“Tired looking New Hotel”
The Melia is a hotel hard to come to terms with. Opened in 2004, the expectation is to find something fresh and bursting with vitality. Add to this the special note that it had benefitted from the contribution of a famous interior designer, and the expectations rise even higher. The reality was this: an unwelcoming, pretty well hidden and badly lit entrance lets you into a huge, dark and unauspicious lobby with lots of unused space. The theme of bad lighting carries over from the outside to the interior and further to the rooms. The brick-colored interior and exterior walls add to the impression of dark and obsolete design. There is a lot of space left bare and unfunctional. We had a business suite on the top floor, whose best feature was a spectacular terrace with a heavy brick-colored metal warehouse door opening onto it. The shades to the floor-to-ceiling windows could not be lifted, so the room was pretty dark day and night. A large TV was in the bedroom, therefore pretty far from the sitting area.
Despite all this, it seems that the hotel is very popular and was full throughout our stay. The breakfast room was huge and yet, there were lines waiting for a free table most mornings.
The neighborhood is a wonderful new development and the eco-train, which stops in front of the hotel, a very good way to get around.
