Review: Vila Economat Sinaia, Romania

They really went all in on the monochrome color theme in that room. The photos almost look like they're taken with a yellow filter.

So thoughtful that the menu tells you the weight of the egg (40g) and the exact 250ml you will get for your coffee. They have thought of everything!

I knew French and Romanian are linguistically similar, but the menus here really prove it.

Playing Shawn Mendes on a public TV would be reason enough to skip this hotel.

Too bad it was such a mixed experience. The food look good, and the views look lovely. Too bad the rooms and service don't live up the charming exterior of the hotel, which gives of a nice first impression.

@niko_jas - very common in Romania. Might be required by law, even.

@Tiffany - any comments on the quality of the rest of the food (other than the omelette)? I have also never been warmly welcomed by a hotel in Romania... among the few "services" where I felt they couldn't care less about my business, together with museums, large super/hypermarkets, and "moderately priced" (not casual, not fancy) restaurants.

@Aaron - playing a music video channel in restaurants is (sadly) also common in Romania. The nicer the place, the lower the chance, but hotel restaurants there aren't usually viewed as "fancy," they're just there to serve the hotel guests. If you're staying there on business, your dinners with those you went to see are at a place in town, not at the hotel restaurant. The only exceptions are certain classic hotels downtown... good luck finding one, though, as many of the classic hotel-and-restaurants are now just hotels or just restaurants; among the rest, good luck finding a good one, as many are severely lacking in quality in one or the other.

I'm actually planning a trip to Romania next year. Mental note, don't stay here.

Where were all the people since you had troubles with reservations?

I really hate it when having to read negative whining stuff - I guess that I should just stop checking in and leave it to the snowflakes to read.

A real shame, as that brilliant location deserves better. A designer renovation and new post-Soviet staff would be great but will likely never happen.
I am always deeply suspicious of smaller hotels with extensive restaurant menus. Looked all very workman-like, but unlikely to deliver.
Your balcony looked like the room's highlight, and a much needed escape from the cream-drenched room!

"I received a suite, which sure was… cream-colored." - lol wow they sure went all in on that cream color, from the furniture to the walls! I'm admittedly not the least bit skilled in design, but I know this and allow those who are handle those decisions for me. Clearly whomever was in charge here had my aptitude for design choices but lacked the self awareness required to know they should outsource these decisions.

@ Ryan
Often it's the wife of the owner/developer/decision-maker who embraces the décor and furnishing arrangements. They are generally totally untalented in the field despite what they may think.
I recall years ago looking at a new townhouse to buy, but the hi-gloss fire-engine red kitchen cabinetry and the all-black bathroom were deal breakers! Turned out that the wife of the developer was in fact responsible for the whole catastrophy.

I know this is point of your reviews, but why you are not eating out? Probably you might have better experience.

You'll have to excuse the receptionist (she's from Barcelona). Love, Basil.

There are such beautiful hotels in Sinaia. Shame you were out of luck.

@ Biokozy -- We ate out most nights! On this evening we'd been sitting in traffic for two hours, and had a ton of work to do, and since we'd had a fantastic lunch in Brasov, and getting to the hotel had been a challenge, we were happy to settle in for the night.

@ George -- I had an omelette in the morning as well; it was fine. I thought the food at dinner was good, certainly nothing high-end, but tasty in that "my grandmother would have made this" kind of way.

Ben, could you please go back to posting the actual Wifi speeds using Speedtest or another service?
"Better than one might assume" is very vague... Is it 5mbit, 15 or 50? And yes, there is a huge difference.
As a business traveller, that it mighty important information for me 🙂