Kosta Palace City Hotel

We recently stayed at Kosta Palace for two weeks with my girlfriend, having stayed here previously, and overall we still really like the hotel. The location is fantastic, and the staff throughout our stay were very helpful, friendly and accommodating.

Unfortunately, there were a few issues during this stay that did take the shine off what would otherwise have been a very enjoyable experience.

Our room failed to lock properly on two separate occasions. On both occasions we had to report it to reception, and although it was fixed, having to deal with this more than once was certainly a nuisance and left us concerned about the security of our room. The safe in our room also wasn't working correctly and had to be reported and repaired.

The biggest issue, however, happened after we had checked out. We had booked one of the shower rooms, which we think is a fantastic addition and particularly useful for guests with later flights. Unfortunately, despite the door appearing to be locked, another guest was able to enter the room.

My girlfriend was getting changed at the time when a male guest opened the door and entered. This was extremely frightening and embarrassing for her, particularly as she was in the process of getting changed. The other guest was also quite rude about the situation, which made an already uncomfortable experience considerably worse.

The incident also meant that our allocated 30-minute slot was effectively cut short, as we were left rushing to finish getting changed and ready after what had happened. What should have been a really useful and relaxing facility before our journey home instead became a very stressful experience.

Another area that could be improved is the noise in the mornings. We completely appreciate that the cleaners need to start work and that cleaning is an essential part of running a hotel. However, the cleaning trolleys are extremely loud when being pulled along the corridors and can sound like a race track when you're trying to sleep. The bedroom doors also seem to slam shut quite heavily, meaning that from early morning onwards you can regularly hear doors slamming — whether that's cleaners going in and out or guests leaving for the day.

If you're a light sleeper or hoping to have a lie-in, this is something to be aware of. Perhaps softer wheels on the cleaning trolleys and some attention to the door closers could make a significant difference to the noise levels in the morning.

We appreciate that issues can happen, and the staff themselves were generally very helpful whenever we raised problems. However, given that we experienced multiple issues relating to locks and security during the stay, culminating in someone being able to enter a supposedly locked shower room while my girlfriend was changing, we feel this is something management should take seriously. We would strongly encourage the hotel to check the locking mechanisms on both the bedrooms and the shower rooms to prevent anything similar happening to another guest.

On a much more positive note, a special mention absolutely has to go to Joel, the barman. He is absolutely brilliant and we genuinely cannot speak highly enough of him. Joel makes a real connection with the guests and always seems to be busy, yet still takes the time to make people feel welcome. He is a real asset to the hotel.

I'd particularly appreciate it if management could recognise just how highly thought of Joel is by the guests. We've noticed that he is mentioned frequently in reviews, and having experienced his service ourselves, we can completely understand why. People like Joel make a genuine difference to the overall guest experience and deserve recognition for it.

Despite the issues mentioned above, we still enjoyed many aspects of our stay and have a lot of time for Kosta Palace, which is why we chose to return after staying previously. The location, the staff and the overall atmosphere are all excellent. We just hope the issues around room and shower-room security, as well as the early-morning noise, can be addressed.

We would like to return to Kosta Palace again in the future, but we hope these issues are taken on board because they are all things that could be improved relatively easily and would make a big difference to the guest experience. I'd appreciate if management could contact my partner regarding the stay.

Good location, near the Harbor. It is placed in a quiet zone. Rooms are spacious and very clean. The staff a personnel friendly and supportive. Bath with hairdryer. No problem to connect multiple electrical appliances (very convenient). No USB, however. We enjoyed this place.