Надежда Захарова
a month ago
I do not recommend this hotel. Disappointed with the receptionist's work and overall service.We booked three rooms at the "Festival" hotel for two nights from September 25 to 27. Everything was confirmed by the hotel almost a month in advance. However, upon arrival, we were unpleasantly surprised to find that due to overbooking, one room was unavailable. Without any prior warning, we were moved to an apartment that didn’t meet our expectations.Firstly, we specifically booked rooms, not an apartment, and did not receive what we were promised.No one informed us about the issue before our arrival, which could have given us time to adjust our plans.The apartment was located not in the main hotel building but behind the dining area. To reach it, we had to either go through a service entrance or take a detour through the garage. The next morning, we had trouble accessing the dining area as another guest was having breakfast right at the entrance, and we didn’t want to disturb him (surprisingly, the guests show more respect for each other than the staff does for the guests).The apartment was cold, and we had to wait for it to warm up, which was an unpleasant end to a long journey.The apartment’s condition was disappointing: dirty curtains, a stained carpet, a sofa with spots, stained walls, no hooks for towels in the bathroom, a lightbulb in the corridor didn’t work, and the toilet wasn’t properly cleaned.What upset us the most was the receptionist’s attitude (an older woman with reddish-purple hair working on the afternoon of September 25). Instead of offering an apology or a solution, she indifferently stated that due to overbooking, "there’s nothing I can do," and even commented, “I don’t know what you don’t like, it’s a normal room.” I had to personally check online (thanks to Booking.com) to see if there were any available rooms for the next night and then ask to be moved to the room we originally booked.The next day, another receptionist apologized, and we appreciated that. However, the apartment we stayed in for the first night still cost us 70 euros despite all the inconveniences. A partial refund for the trouble would have been the reasonable thing to do, but that wasn’t offered.So, if you want to have a pleasant stay in Sarajevo and be sure you'll receive polite service and the room you actually booked, just choose another hotel.