We stayed at the City Park Hotel in Moldova’s capital, Chișinău, twice during our 17-night tour: once midway through the trip and again at the end. Having spent our first few nights at the Bristol Central Park Hotel, we were naturally interested to compare them.
Both are less than a 10 minute walk apart on different sides of Cathedral Park, making them equally convenient for exploring the city’s historic centre, restaurants and shops.
The City Park’s main drawback is its position on the pedestrianised Strada Eugin Doga, meaning being dropped nearby rather than at the door. The entrance also has a steep flight of around 12 steps, which may be challenging for some.
Check-in was quick and efficient on both occasions. We stayed in Room 705 on the seventh floor and Room 307 on the third floor, and both were similar in terms of size, layout and facilities. Each had a king-sized bed with individual duvets, bedside tables with reading lights, although only one side had a power socket. Furnishings included a desk and stool, a boldly patterned sofa bed, armchair, coffee table and TV. The wardrobe contained a safe and slippers. The minibar was reasonably priced, with a bottle of wine at around 240 Lei (just over £10). Both the air conditioning and Wi-Fi worked well throughout our stay.
The bathrooms were adequate, though smaller than expected given the generous bedroom size. The walk-in showers had excellent pressure and plenty of hot water, and amenities were provided in eco friendly dispensers. There was also space for our toiletries, a heated towel rail and useful hooks. However, room 705 had one odd design flaw: the toilet was positioned so close to the shower screen that sitting normally was impossible, requiring a “side saddle” approach.
Breakfast, served 7.30am to 11am, was available in the ground floor Vatra Restaurant, but as we discovered, required a daily ticket from reception. The buffet was adequate but poorly organised, with unclear labelling (making yoghurt and sour cream hard to distinguish) and only whole fruit was available. Hot dishes and Moldovan specialities such as sarmale were offered, along with cold meats and cheeses, though these were oddly separated from the salads. The coffee was very good, provided you avoided the machine right after a large group.
Apart from breakfast, we didn’t use the restaurant until our final day, when it was convenient for a light lunch whilst waiting for our taxi. A litre of house white wine served in a terracotta jug was slightly sparkling and refreshingly different and complimented a Moldovan Mosaic Platter of six various dips: bean spread, eggplant caviar, marinated country cheese, beetroot with garlic and walnuts and vegetable stew. Served with pitta bread, it was delicious and light. We still had a little time and chose a half litre of wine and what the menu described as a game dish called Vatra Bear. No bear appeared to have been harmed in the making of the balls which turned out to be cheese filled polenta balls served with sour cream. Service was efficient, though perhaps a little over-attentive.
Whilst the hotel didn’t have an informal bar like the Bristol Central Park, a well-known local pub and grill chain called Draft occupied the lower basement level of the hotel. It had an enclosed wooden terrace on the street but opened out into a surprisingly large interior.
It is difficult to choose between the two. Both had excellent locations, but the City Park offered more comfortable rooms but suffered from accessibility issues and a less impressive breakfast. According to Booking.com, the Bristol Central Park is roughly twice the price of the City Park, which may be the deciding factor.
