GRAND HOTEL BAKU CENTRAL PARK

Stayed in the hotel in September 2023. As much as I wanted this stay to be really unforgettable, it was indeed unforgettable, in the worst way possible. I hesitated whether to publish this information but at this point, I just want to warn others about malpractices of this hotel. The level of hospitality here is appalling in many-many ways. 1. The cleanliness of rooms is highly questionable- I saw a cockroach in the bathroom (see photo for the reference). 2. We had a flower bouquet and asked the staff to bring a vase for it. Nothing. They simply ignored us, even when we reminded them that we have a request. 3. The TV remote control was absent in the second room where I was staying. We had to call the receptionist to bring it. 4. The breakfast is average. If you want to order better coffee or else, be ready to pay (and yes, they charge you immediately, you cannot leave it until the check out) 5. The most appalling and unacceptable thing - the excursion program and sightseeing they sell is a scam (be really aware of what you purchase). We went to Qobustan, presumably, the guy who accompanied us was supposed to speak English. Nothing. His English was really poor to that extent that it was impossible to communicate with him properly. The second thing. Before moving on to the mud volcano, we literally stopped in the middle of nowhere and our driver told us we need to change a car and pay other guys to get us to the mud volcano. According to him, our rented car was not suitable for such a short trip. And of course, we were supposed to pay to some shady looking men to go there, when we have already paid and nobody has mentioned that where was going to be an additional fee. We refused and this part of the program was omitted. On our way back, we were supposed to visit oil wells. This was not my first visit to Baku and I know the Absheron region well enough to say that something isn’t quite right. The guy missed the road exit, and I asked if everything is ok and if we are going to oil wells. He said, no, but you may go, if you pay more. Nevertheless, when we went to the hotel, we tried to find out what was going on and why we have been treated so badly, with all these additional fees just to go to the mud volcano. They told us that the locals from the region control this road and it’s impossible to go there without paying them. Can you imagine that? The staff assured us that they will clarify if there is anything they can do for us, but no, nothing has happened and no one has reached out to us. 6. The last, but not the least, they refuse to call a taxi for you to go to the airport. You may only use their transfer which is quite costly (around $30)

The stay was amazing..staff especially dafa and khalida were very nice..reception staff was also very good.the bed sheets were clean but very old they need to be changed..the pan cakes french toast need to be fresh at the breakfast table..the room and bathroom clean and spacious.