Pansionat Nikolaev

For 950 UAH a night, almost everyone in our group liked this place, especially the pool. The property used to be a resort, but it has been brought back into good shape, and the owners seem to put money back into it as well as earn from guests. It's on the second line, a five-minute walk from the sea. The staff were great and helped us with whatever we needed. The adult and children's pools were clean, heated, and chlorinated, and having a lifeguard there was a welcome surprise. There are covered tables nearby. The grounds are green and landscaped, and parking is enclosed and guarded. Cameras cover the floors and grounds, access is controlled with wristbands, and room doors use electronic tags instead of keys. Wi-Fi works well across the property, though it can slow down in peak season, as can mobile internet. The air conditioning worked, and our small balcony had a couple of chairs for drying clothes. Smoking on balconies isn't allowed, with one designated smoking area, which is unusual around here. The rooms themselves are the weak point. The interiors could use updating, and proper modern nightstands and bathroom doors would be better than having a mini-fridge. That's why I took off one point. Still, the beds and mattresses are new, the rooms are clean, and the building is cleaned regularly inside and out.

The first impression was positive, and the hotel is modern and well kept. We liked the pool, and the bed linen was fairly clean. The mattresses and pillows were comfortable. The sea is close, about five minutes away, though the water is very shallow and you have to wade roughly 100 meters before you can swim. After seven days, the problems were more noticeable. The area around the pool was either not cleaned or cleaned poorly. Sand and little clumps of it covered the tiles, and without sand collectors at the entrance, whatever stuck to your feet got into the pool. There was a clear dirty line on the pool walls, and it wasn't cleaned once while we were there. Pool security also picked up towels they thought had been left in the wrong spot, so we had to go looking for ours. Odessa hotel was decent, but it could have been better. It has the makings of one of the best.

The room was fair for the price, not luxurious, but fine if you're spending the day at the sea. There was a good pool and a basketball court. Even after checking out at noon, we could stay on the hotel grounds until evening or head back to the beach, and there was luggage storage. The receptionist was very pleasant and welcoming and explained everything well. We left with a good impression.

The location is great, two minutes from the sea, with lots of restaurants right nearby. Staff were welcoming and friendly, and the reception girls were cheerful and attractive. If you need it, the maid will clean your room when asked. The pool is nice, although there are so many kids it's hard to properly relax. I liked the hotel, but the room had a few annoyances: a dripping faucet, awkwardly placed sink and toilet, nowhere to dry clothes, and no glass, pitcher, spoons, or knife. There were also two blankets that were very dusty and stale. There's no Wi-Fi in the room, which feels ridiculous these days. I could only get online in the lobby, and even there the connection was poor. The 2 p.m. check-in and noon checkout also left me unhappy. You pay for 10 days but really get nine. Arriving early in the morning can mean waiting four or five hours for a room, and buses usually don't leave until 4 p.m. or later. After checking out, you may have another four or five hours waiting outside.