- As all non-smoking rooms were booked, I was given a smoking room "but I will not smell anything" said the respectful person at the front desk. That was not true. Not only my room smelled of cigarettes, but the neighbors were heavy smokers and the smoke would hit me every time i leave or enter my room. The whole section smelled like cigarettes. I also discovered that "non-smoking" rooms have no external view.
- Breakfast is held at the top floor in a banquet or reception hall. Felt depressing. Limited choice of food and very limited choice of fresh fruits (we're talking, almost on daily basis: cut oranges, cut watermelon, that's it). Waiters are hard to catch, slow to respond, and often disappear for a long time in the kitchen. One time, on a Friday morning, they [the waiters] decided to have like a social gathering inside the kitchen that lasted for a very long time, with loud and high-pitch laughs that annoyed the small number of persons having breakfast that day, ... i'm wondering where was the restaurant manager?
In fact, it's as if there are no senior management, or supervision, or quality control of any sort.
One time while entering the parking, I almost got into an accident, as the hotel bus was exiting from the entrance gate! And i got insulted by the parking security as if I was entering from the wrong entrance!
Room service is another story. No order ever arrived as ordered.
Laundry boy asked me to pay the bill for the laundry when he was delivering the cloths! So strange.
Every time i'm talking to someone from hotel employees (room service, laundry, housekeeping), in the middle of the conversation, they hand the phone to someone else without any introduction or excusing themselves, which was very weird, like, i'm making an order or a request and then in the middle the conversation i get a "yes sir, hello, how can i help you!" ... like what the heck?
- No clear signs to find your room.
- The gym is small. It has a couple of treadmills.
- A/C and bathroom fans were very loud. I had to switch off a/c in the bedroom and and bathroom to be able to sleep (funny enough, the bathroom fan had a sticker that said "the quietest fans in the world" or something like that :) ) .
- occasionally i heard a bang on the wall or the ceiling (i wasn't sure) but very loud as if some rock fell or something.
- on the phone you dial laundry you get housekeeping, annoying as the person who answers seems irritated and tells you "you dialed the wrong number, dial 4XXX!", i mean come on.
- housekeeping guy: would bang heavily on the door and ring bell (three times in a matter of 15 seconds). What the use? Wait just to check if the hotel guest is in the bathroom and can't answer!
- no electricity plug near the desk; if you need electricity to work, you have to work from bed.
- 10 minutes before I check out, i call the front desk and ask them to prepare my bill. I arrive at the front desk, my bill is not ready. I ask why (especially that I asked for it 10 minutes ahead), the front desk guy tells me "responsible person is away / using the internet, and asked to call him when guest arrives at the front desk"!
On a positive note:
- the swimming pool looked nice and inviting.
- underground parking with enough space most of the time (but you have to register at the reception and get a "singles" or "family" sticker or something).
- very polite and warm security guards at parking entrance and hotel entrance (except for the [younger] guy who insulted me).
- in general, employees are always smiling and they try their best to help and accommodate (they probably need more training / supervision).
- my room was large, as all rooms are en-suite. The view was east-looking and not blocked, I could watch cars passing by under the hotel from my bed, not bad.
Anyway, after a long and hectic day of meetings and stress, all you need is a relaxing and comfortable place to return to. This was not the case with Habitat. Other than what I mentioned, there was plenty of small things that made for a terrible stay (stiff mattress, smelly pillows and duvet, slow internet that kept disconnecting, etc.). It seems i'm not the first to complain and the employer is going to stop dealing with this hotel. Happy to learn so.
SA
US