Grand Astoria Hotel

The hotel is located near the old town, just a 5-minute walk to the metro. It's a 35-minute ride to Burj Khalifa and 1 hour 20 minutes to Marina Bay. The neighborhood surrounding the hotel is predominantly Indian, so the shops and cafes in the area are quite vibrant and authentic to that culture. It can be noisy and crowded on the streets, but everything you need is available almost 24/7. The staff is very polite and attentive. Check-in and check-out were quick. Room service was good. I used their complimentary luggage storage service at the reception. I didn't opt for breakfast. The in-room Wi-Fi was fast. I was assigned a room on the 4th floor, an accessible room (which essentially meant it was more spacious and comfortable). It was clean, tidy, and roomy. The room featured a large wardrobe, a cabinet by the entrance, a double bed, two nightstands, a desk, two chairs, a small table, a shelf, and a wall mirror. There was a large TV, a kettle, a refrigerator, plenty of power outlets, tissues, water, tea, and coffee. The lighting was good, and the light switches were convenient. The windows had thick curtains. The bathroom was huge and combined, with an accordion door, and fresh linen was provided. My main drawbacks were: 1. Poor soundproofing – even with the window closed, the street noise was unbearable. There seemed to be a dance club nearby, as low-frequency vibrations resonated through the walls late into the weekend nights (you couldn't hear it with your ears, but it definitely interfered with sleep). I was glad I was on the 4th floor. Interestingly, I stayed in a different room on the 4th floor of the same hotel a week prior, with windows facing an open courtyard, and it was significantly quieter there. 2. The air conditioning was practically unregulated – the room was incredibly, incredibly cold! I switched off the cooling right after checking in, but the background ventilation continued to cool the air (it blew directly on my feet). There was no heating mode. It was extremely uncomfortable – I couldn't walk barefoot and had to stay in warm clothes all the time. 3. No hairdryer – I'm used to blow-drying my long hair, but that wasn't an option here. This is a minor point, though. Overall, it's a very decent hotel for the price. I would gladly stay here again.