Marina Botel & Restaurant — Hotel in Bratislava

The Good||We booked this for a stag party and stayed for 4 nights. Great little rooms (quite dated and pokey but quirky). The staff in the Botel were really friendly and helpful (unlike the majority of other people in the city we spoke to unfortunately). We had great weather also, so the side decks of the boat where a great sunbathing spot (sleeping off last nights adventures!) ||||The Bad||The prices in the bar and restaurant are expensive for Bratislava (approximately 10 mins walk). A 500ml glass of beer is €3.50 (€1.90 - $2.30 in BTS) and a typical meal was around €10 - €17 (€7 - €12 in BTS) per person - minibar is an absolute rip off so try to resist. ||||The Bloody Rude||I appreciate this isn't a direct reflection on the Botel Marina, so I have not factored this into my rating. My main problem with Bratislava in general is the majority of people who serve you in shops, bars and even the taxi drivers - they are so cold, distant and unhelpful. don't get me wrong we never felt intimidated or believed them to be bad people - some of them are just so rude. I'm not sure whether this is a culture difference as we brits are known for our overly polite persona, but when you get your change thrown on the counter rather than your open hand, it sends the wrong message in any language. Don't get me wrong, not all people we came in to contact with were like this, a few were lovely people, but the vast majority didn't want us there....or so it seemed.||||Summary||If you don't mind the general ruddy rudeness of people in the city and still want to go - seriously consider the Botel Marina, its a nice little place and the staff are fine. Try to drink and eat...

We stayed at the Botel Marina for the last couple of nights. The place was almost empty and I can now understand why.

The shower was cold. We left the shower running for at least 5 minutes and it didn't warm up. Unlike the shower, the room was incredibly hot and the air conditioning didn't work. The walls were very thin and we could hear the staff socialising outside. The staff frequented the outdoor areas intended for guests. Breakfast didn't open until 8am. The "supervisor" tried to scam us. We misplaced our room key (we suspect the supervisor took it) and the supervisor informed us we had to pay him €25 for a replacement key. He claimed there were no other keys even though we later established there were a draw full and it would only cost a couple of euro to get a copy cut.

We thoroughly enjoyed Bratislava but avoided the hotel during the day and only returned at night to sleep. The staff appear to live on board and I felt like we were uninvited guests in their home. The supervisor was constantly hovering around and acting in an intimidating manner.

There was another boat hotel a few hundred meters from the Botel Marina. If you want the boat hotel experience I recommend staying...

Staying on a botel is a fun and unique experience. My room was small but clean and the AC was not working (well or at all) so the fan was good enough. The breakfast spread was plentiful and it was nice eating upstairs overlooking the water. It was not free- I paid extra. ||||The main issue is the front desk staff. All 3 of the ones who helped me in one capacity or another seemed truly put off by having to assist and help me. From the moment I arrived and tried to check in they seemed inconvenienced. Even when I came down to ask a question about a taxi the guy told me one moment (which is fine, I can wait) but then he proceeded to organize all the papers on the desk and paper clip things while I stood there. SO ODD. The front desk staff needs a serious re-training on customer service. It was so off putting and strange. I have never had such cold and irritated people working in the hotel industry. I would stay at a botel again but definitely...