We spent three nights at the Bristol Central Park Hotel, in Chișinău, at the beginning of our tour of Moldova. Later in the trip, we also stayed at the nearby City Park Hotel and were curious to compare the two. Both are less than a 10 minute walk apart on opposite sides of Cathedral Park, making them equally convenient for exploring the city’s historic centre, restaurants and shops.
Check in at the Bristol was quick and efficient unlike the two lifts. Fortunately, our room was on the third floor, so using the stairs to reception and the fifth floor restaurant was easy. With eleven floors in total, this was a big advantage.
Our room was exceptionally spacious, with two single beds pushed together, each with its own duvet and pillows. The mattress was slightly softer than we prefer, but still comfortable. Bedside tables, reading lights and charging points were provided on both sides. The room also included a desk, two armchairs with a coffee table, and a wardrobe stocked with bathrobes, slippers and an iron. Surprisingly, storage space was limited given the room’s size. Tea and coffee facilities were available, a well-stocked minibar was reasonably priced, and a large bottle of water was replenished daily. The air conditioning didn’t seem adjustable, but the Wi Fi was reliable.
The bathroom was equally generous in size. The bath had a high side, making it a little awkward to step in and out, but the over bath shower offered plentiful hot water and strong pressure. There were ample towel rails and hooks, a heated towel rail, a hairdryer and good lighting around a large mirror.
A highlight of the hotel was Lud’s Pub on the fifth floor, open daily from 11am to 11pm. Marketed as a ‘British-style pub known for its extensive range of meat and fish dishes and reputedly the best burgers in town’, it had a relaxed atmosphere and attentive, English speaking staff. On our first night, we arrived late and just wanted a drink and snack. We ordered a bottle of Purcari Sauvignon Blanc, served elegantly in branded glasses and a cooler, along with a charcuterie platter of five finely sliced meats, a sweet chilli dip and dark rye bread. On later visits we enjoyed a bottle of Kazayak Fetească Regală made from a local grape variety, and on our final evening, excellent homemade potato crisps from a snack menu we’d not previously noticed.
Breakfast, served from 7am to 11am in the ornate fifth floor restaurant, was a standout feature. The buffet included juices, yoghurt, fresh fruit, sausages, omelettes, fried eggs, cheeses, cured meats, smoked salmon and herring, plus an impressive selection of pastries. Coffee was excellent, and the unexpected addition of a glass of sparkling wine was a welcome touch – Moldova is, after all, known for its wineries.
Choosing between the Bristol Central Park and the City Park Hotel is difficult. The City Park offered more comfortable and spacious rooms but had accessibility issues, while the Bristol’s breakfast was far superior. Ultimately, price may be the deciding factor: according to Booking.com, the Bristol Central Park is roughly twice the cost of the City Park.
