Blue Lake Homestay

I had one of the worst travel experiences of my life at this hotel. I arrived in the middle of the night, after emailing them days in advance to let them know about my late arrival—an email that was completely ignored. When I got there, the gate was locked, the reception lights were off, and no one was there to let me in. I rang the bell multiple times, hoping someone would answer… but no one ever did. The worst part? My reservation was already paid for. After a long, exhausting trip, all I wanted was a place to rest, but clearly, that meant nothing to this hotel. I’m truly grateful to Trip for responding quickly and helping me find a solution. They offered me the option to book somewhere else nearby, and honestly, if you can add just $2 more to your budget, do it. There are plenty of places around that aren’t even listed in the app, and for the same price, you get a private room and much better treatment. The next day, I went back to the hotel to explain what happened. The receptionist was rude and unapologetic. She simply said, “After 1 a.m., no one is allowed in, no matter what.” Just like that. It didn’t matter that I had already paid or that I had informed them beforehand—they just didn’t care. I absolutely loved the city, but this hotel was a huge disappointment. If you have the chance to stay somewhere else nearby, even if it costs just a little more, do it. You’ll get a better experience, more privacy, and most importantly, you won’t be left out on the street in the middle of the night.

A great home stay, they have multiple rooms and run it a little like an Airbnb or hotel but still keep the family touch behind home stay experiences. Family is kind, attentive, and great to chat to even with language barriers. Free bicycles to use which is great because it’s a bit of a walk or cycle into old town. We think it’s a good distance but cycling shortened it. They do laundry but we didn’t use. They also have a dog who is a funny character. To note for guests who are particular: Some things were a bit unclean in our room which is why we put 3/5. Amenities were good but shower head has a mind of its own and water temp is high (great and unusual for the surrounding properties we stayed in, but careful for unexpected water angles). Room also smelled damp and it was hard to get rid of smell. If this was a hotel it would be not acceptable, but given it’s a home stay we didn’t make a fuss. Just including in the review as homestays really range.

Excellent clean room in a good walking location to the centre. The staff were amazing I would highly recommend this hotel. Brilliant hospitality

I really enjoyed my stay, the dormitory was very clean and the family was lovely. I had a lot of fun with the mum! The free bicycles make it easy to go around the city, I only used those to go to the old town and to visit some villages. I definitely recommend to stay there!