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xamhayana
South Pole

So bad it's good

Review of SanVa Hotel
1.0 of 5 bubblesReviewed Nov 4, 2011
I always stay in the most old / decrepit / authentic places I can find, and I'm glad I did San Va -- but I wouldn't do it again. Those infamous paper-thin walls not reaching the ceiling let in so much noise I was 'enjoying' my own surreal radio theater play all night long. To my left, three demimonde femmes played dice and phoned various men; to my right, the mainland guy bleated like a goat to block them out, and later snored like an helicopter. A rich Italian couple moved in across the hallway for a fling like Anouk Aimee and Marcello Mastroianni in the beginning of La Dolce Vita (enough said).
Date of stay: November 2011
Trip type: Traveled solo
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
2.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
2.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
3.0 of 5 bubblesService
1.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
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39 - 44 of 131 reviews
Reviewed July 29, 2011

We had hard time finding a budget hotel in Macau, truly cheap rooms are at a premium. We came with low expectations and stayed for a night.

Going to the bathroom at night creeps us out because it is located stairs away from our room, and the corridors were poorly lit. Being at the place makes me feel like I'm in the 1920s. The grumpy & leering old receptionist amused us a lot (hey this is Macau!).

"What you pay is what you get" describes this place the most, I wouldn't complain much at MOP$ 100/nite. Will recommend for reminiscing old Macau, but not for a good night sleep.

Date of stay: September 2010
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    • Value
    • Sleep Quality
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
2  Thank msmeteor
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 11, 2011

Look, this place is cheap. In Macau, hostel-like accommodation is rare and so if you're an experienced traveller who doesn't care for luxuries it could be for you. People rarely stay in Macau more than one night and you probably wouldn't spend much time there.
Why do I say this? Because it's rustic, to an extent even run-down, but entirely bearable short-term.
Ask for a room away from the reception because the old caretaker sleeps on a bench there and tends to make a lot of noise.
Rooms are relatively clean considering the place's age. No air-conditioning in any rooms as far as I know, it's fans only. The toilet and showers are small and very basic. You may or may not get hot water, but in summer, what the hell, it's sweltering outside anyway.

The place is well-located, mere minutes walk from Senado square and in the middle of the historic district. A water cooler is located in the lobby where bottles can be filled.
No English spoken at reception but you should be okay with hand signals and the cheat sheet taped to the counter.

Room tip: Stay away from reception!
Date of stay: July 2011
  • Trip type: Traveled solo
    • Value
    • Sleep Quality
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
4  Thank Huw H
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 14, 2010

Stayed at the San Va in old Macau based on the promise of staying at an old untouched hotel in the heart of the heritage district. Learned the hard way that the "vintage" concept can go too far, and that there's a thin line between stylish retro and miserable discomfort.

Our room was a non-balcony, non-ensuite abode on the middle floor of the building. Didn't mind using the shared facilities however, as they were adequately clean in my opinion. The place obviously bleeds "retro" from the thin staircase entranceway to the of painted wood alter-style reception area. Another thing we noticed: the walls didn't make it all the way up to the ceiling ... a fact that would come back to haunt us throughout the night.

At 11:00pm other guests started arriving back to the hotel and a group of young rambunctious Frenchmen entered the room next to ours. Not to get into too many details, they saw it necessary to loudly converse throughout the night ... a conversation heard crystal clear in any room on the floor. It's not fair to blame the kids making noise throughout the night. They wouldn't have been doing anything unreasonable in any other hotel. This one, however made sleep elusive, and we didn't get but 3 hrs. all night. This wouldn't have been different in any other room throughout the hotel.

I love the idea they promote, but I wouldn't stay there again on my life.

Date of stay: May 2010
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    • Value
    • Location
    • Sleep Quality
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
1  Thank ebrenchley
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 6, 2009

What a dump, We booked a deluxe double room and it certainly wasn't anything deluxe. Smaller than a jail cell, bathroom was 3 flights of stairs away and no area to get changed in the bathroom... Staff couldn't understand we'd originally booked 2 nights... We saw the room, walked out and checked in to the hotel a couple of doors down (for just a little extra we got a private bathroom and air con)

The hotel will excuse this saying its an old building and remains as it was, which would be fine, but the photos on the website are misleading - and the condition it is in is not worth the price they're charging... A complete rip off

Date of stay: May 2009
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    • Value
    • Location
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
1  Thank doggins25
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 4, 2009

This place is mostly used by chinese coming from the mainland to have naughty nights with the prostitutes that come out in the streets around the Hotel at night. The walls in the place dont go all the way up to the ceiling so you get to hear all that goes on. The bathrooms are also commonly used for tourists passing by so i have to question how good the security is. We caught a group of chinese men and women using the showers to urinate in. Dont bother booking the rooms with a balcony because they have signs on them telling you that you cant use them. Personally i would not stay here again i would try the other hotels in the same area which looked to be alot nicer for not much more in cost. Also this is not the place for children to be staying in.

Date of stay: April 2009
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    • Value
    • Location
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Thank Tripping09
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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