Not western standards, but good for Yerevan
Written: Mar 16 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Recently rennovated; clean; great location;
Cons: poor breakfast; not very organised
The Bottom Line: The best of the larger central hotels in Yerevan. Very convenient, average service and facilities.
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| vodkaboy's Full Review: Best Eastern Hotel "Yerevan |
To be frank, if you are looking for Hyatt or Crowne Plaza standards, impecable service and attention to detail then you are bound to be disappointed, but then you would be at any hotel in Armenia. Much as I like Armenia, the concept of five star service just does not seem to be exist.
Of all the hotels in Yerevan, the Hotel Yerevan is not my favourite, but it is the best hotel of its size and location. I've stayed there a few times over the past year.
The Hotel Yerevan was completely rennovated and reopened in 2000 (give or take a few months. The rennovation was done by the Italian company Renco, who now run the hotel. It has been done quite well and other than the reception area, which is a little small, it does feel light, airy and has a Mediterranean feel to it.
RECEPTION
Most of the people at reception are cheerful and friendly. Check in is quite quick, but check out can be slow. Note than names on the register may be back to front (first name and family names mixed up), it is quite common to ask for a guest and be told that they are not there (Joe Bloggs might be listed as Mr Joe and if you ask for Mr Bloggs they will tell you he is not there!
ROOMS
The rooms are quite comfortable, light and with nice decor. The double bed is firm and comfortable and the desk gives a reasonable working space. The only criticism is that the TV is a bit small, the choice of channels poor, and the air conditioning can be a bit noisy.
The bath room comes with the usual amenities, shampoo etc.
FACILITIES
The hotel is built around an atrium with a wide fountain or water sculpture which is nice. Tables and chairs around it make up a kind of lounge area. The ceiling is glass so it is always light and airy. to one side is a tiny bar. The business centre is basically a couple of girls with a PC, fax and scanner. There is a small, over priced shop.
There is a roof top pool and bar which sounds nice but it is tiny - not quite postage stamp size but if you dive in one end you might hit your head on the far end! However it is a nice place to have a drink on a warm summer evening.
The gym and fitness centre is in the basement and is tiny. Not all of the equipment works, and there is not that much to start with! The massage is ok and there is also a hair dresser.
There is also a night club, which basically is a small bar, which looks like a half hearted attempt at a "pub", and a dance floor about the size of the pool. I've been in twice and it was empty both times!
There are several meeting rooms available, a "Board Room" on the second floor and a more casual room next to the business centre.
RESTAURANT
There is one restaurant which offers a buffet breakfast which is, in my opinion, dreadful. It seems to be a combination of Armenian and Mediterranean - cucumbers, tomato, flaky dry pastries, yogurt, cottage cheese, grilled oily eggplant and chicken franks. I just stick to a boiled egg and coffee.
Lunch and dinner is much better, a la carte and pricier.
Room service is ok but limited choice, slow and expensive.
SERVICE
I've already said that service is not five star. Here at least some of the people try but they don't always succeed. Telephone calls can be an ordeal, requests out of the ordinary confuse, and you sometimes have to ask three or four times for something. However the people are generally friendly and try to help.
LOCATION
Hotel Yerevan is on Abovian street, which is one of the main streets in the heart of the Commercial district. Immediately around the hotel are Bankomats, a supermarket, souvenir shop and two night clubs. Down the street from the hotel you have several bars and good restaurants, and less than five minutes walk brings you to Republic Square. Up the street you have a couple more restaurants and shops.
The hotel gets used a lot for VIP meetings and functions and if any government ministers are attending they close the street off! So don't be surprised if you come back and find you have to walk from the previous junction! It's annoying but there is nothing you can do about it!
In summary, a nicely rennovated hotel in a great location. Some more staff training is needed. The facilities are nice but small !
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
vodkaboy
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I've been thinking. That's an improvement.
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