Leonard Miron

This was my second time at Hotel Casa CAPSA; the first one wasn’t the best experience (see my previous review) but at check-in the Receptionist was trying to persuade me to come back and to see that the first unpleasant stay was an “unhappy experience”. Despite the fact I’m not “buying” amazing deals from Shopping TV programs or glossy magazine I decided to come back to Casa CAPSA in September.

Big mistake because everything moved from BAD to WORTS consolidating in my eyes (after staying in 4 and 5 star hotels around the world at least 3or 4 times a month) the idea that Hotel Casa Capsa is a SCAM with capital letters.

I booked on-line (using booking.com) a Junior Suite and I was very excited because the photos on both websites (booking.com and the hotel’s one) looked amazing. Unfortunately, only location of the hotel and the historical building are real 5 stars. The rest…

At check-in a very talkative receptionist explained me how lucky I am that I manage to secure in a last minute booking a Jr. Suite when the hotel is fully booked. Last minute? Is what they called in Romania a booking done 5 weeks in advance? Maybe is just … “lost in translation”. Later the same receptionist confessed that after booking me in a real Jr. Suite, couple days before my arrival the management decided to move me in another room because some “important guys staying in the hotel” and of course “can’t tell you more, you know what I am talking about…” was present in the conversation too. Very professional.

I got room 317, placed at the end of a creepy corridor at the 3 floor. The room was obviously not a Jr. Suite (complete different them the descriptions of both website-booking.com and capsa.ro). When I discussed the issue with the reception they spend a good 20 minutes to explain me that I am wrong and “317 is a Jr. Suite” …. really??!! However, later some of the staff explained me that the room is not a Jr. Suite and maybe if I talk with the manager I will pay a different price.

The room was very dark with no natural light or fresh air due to the fact that the window was opening in an interior closed courtyard. Nice to wake up in the morning and switch on all the lights in the room to find my way to bathroom.

Talking about bathroom was an … experience. I don’t remember when I saw last time in a 2-star hotel a shower with a plastic curtain … maybe in 1970? But a 5 star hotel will never accept this solution just because a plastic shower curtain needs a lot of effort (at least a good wash once a day) to assure the correct level of hygiene.  The bathroom had an original “rainforest shower”: the shower head was so old and damaged that projected water everywhere, especially on the roof and after that when you were trying to have a decent shower you had and very special “naturistic” add-on: water dripping from the roof with paint and calcar… That’s a 5-star touch.

After the first 20 minutes in room 317 I had the feeling that the room was more appropriate for a rent by hour (oops!) than by night. Later that day looking under the bed I found the confirmation that the management had the idea “rent by night” before me … that’s what I call style: pretty woman earring and used “spread the love” as a trademark of a 5 star Junior Suite.

The first morning, after not a very good night sleep and remembering the last experience at Hotel Casa Capsa I skipped the breakfast and decided for a French wake-up call: Nicotine Macchiato.  But the second day I took the risk…and I paid for it! The breakfast was the same lame dull experience, far for an expected offer in a 5 star hotel and a service offered in a communist hotel in Berlin 1975. I will not go in to details but this time Hotel Capsa beat it’s own record: this time a 30 minutes wait for a simple omelette.

Nobody else to blame than me. Was my decision to comeback…the last time.

Hotel Casa Capsa has a prime location and a beautiful building but that’s all; the rest is a TOURISTIC SCAM with capital letters.

~ by Leonard69 on September 14, 2017.

Posted in TRAVELER'S NOTES