Laren Vacations from ￥181,186

It’s cheap per night but still needs improvement. A tired hotel in need of refurbishment. On arrival and check-in I was met with a frustrated staff member. Clearly under pressure, systems not working and other customers with lots of questions, this staff member was not the smiling, warm front of house I’m used to from competitors across the road from Penta. My room was on the third floor. The lift is small, slow and the only one for the entire facility. The corridor to my room smelt of stale cigarette smoke, and my room the same. Other guests nearby were smoking in their rooms, and some out on the balcony accessed by fire escape. The waft of cigarettes frequently entered my room via the A/C unit. The standard size room is small but usable. My biggest frustration was having to go to reception for a mug of hot water whenever I wanted to make a hot drink, as there is no kettle. In the room, the walls all had marks on them, and many of the gloss painted surfaces were showing signs of wear. The bathroom was small and not very clean. The toilet brush mounted to the wall was dirty, the hairdryer mounted by the sink - sticky and dusty. The biggest annoyance was the very low water pressure. It just dribbles out of the taps and shower, and the toilet takes ages to fill and barely flushes. I had booked 5 nights at PentaHotel but only stayed for 4 in the end. I’m very unlikely to use this hotel again. Perhaps it will improve now it is becoming an IHG business.

Good