Beware Pickpockets!!Posted: Sat, May 27 2006Rooms:
3.5Service:
4Value:
5I stayed at this hotel with my brother and two friends for three nights and we liked it very much. Good points: helpful, friendly reception staff; clean, spacious and attractive rooms; varied, plentiful and enjoyable breakfast; cheap and tasty lunch + dinner menus. Minus points: rude kitchen staff clearing away breakfast before 10.00 am (end time)and making it obvious they wanted us out of the way; inefficient hot water system (sometimes only cold water available - not a nice experience on a cold winter's morning!); baking-hot temperature in rooms which didn't cool down even when windows left open and radiators turned off; hard, uncomfortable mattresses. BUT I must warn people using public transport. Despite being aware of pickpockets, my brother had his wallet stolen by a gang of five men on the 133 bus going into town. One man distracts you with a map and the others jostle you when the bus lurches. They jump off at the next stop. We reported it to the police, who were sympathetic but seemed resigned. We feel people should be made more aware of the way these people operate. The very next day as we were walking to the bus-stop, we noticed a group of (different) men walking down the road together but who dispersed as they approached the stop. The smallest one pulled out a well-used map. As we got on the bus, they deliberately separated my friends and started to gather around one - she was obviously their target. My other friend noticed and forced her way past them to join her. My brother stared at them the whole time and they got the message: they all got off at the next stop and re-grouped. My tip: get on the bus at the front and stay there and move away fast from anyone who comes at you with a map - if necessary, be rude!