Ararat Hotel in Yerevan

The only good thing about this hotel is location… but considering how small is the center of Yerevan, it doesn’t matter either… This hotel is declared to be a 4* though I would never rate them more than 2*. 1) I arrived at 10am, and just before I could say that I was early and I was willing to pay some extra money for the early check in, she told me that the standard checkin time is at 3pm with a super dry and not-interested-to-communicate voice… 2) The receptionist couldn’t find my booking though it was made a few days before… 3) I didn’t feel any sincere welcome from the lady. 4) After some time of waiting, I got the room. The early checkin charge was AMD 10,000 (roughly $25); the lady took the money but was not willing to record in their cashier machine until I asked for a receipt… I wonder if she planned to put this money to her pocket…(?) 5) It was a non-smoking sign on the wall yet the whole lobby was smelling of cigarette smoke… 6) When I arrived in to my room, there were a few staff there trying to fix something; apparently, the minibar fridge was not cooling. The lady asked me if I needed it, I declined, and they left relieved that they didn’t have to fix it anymore… 7) WiFi network was constantly interrupting which was a bit annoying. 8) Choice of TV channels is just 8! Seriously?!? 9) The room’s equipment is very old. The room itself looked very tired, the bathroom didn’t feel to be clean, the carpet was smelly… the hairdryer was from the 50s (like a vacuum cleaner) - super noisy and with the tape fixing the parts together… 10) There was no instruction how to use the safe box. Obviously, I did something wrong and blocked my stuff in it. When I call reception asking for assistance to open the box, they told me just to come to reception desk and collect the key… A) in a 4* (apparently not) hotel they don’t go to your room… B) they just give a safebox key to you without any record of it… this is a big concern for me as any of their stuff can come and open the safe while you’re out… 11) Breakfast was included into my room rate but the receptionist never explained its timing and location so I explored myself. I arrived around 9:40am… a dirty empty place, tables were not cleaned after guests, no one attending from the staff… Choice is close to zero; coffee station is a disaster; dirty with grease fingerprints dishes; I only found some fruits and yogurt to eat… 12) After all this “great” experience I decided to change the hotel… another lady at the reception just took my keys without even trying to check my payment status, nor she asked if I enjoyed the stay, whether I needed any help with transportation… she also could have asked me about the reason of early departure but it was obvious no one in this hotel was interested in me as a guest… Never ever stay in this place! Pay a bit more and choose something else - it would be a wise decision!

The hotel is in a very bad condition, roofs are dirty and not maintained at all. Almost no one speaks English and breakfast is not edible. Staffs are not helpful. Blankets are old and dirty. Rooms are in terrible condition Please please please do not choose this awful hotel