Biblioteka Boutique Hotel in Vologda

Were I the owner of this establishment I would look to replace both my kitchen manager and my hotel manager. Though, it would not surprise me if they were the same person as the desk clerks were acting as waiters while still trying to keep an eye on the front desk. Our group had booked the location for a birthday celebration following a wedding and we were given the entire top floor. Thus began the disaster.

Having spent the better portion of the day traveling from a cabin style hotel near Kirilov, we were all anxious to throw off our rustic garb and wash the countryside off ourselves. That is how we discovered the water issue. There isn't enough water pressure to service the third floor. You step into the shower, lather up, and then the shower goes to a drizzle. You now patiently wait while someone else on a floor below finishes brushing their teeth or flushing the toilet. The pressure comes back, you start to rinse off, and a chill runs down your spine. You now get to test your patience against whoever else is taking a shower. Which one of you will give up on the modern luxury of a hot shower for which you have already paid? No matter what you choose, you will later consider yourself lucky, as the groom couldn't even take a shower in his oversized bathtub in the suite across the hall. Due to the slanted roof, standing was not possible and due to the lack of hot water, the oversized tub was but a place to sit while he used the handheld sprayer to wash and rinse.

Aside from being overpriced for the location and a little creepy with the black paintings in the room, the ceiling's slant, as it is part of the roof, creates a feeling of confinement that you don't need to be claustrophobic to appreciate. These revelations were but a pittance compared to the tragedy of the dinner.

When someone describes a dinner as being served over the course of two hours, most would assume numerous courses, perhaps starting with appetizers and ending in dessert. They would not assume, unless they had traveled to this establishment before, the idea of each person's meal arriving independently over that period of time with some people receiving their side dish an hour before or after their meat. People ordering the exact same dish received them over half an hour apart. One of our friends received his filet mignon half an hour in and considered himself lucky, only to receive his corn on the cob while we were ordering desserts. Several of our friends gave up on the idea of dessert because they weren't willing to risk sitting for another two hours. I ended up carrying my companions last cappuccino to the room for her as it came half an hour after she left.

These same problems plagued breakfast which was ordered the night before. Food was brought before drinks and the groom got a large bottle of water for the table from his car as it was never provided.

The final disappointment before our departure was the attitude towards our complaints. They were not addressed and the hotel acted as though our experience was both acceptable and typical. In all of this, I do not blame the waitstaff. They were clearly overworked and understaffed. One our friends, after having seen a hotel worker asleep late at night on one of the couches, made jokes that perhaps the staff were being held against their wills as they were clearly being pushed beyond what would be considered normal working conditions.