Balin Hotel - Special Category

“Bueno”

The stay was fine, though the carpet was a bit problematic for allergies.

Jaime·3 days ago

The staff were very friendly, the location was excellent—walking distance to the top attractions and just 200 m to the tram for those who prefer not to walk. Highly recommended!

Radosław·4 days ago

“I regretted nothing about choosing this hotel on location alone. Reasonably priced as well.”

The hotel was stellar in every way. The location was super convenient to the top sites in the old city area, with a metro station a block away if you didn’t want to walk. Restaurants were readily available nearby. The refrigerator wasn’t working when we arrived, but it was fixed by the next day. The staff could not have been nicer; we loved coming home each night to a tidy space, unlike an Airbnb. A flat fee of fifty dollars was charged for the hotel to arrange an airport transfer (no tipping required), which was 45 minutes away…the nicest airport you will ever set foot in, “dazzling” is the only way to describe it. On the downside, like all hotels, you’ll be hit with a $10.00 (US) charge for two Cokes. There’s a grocery store one block away that we didn’t know about, so we ended up lunching on the balcony.

Jeanelle·6 days ago

“Отель не соответствует рейтингу и фотографиям.”

I liked the location. It’s quiet, with no noisy venues nearby even though it’s almost on the main street. The staff are very loyal, solving problems whenever possible, very polite, essentially saving the hotel and compensating for its shortcomings with their attitude. The breakfasts are normal and filling (nothing special). No unpleasant smell in the bathroom. Towels were changed regularly, trash was taken out, and water was replenished. The rooms don’t match the photos; the rating doesn’t match the hotel. Renovation was at least 15 years ago, probably when the photos were taken for advertising. The carpet is dirty with stains, ketchup marks on walls, beds, and nobody even tried to wash them. The furniture is old. Water from the tap is often missing, pressure is low especially in the evenings, and warm water barely flows. Towels are low‑quality cotton, not absorbent. The cigarette smell permeates the whole hotel even though we chose a non‑smoking room. Everything is smoky. The restaurant is very expensive, pricier than the one next to the Blue Mosque. It’s impossible to dine because the owner and his friends smoke, creating a haze. The kids at the neighboring table don’t mind. The view looks like from the ’90s. The mosque right across wakes you up at 5:55 every morning, which has its own charm. We booked one room, but upon arrival we were given a completely different room that didn’t meet the advertised features, much cheaper than what we paid. They refunded the difference, offered us a dinner at the hotel (which was truly commendable), but we accepted it because we quickly realized that even the room we paid for was no better than what we were given. They showed us various apartments, all the same, dilapidated. A cruel scam. We’re not picky, we adapted quickly so as not to ruin our vacation, but the sense of injustice remained. Even though the manager tried to smooth things over, we decided to leave an honest, objective review so that those who choose this option do so consciously.

Epxnet·A week ago

The location is very good, close to the Bazaar entrance, transport options, and major sights. The breakfast is varied. However, the cleaning could use improvement; the room smelled of cigarette smoke. After three nights we learned that rooms are only cleaned on request, which should have been told to us upon arrival.

Emilia·A week ago