Hemingway Residence — Hotel in Bucharest

I believe that reviewers have a duty to be completely honest when reviewing and I have been very lucky to stay at every kind of guest house and luxury hotel over the years and with this in mind I am happy to provide an open and honest review of the Hemingway Residence in Bucharest even though it might not be as glowing as the owners would like.

The location is fantastic, in a pretty but busy side street just minutes from the busy and bustling outer city. There are masses of shops, restaurants, and fabulous architecture on your doorstep. We found very convenient supermarkets and wonderful bakeries, also virtually next door.

We arrived by taxi very late at night exhausted, and checked in very quickly by a young receptionist. However, we were offered no help with our luggage. Fortunately, we only had a little, and we found the lift through a glass door behind reception.

Our room was on the 4th floor, down a well lit corridor, and was clean but extremely basic. There was a large door to a fantastic, huge verandah, and it was very much appreciated with outstanding city views, right to the far distance where you could see many miles when the weather was clear, which it was for us the following day. However, there was only 1 plastic chair and a small table, so you had to take the dresser chair outside if another guest wanted to sit out at the same time. This room is at the front of the hotel and makes assessing the local area very simple. You can see the main road easily from the terrace, which makes getting oriented very easy.

The bathroom also has access to the terrace, which is unusual, via a frosted glass door. This room houses a very powerful radiator, which warms the whole room amazingly well and was very appreciated as Spring has not yet arrived. The shower cubicle was clean, and the shower head was surprisingly efficient.

Our main concern was the bed. It is big and clean, with fresh, white cotton bedding. However, it is much too low to the ground at about 6 inches deep and impossible to get either down or up from without some logistical planning. Neither myself nor my husband could find a comfortable sleep in this monster of a 'bed', and it really is unacceptable even if this is the European style of bed to expect people of many ages and abilities to sleep in what is effectively a futon on a frame. I am shocked that none of the reviews mention these facts. It could have ruined an otherwise decent and convenient hotel. The room was cleaned every day, warm and reasonably furnished, but this bed is outrageous in a modern world.

We did not complain because we loved every other aspect of the hotel, and this room was perfectly acceptable for a short stay.

We would be very happy to stay here again, bearing in mind it is a decent 3 star central European hotel, location is great for us, the staff were very welcoming and efficient and we fell in love with the magnificent trattoria Roma located on the corner of the building, it is superb, decently priced with great atmosphere and excellent food. A real asset to the hotel but a separate business.

We didn't try the breakfast, but there is a small restaurant area in reception with a coffee machine and a little seating area.

I wish they could upgrade the beds as this is a really nice boutique hotel that could easily get an extra star rating with a little investment. We are happy to...

Photo 1:

Hair on the drain. These hair are not mine, it’s the welcome gift from the hotel, to make me feel that this is not a hotel, it’s a warm house. I appreciated that as it made me feel at home. I especially loved that the cleaning team didn’t take the hair after I removed them from the drain, they left them there so I wouldn’t feel that someone messes with my stuff. Thank you guys!

Photo 2:

My bedside table + the toilet paper I had to use because I wouldn’t stop sneezing! These guys are amazing!! I guess they left my bedside table dusty so they will help me overcome my allergy. I don’t know if this is scientifically proven, but exposing yourself to allergens like dust and mites, can help you develop a sort of immunity. I stayed there from Tuesday 27/09 till Monday 03/10 so there was enough time to test if not cleaning the room for all these days, can cause an anaphylactic shock. I am glad it didnt!

Photo 3:

Don’t be tricked and judge the hotel if you see this extra layer of dust on the room’s surfaces. This is not just dust, but it’s an opportunity for the guests to give handmade feedback. As you can see, I could write “dirty” on my table. This made me feel valued and that my opinion is heard.

Photo 4:

This is the breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I am glad that this hotel doesn’t give too many options, otherwise I would feel confused and panicked.

Overall, I loved staying at this hotel. The staff wouldn’t clean my room and I had to follow up each morning. This gave me the opportunity to work on my negotiation skills.

Not changing my towels made me understand that this hotel cares about the environment and that we have to respect this planet.

Their persistence on not cleaning my room for 6 days taught me that I need to work on my persuasion skills and that success is not the absence of failure, it’s the persistence through...

Value for money and comfortable, ideally situated for the old town, just a short taxi journey away. |We stayed in room 56, floor 5, and had lovely views from the balcony. The bed was comfortable with a firm mattress and side tables. The room had a wardrobe, fridge, vanity table, and TV, and a coat rack. The balcony had a table but only one chair, the bathroom could have done with somewhere to hang stuff, but the shower was OK with plenty of hot water.|There is a restaurant next to the hotel but we didn't use it so can't comment.|There was a small supermarket less than a minutes walk away, and it was open until 10 pm, so it was handy.|The hotel was clean and the staff friendly and helpful, only the downside is it's starting to look a bit tired in places. |Breakfast was good, served from seven until 10.30. Nothing fancy the usual continental fair, but if you go early, the croissants and eggs are still warm. There was plenty to eat available for the guests, but we noticed a family near near us piled their plates high and left most of it most mornings. Unfortunately, greedy guests limit what breakfast is left for...