed wires from the light above the bathroom mirror. Those were minor and didn’t make much difference to our stay. One inconvenience was that the gate had just one shared remote. Each time, someone had to fetch it and then bring it back. The room wasn’t cleaned once during our stay. Some people may like not being disturbed, while others might have wanted to request cleaning. For the price and location, it’s a decent hotel.

The rooms are great and the location is hard to beat. The rest was a mess. Check-in seemed to happen whenever the owner felt like it, and we finally got in at 5 pm. She said the wait would earn us a late checkout as a gift, but later insisted it was only for an hour and complained that we had stopped her from checking in other guests. I called and messaged the day before to say we needed to leave at 6:30 pm. Payment was cash only, and the woman apparently doesn't pay taxes. The rooms weren't cleaned. If we needed paper or the trash taken out, we had to hope we might run into the hostess, or “nit.” There's just one hairdryer for everyone. The smart TV had no remote, so we asked for one. While we were out, she went into our room and took it back. Whenever we raised anything, the answer was basically that we could go to hell and check out if we didn't like it. And as a final touch, there are two “Pushkins” carved into a tree by the entrance.

The restaurant downstairs was a bright spot: tasty food at reasonable prices. There was also drinking water in the room, and at first glance it looked clean. The stay itself was disappointing. The hostess was rude, prices felt exorbitant, and it seemed that guests who paid more got the rooms they preferred. Our bed hadn't been made, and we had to sleep without a duvet cover. For a three-star hotel, two towels, one small and one large, seemed like too few. The shower pressure was weak. The room with the mini kitchen had only one outlet, so charging our devices meant unplugging all the kitchen appliances. In the next room, the outlets were so high on the wall that they seemed meant for someone two metres tall. We were very disappointed.