Coroana Moldovei Hotel

Alert: Read Many Reviews Before Booking Seldom in life does an experience warrant taking a business to task over what a poor experience one has had. As a fellow business owner, I know how difficult customers can be, and sometimes, even when you try your best, you fail to meet their expectations. In this case, our interaction was so unexpectedly terrible, I am going out of my way to create a Tripadvisor account simply to leave a review as a warning to anyone considering visiting this establishment in the future. To begin with, this is a nice area of Romania to visit, so let me state unequivocally that this review is ONLY for this hotel and primarily its owners. We found the hotel on Tripadvisor and noticed it because of its high rating. Upon looking at the photos of the facility, as well as seeing a number of famous Romanians who had visited, the rooms seemed nice and spacious. Seeing that it was listed as a "four star" hotel, we thought this would provide a more boutique, out-of-the-ordinary experience compared to staying at a business-like or resort hotel such as a Marriott. The listing states "4****" hotel and speaks of the renovation in a castle style, like stepping back in time, amongst other details. When we called to make a reservation, a woman asked for our name, dates, and the number of rooms requested. As we were a party of five, she explained one room would be 450 lei, and the larger room to accommodate three guests would be 590 lei per night. We further asked if an hour-and-a-half massage was possible, and she answered, "Yes, anything you need." All seemed in order for a higher-service, four-star hotel, though we thought it odd that she only asked for our name. We figured it was more "old school" and dismissed it as their style. Upon arriving, there wasn't much parking, just "anywhere you can find along the street" was what a lady, apparently one of the staff, on the front step told us as she smoked her cigarette. Older images show that the sidewalk in front of the hotel was recently changed, which now makes parking challenging; only parallel parking allows traffic to flow through the street. As we entered the "lobby" we were met with the smell of fresh bleach combined with that of cave-aged, lingering mold or moisture. The lobby was cluttered with all sorts of papers and what I would call junk antiques that some folks often collect in an attempt to emulate Versailles, and sometimes that's okay. All the lights were off and no one was around. The place felt deserted. It was about two minutes later a guy was either summoned or wandered into the "front desk." As he checked us in, he explained that one room was now 700 instead of 590 lei because it was "nicer." The difference was not going to break the bank, so we agreed, though it was unexpected. Then he added, "There is also a resort tax of 12 lei total." We've seen this before, such as in Las Vegas, so we agreed. Yet when one of our party asked, "Is it better to pay in cash?" he seemed more excited and said, "Oh yes, cash is much better, as we don't get this money." Our other party member asked, "Is that 12 lei total?" He briefly considered and then stated, "Oh no, that's 12 lei per day." We then inquired, "What is this tax, anyway?" He deflected, "Let me get the reservation lady in Bucharest on the phone." She explained, "Oh, you don't have to pay that, don't worry about it." We thought this was odd. He ran our credit card and charged us for the full amount of the two rooms. We entered our two rooms, set down our things, and started looking around after our three-hour drive. It was then we began to notice what we had just agreed to. First off, there was no elevator, so three elderly members of our party were required to go up three flights of stairs. For one room, the man had offered us a choice between two adjacent rooms. We surveyed each room and noticed only one had a small refrigerator despite the listing stating every room has one. This "minibar" was a dormitory refrigerator with a few random beverage bottles haphazardly placed inside, not what one would typically expect from a hotel minibar. A sad, light-blue baroque chair sat in the corner, faded with torn fabric along the front edge, perhaps an original? The coffee pot had a cracked lid. Most importantly, however, was that the sheets on the bed were flat sheets and a comforter that fit only the top dimensions of the bed, with no material along the edges. Specifically, it was as if a single set of flat sheets was being used on a queen bed. The entire room felt dark, dingy, empty, and uninviting. In writing this, I wonder if perhaps this is the "style, luxury and sophistication of the aristocracies of another époque" mentioned in the listing and I simply misunderstood it. I did not anticipate literally going back to the days of Versailles after it had been abandoned. Perhaps that was the intended theme: "Abandoned Versailles." After meeting with our other party members, we all confessed that the place was "not good" and that it was better not to stay. We returned to the gentleman at the desk, who then insisted he could not refund our charge back to our credit card. He then explained that we needed to speak with the "lady in Bucharest." Once on the phone, she insisted she could not refund the money until the next day and that she needed a Romanian bank account to do this. We do not have a Romanian bank account, so that requirement could not apply. After seeing the charge hit the credit card, a few days later my wife again contacted the hotel. We insisted that the charge simply be returned to the same credit card used for payment. During these conversations, the explanations continued to change. The discussions also became increasingly unpleasant. My wife was repeatedly spoken over, voices raised, and she was transferred to another individual who was no more helpful in resolving the issue. At that point, the condition of the rooms was no longer the primary concern. Hotels vary, tastes differ, and reasonable people can disagree about décor. The larger issue became the difficulty we encountered after deciding not to stay and requesting a refund almost immediately after arrival. We found the property differing greatly from the impression we formed prior to arriving. I will finish with one thought. I have a great deal of love for Romania, its people, culture, and history. Nearly everyone we encountered during our travels was welcoming, helpful, and gracious. This hotel was the exception. Six days later we still awaited our refund from the hotel itself and, if they do properly credit our card back, as is customary, I will gladly update this review to reflect that.

Something new and unique, an unforgettable experience. I totally recommend it! Unfortunately, the furniture needs repair in some places—it’s a pitty to see it in such a state—and the same goes for many of the paintings in the hallways, which look like they’re about to fall off the walls. The staff is completely unfriendly, and unfortunately, online reviews suggest that they don’t value the guests who walk through their doors. What a shame. Congratulations on all your hard work and everything this hotel has to offer; with a little more attention to detail and respect for guests, everything would be perfect.

We were driving with our wife, the location is great, the interior is very beautiful and fits the image, but that's where all the joy ends. Breakfast was for a very high price and completely out of line with those prices, not fresh, which we paid for... my wife had poisoning after that. I paid the entire amount through the app including all fees and taxes, but upon arrival the "nice" hotel owner ripped us off a not-insignificant amount, which we didn't realize for what, and later counting how much we all paid in the end, we realized that we were charged again for taxes and paid twice for them. The TV in the room is very small and located far and high from the bed, there were no bathrobes, although it was stated that they were present, the room was cold, the hot water had to wait a long time, who first woke up the one and turned on the water and went back to sleep, there are no towel hooks, the Jacuzzi was only for two people and "Spa Center" is only a name, don't fall for it. Dinner at the restaurant was only fancy and beautiful but completely inedible and very expensive. And we never saw the owner until the end of our breath, but the best thing about this hotel was the staff. At the time of admission, the hostess told us that only billionaires come to visit them, but in the 5 days we spent there, we were alone and saw no one, the others had a hotel with guests doing great. All in all, a thousand cons, all of which...