Arrived at this hotel - as the hotel I had booked was unable to accommodate us, so transferred us to this '3 star' just down the road. Below is my 20 minute experience - and a few photos!
Ok, its in a grotty end of town - not the hotel's fault, and from the outside its actually not the biggest dump - but inside tells a whole different story. It's not a very well lit street, and had I stayed here I would not have liked to walk around here at night, and there was a fair bit of cat calling when we stayed at a hotel down the road.
You are greeted by an overwhelming smell of incense when you walk in the door. Strong, like really really strong!! The reception is a drab shabby corner on the ground floor. While waiting for reception another guest arrived down in turban and pjs and had a full on chinwag with the guy at the desk. Not the worst experience ever but a bit strange!! After a bit of confusion it was agreed that I should not pay (given hotel 1 had already debited my card), and we were handed a key, and a remote. There's a big sign downstairs advising you not to leave anything in the room of value! So, not off to a great start we took the highly perilous lift to floor 4. The lift, which unfortunately I did not photograph, was like something from the inner workings of a coal mine, with less health and safety. We got to floor 4, and before we got off were transported to floor 2 - where a very surprised man was waiting! He did not join us (despite the boasts of the lift being able to hold 4, and we set off again). When we got to the room it STANK of cigarette smoke, and looked really creepy. The carpet was so dark and treacherous looking that one daren't have walked on it bare foot. The dim lighting from the overhead lamp was not in adding to the atmopshere, and instead enhanced the ambiance of gloom and despair. The old, and shabby (and not in a shabby-chic way) furniture and bed clothes were so disgusting I didn't even dare to sit on the bed. There was thankfully reasonable wifi - which I used to book myself and my poor traumatised mother - who was barely holding herself upright due to the shock - a stay in the Novotel down the road.
As we trudged back to reception to return our key, and seek a refund from the hotel that actually took our money we were met by repair men in the corridor who kindly held open the lift.
Getting a refund is currently proving challenging, but not the fault of this hotel. In fact the man we dealt with was friendly, and not surprised that we were not happy either.
I realise this review may not fully depict the absolute squalor of this hotel, or might portray me as some sort of hotel snob - but do not think that!! The hotel is DISGUSTING, and I love budget hotels and private rooms in hostels - but this was just too much for me to take. The thoughts of having to change, take off my clothes or lie on those disgusting old man lumpy beds, with their (clearly invested after reading the other reviews) disgusting quilt covers, get some sort of terminal lung disease from the stench of second hand smoke, and more than likely get robbed in my sleep while taking my life in my hands using their lift just meant that I could NOT stay here - EVER with or without my mother!