A Week in Valo Business: My Honest Impressions

Hello everyone who's stopped by!

For some personal reasons, I spent all my weekends and part of my vacation in hotels since mid-November. At first, the thought didn't excite me, but now I realize I'll miss this romantic time. Changing up the decor was just what I needed and it's only done me good.

To ensure a comfortable stay, I chose my favorite Valo complex, which includes various hotels with different star ratings and levels of comfort. I thought I'd love Mercure the most, but I ended up staying in Valo Business three times in a row.

VALO BusinessI used to rule out Soul and Business because I prioritize the view from the window. I always specify in my requests to be placed as high up as possible, ideally on the top floor, and to have a city view, not a courtyard view. These two buildings are located in the courtyard (although it's really nice), so the windows from any side will face the courtyard.Despite that, I really loved the interior of the rooms and the color scheme in Business, so I decided to give it a try. And, as I mentioned earlier, I ended up staying there more than once.

VALO Business✔ I've written about the complex's layout in my reviews for other Valo hotels. But to repeat myself, it's perfect. Thanks to the metro station, Bucharestskaya, being right across the street, you can get to any part of the city within 30-40 minutes, and to the center within 15. Cafes, shops, coffee shops, and a cinema are all within walking distance!We've developed a little ritual: we check in, leave our stuff, and head to "Peresekhok" in "Kontinent," then to the food court, and on our way back to "VkusVill" and a coffee at Etalon (which are both located in Business).

There's also a massage studio on the first floor of this building, which I really like, and I sometimes go there even when I'm not staying in the hotel. And if you are staying in the hotel, it's a sin not to go! You can just walk down in your slippers 😂

Отели VALOThe courtyard near the hotel entrance:

Now they've set up a gorgeous Christmas tree here:

VALO I booked the rooms, as usual, through Yandex.Travel, so I could get a good discount thanks to promo codes. I specified a wish for a specific floor, and every time they took it into account. Twice we were put on the 18th floor, and once we stayed on the 14th.

VALO Business ➡️ First, I'll write about my complaints, and then I'll move on to the positives: 1. There was a snag with check-in.

I'm used to having a separate lobby for each building, like at Mercure or Network. So, I headed straight to Business, expecting to find the lobby. But where was the lobby? There were just some couches, and no reception desk. After walking around the entire first floor, I was starting to get anxious.

I hate feeling like an idiot. And that's exactly how I felt. Where was I supposed to go? What was I supposed to do? There was no sign anywhere! I took a deep breath, thought it through, and decided to head to the main building, even though I was always sure that's where they checked in guests at Ramada and Valo Hotel City. But, it turns out, they also register guests at Business and Soul there.

So, my complaint is basically that there are no signs or information about where to register. Why do some buildings have their own reception desks, while others don't?

2. The balcony door was jammed.

During my first booking at this hotel, I specifically chose a room with a "comfort plus with balcony". Yeah, I really wanted a balcony. And as soon as I got into the room, I headed straight to the balcony. But, oh no - it was locked. I tugged and pulled on the handle, thinking maybe I was just being stupid. But no, it was clear that it couldn't be opened from the inside. I called the reception, explained the situation. They told me they'd send someone to take a look. But 15 minutes went by, 30, almost an hour... I was starting to get worried. I called again, and only after the second call did someone show up and open the balcony door with a key 10 minutes later.

➡️ So, that was a bit of a rocky start, but things smoothed out after that.✔ I really liked the room number. The layout in this room is spacious and well-planned. To be honest, it's basically a twin of the Mercure apartments, minus a slightly smaller bathroom and a bed that's more like a king-size with a split, rather than a proper king-size. The pros include two blankets.

✔ The mini-hallway is spacious, so you've got room to breathe and hang your jackets.✔ Then there's the kitchen, which I like because it's roomy – as much as you can expect it to be.

You can stash your groceries in the shelf and stash them in the fridge; chopping up ingredients and cooking is a breeze – there's plenty of space on the countertop and it's well-lit.

✔ They've got all the essentials. Usually, I just use forks, cups, and plates, but last time I even whipped up an omelette on the provided pan and cooked some pasta in the pot.

The only downside is the lack of decent cups. There are only coffee mugs from the welcome tea set, but that's not a big deal for me, especially after my 1-liter mug with kittens from Modi. One thing I really liked was the convenient shower in the bathroom, along with toothbrush sets, shampoos, body wash, soap, towels, slippers, and all the other essentials. I also appreciated the abundance of storage space. There are drawers under the TV, a spacious closet where you can hang clothes on hooks or put them on shelves, and plenty of room on the floor.

The room has everything you need for a comfortable and extended stay - an iron, ironing board, washing machine, stove, plenty of outlets, and various lighting options, plus TV.

➡️ Room with a balcony: We stayed in this type of room twice. The pros include a spacious balcony with

an amazing view:

VALO Business view from the window The window in this room is big enough to open fully and take a look or snap a photo without looking through the glass, like this: VALO Business view from the window The downsides are that it's useless in winter. I'd just pop out, take a peek through the window, and quickly head back inside. But I guess it's kind of cool in the summer. You could theoretically drag a chair or a table out there and hang out. The room with a balcony looks like this:

VALO Business➡️ Room without a balcony: After enjoying the balcony, I opted for a more practical room without one for my 3-night stay. It's the same size, and the balcony area is taken up by a table and two comfy chairs. I didn't regret my choice at all. Those chairs are super comfy, and it looks cozy like this:

VALO Business The view from the window wasn't great this time around, though. It was just a view of the soul corporation building, and whatever was below the window was blocked off, so I could only get a tiny bit of fresh air.

VALO Business I'd give the cleanliness and tidiness a 4 out of 5. There were no weird smells, and the place wasn't grossly dirty, but it wasn't spotless either. I always wipe down the tables with disinfectant wipes. After the table and countertop, the wipes were clean, but after the vanity area where the toiletries were, the wipe was still dusty. The room is supposed to be cleaned every day, but we stayed from Thursday to Sunday, and the only time they came in was on Friday afternoon to take out the trash and bring in two bottles of water. Maybe they didn't come in on other days because I had a 'do not disturb' sign up from evening till 1 pm.

➡️ The verdict:

I really liked the Valo Business hotel. Even though I mentioned two complaints, I still want to give it 5 stars.

We spent almost a week in this hotel, booking three rooms, and I've got to say, there was nothing major that would make me lower my rating. I love the location, the style of the complex, and how everything is within reach. Plus, we walked to the city center a few times, and each time it was quick and convenient. The apartments themselves are cozy, bright, warm, and fully equipped.

The price was more than reasonable, considering the quality. In November and December, it cost around $3300-$3500 per night (depending on the promo codes).

➡️ I'd definitely recommend it!