Cathy C.
Yelp
When choosing a hotel, I normally look for: location and free wifi. I'm not to big on frou frou since I only need a room to sleep in, shower and store my luggage.
Having gone to art school, I love Pantone. Ooh, colors! Choosing to stay here seemed like a good idea when I was booking this hotel. And then, I got to the hotel...
The exterior looks run down. It's in a neighborhood of apartments and you have to walk at least half a mile to get to the main street, metro station and the fancy shopping area. I stepped on dog poo from walking from/to the hotel. There's only one tiny elevator. The hallways are very small. Overall, this had a college dorm feel to it. I would have loved this place if I were still in art school. They do have design awards from Michelin and Travel + Leisure magazine.
I got to stay in the Brown room. A white room with different shades of brown furniture and artwork. Flat screen TV, spacious for being in Europe, no closet - just a rack with hangers. Don't dare put your luggage on the shelf below the rack - it will collapse as demonstrated by my sister. The toiletries are very basic: shampoo and bath gel. Bring your own toothpaste, lotion and handsoap. They do have colorful scented toilet paper though. The wifi worked well.
The lobby is cramped with the front desk, gift shop and breakfast area which is dark. You can buy Pantone chairs, mugs, cups, pots, shirts, bikes, tin cans, cellphone cases, etc. If I come back to this city, I'll stay at a more centrally located hotel - same price anyway.