5/5Perfect48 Reviews
Sofia City Center Sofia|1km from downtown
It was whilst checking in that I realised this was not going to be a normal experience. After waiting a considerable amount of time for the guest before us to check in, we approached the non-smiling receptionist who appeared tense, introspective and offered no small words of greeting. She proceeded to check us in. Another hotel guest - already staying - arrived in reception and he looked grumpy. He interrupted our check in process with a complaint regarding a lack of toilet paper in his room. The receptionist did not ask him to wait, but proceeded to engage him in argument about when he could expect new supplies of toilet paper to arrive in his room. During the course of a bad tempered exchange between the two of them, the receptionist stated something like "the housekeeper does not start until 2pm" (It was already 3pm and so she must have been around) and he would respond with his view that he would stay here "never again" So this was during the middle of our check in... Our room was not quite what we expected. The view from the balcony included derelict buildings, and some building work in a neighbouring back garden which necessitated a bonfire. I wondered whether there was an alternative balcony room as I did not know if this bonfire would be a regular occurrence, and if so whether we would be affected by smoke as we sat on the balcony. Not that there were any chairs out there. I opened the door to the corridor, and there outside our room was the housekeeper, and her trolley, on which stood a plentiful supply of toilet paper. I contemplated how easy it would have been to have just provided the rude and grumpy guest with some, ten minutes before, when he was being rude...and grumpy. The receptionist appeared at that moment. I enquired into a change of room. "What's wrong with it?" I explained I was concerned about the nearby bonfire. "Oh, that's what people do in their gardens in Sofia" She appeared distracted and pre-occupied. We had a short discussion about alternative rooms, but I could sense her heart was not really in it. I asked if there were any chairs to use on the balcony, in case the smoke turned out not to be a permanent feature. "No" I let it go. The room itself was pleasant and spacious, with a nice layout and shape. Although, increasingly, during our stay, the noise levels from neighbouring rooms was intrusive. The following day we arrived back from breakfast (the hotel has a dining room but does not currently provide breakfast, but sends you out onto the street, and around the corner to a neighbouring hotel which is part of their group in order for them to provide you with breakfast) and our room had not been cleaned (and I remembered the 2pm start time for the housekeeper) so we went out for the day (leaving the 'please clean' sign on the door handle) We arrived back at about 3.30pm and the room had still not been cleaned. My wife spoke to the receptionist and we suggested that if she could ask the housekeeper to e