This is a three star hotel. An excellent three star hotel certainly, but not a four star hotel as advertised. Like all hotels, it has its good and bad.
GOOD:
1) Staff - The staff were excellent, from the reception staff to the bar/restaurant staff. All were most friendly and were happy to take time to make local recommendations. Staff appear to be fluent in English and French, in addition to German, which helps tourists from abroad.
2) Sky Lounge - Wonderful bar on the 30th floor with views of Basel. Apparently, Ramada Plaza is the tallest hotel in Basel, so the views are spectacular. There is also Bar Rouge on the 31st floor (part of the hotel, but you have to exit the building and re-enter through another door) which is more akin to a nightclub, with a great atmosphere.
3) Free tram pass - Ramada Plaza gives you a free tram pass for the duration of your stay. This is very helpful, given the price of transport in Switzerland. I understand that this pass can also be used to go to the airport (probably best to verify), which could save you a 40-50 franc taxi ride.
4) Breakfast - Very good breakfast buffet. All continental options available. Also have a full English - American breakfast fusion (American style crispy bacon, hash browns, sausages, beans, tomatoes etc). Good choice of juice as well.
5) Underfloor lighting in the bathroom...This is a three star hotel. An excellent three star hotel certainly, but not a four star hotel as advertised. Like all hotels, it has its good and bad.
GOOD:
1) Staff - The staff were excellent, from the reception staff to the bar/restaurant staff. All were most friendly and were happy to take time to make local recommendations. Staff appear to be fluent in English and French, in addition to German, which helps tourists from abroad.
2) Sky Lounge - Wonderful bar on the 30th floor with views of Basel. Apparently, Ramada Plaza is the tallest hotel in Basel, so the views are spectacular. There is also Bar Rouge on the 31st floor (part of the hotel, but you have to exit the building and re-enter through another door) which is more akin to a nightclub, with a great atmosphere.
3) Free tram pass - Ramada Plaza gives you a free tram pass for the duration of your stay. This is very helpful, given the price of transport in Switzerland. I understand that this pass can also be used to go to the airport (probably best to verify), which could save you a 40-50 franc taxi ride.
4) Breakfast - Very good breakfast buffet. All continental options available. Also have a full English - American breakfast fusion (American style crispy bacon, hash browns, sausages, beans, tomatoes etc). Good choice of juice as well.
5) Underfloor lighting in the bathroom - I liked it!
SO-SO:
1) Location - The location is not bad. It is a 15 minute walk or a short tram ride into the center of Basel. The area surrounding the hotel have some nice bars and restaurants as well.
2) Rooms - Rather small, but very clean. Rooms have a safe and a bottle of water in the mini bar. If anything further is needed, there are vending machines in the corridors. The reception staff are happy to exchange your notes for coins.
3) Bathrobes: Bookings.com uses the following in the hotel description: "Rooms have a private bathroom. For your comfort, you will find bath robes and a hair dryer". No - there was no bathrobe. Towels were big and fluffy, though, so no complaints.
4) Toiletries - Shower gel / shampoo combo in a dispenser in the shower. Handwash dispenser near the sink. No complaints from me, but I have seen better. Then again, I have seen worse.
BAD:
1) No tea and coffee in the room!! - Seriously? How can you be a four star hotel and not have tea/coffee in the rooms? Tripadvisor suggested that we ask the reception and they would provide a kettle and tea/coffee. This is not true. We asked a number of staff members and they all said (very politely and rather apologetically - the staff were excellent!) that there were no tea/coffee facilities for the room available. This is completely normal for a 3 star hotel, but not okay for a 4 star hotel.
2) Pillow - The room had 1 very thin pillow, It was like sleeping on a piece of cloth. I have never stayed at a 2, 3 or 4 star hotel that did not offer AT LEAST 2 pillows per person, so this was new.
3) Lifts - The lifts looks pretty cool. You type the number of the floor you want to go to and it directs you the the appropriate lift. No problem when you are on the ground floor. However, when you are in the room and want to leave, you can be waiting 5-8 minutes for a lift (after you press the button), which I think is unreasonable. Further, the only stairs appear to be a fire escape, so you have no choice, but to wait for 5-8 minutes.
All in all, I would stay at Ramada Plaza again. I will not have the expectation of it being a 4 star hotel, but as said, this is an excellent 3 star hotel. The staff really make you feel welcome, which is always nice. I will probably use this hotel, the next time I am in Basel.More
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