Hotel Irys

30-31/8/18 - I am a well travelled middle aged British guy having a break in The Ukraine via a night in Lublin. I booked this hotel late on 29/8 as it was the cheapest hotel relatively near the station (a pleasant hour's 4.5km late evening walk with my 5kg backpack, partly along a river). The reviews on B.c and TA were encouraging although it was not clear anywhere if Breakfasts were included. I found it was cheaper on TA leading me to B.c than direct via B.c...odd! Thanks, TA! Thursday 30/8's Wizzair 16:10 was delayed by three and a half hours owing to a medical emergency on the incoming flight to LTN and the very slow arrival of an ambulance to collect the person with a severe back injury. The flight was over 1500km but I am not claiming compensation although there were minor repercussions and a fair deal of stress. I eventually arrived at 23:00 at Lublin Airport along with mostly Polish locals and a few intrepid Brits. Swiftly through the gates I found the train service had finished but was advised by the friendly )and very bored) information desk attendant to get a taxi direct to the hotel as the walk from the centre could be risky late at night; hint, hint. I logged onto the 3G (no 4g) to find my B.c had responded to my earlier updates of the delay by saying the gates closed at 23:00 and access/reception was via the hotel buzzer to the left if the small gate. I investigated the taxis with a fellow British traveller to find prices to the centre around 70-90Zł i.e. No Way! We both caught the (20Zł each) bus to the centre. Arriving at a different bus stop then I had envisaged (north of centre not by the station) it was now a 7.5km walk at 23:45. I enquired with other bus travellers and luckily one of their cousins was a taxi driver waiting for them and could take me on a metered ride (dropping them off first in the North-West of the city). 10km from that point directly south the taxi took me and eventually down the roughish track to the riverside hotel to the big electric gates, for 34Zł rounded up to 35Zł. At 00:15 I rang the buzzer, the big gate slid open and in I went to the enormous secure car park, passing three men chatting outside what seemed to be a sauna (but 'not' as they joked). Into the big door in the corner, with reception closed but a bleary eyed young woman made her way down the huge stairs to greet me as I apologised profusely about the delay (not that it was my fault). She graciously accepted my grovelling although spoke little English. She took me into the locked Reception room and handed me the bill which I offered to pay but she said was already deducted off my card, fair enough, although a little premature as I had only got a reply to my (via B.c) emails quite late after my arrival and logging on an hour earlier. She gave me the key to room 09 and off I went up the stairs, using my iPhone's flashlight instead of the main lights. I found the room in the corner by an open fire escape door leading directly to the external metal stairs. In I went through to find a large autumnal smart room with a double bed (upgraded maybe) with just one handtowel and one body towel, wardrobe with five hangers, wall mounted 32inch LED TV with remote (unused), two cups, half a litre of bottled water and two (very welcome as very hungry!) chocolate liqueur sweets. Unfortunately there was no half bottle of chilled Vodka (no stars knocked off!) but it was home for the night after the stressful journey. There were plenty of electrical sockets around the room including above the two bedside drawers (with light switches for the overhead bedside lights) so good for my devices' charging and their alarms. The ensuite shower-room was also smart, clean and brightly lit so excellent for shaving given the good head of pressure in the tap. A (little bit noisy) fan extracted damp air when the lights were turned on so I brushed my teeth later in the dark so as not to disturb the neighbours. One of the big windows was left ajar so the chatting guys and yappy dogs outside could be heard so that was closed in time! The view was of the ornate OTT grounds in front of the car park. I began to have a shower although it took so long for the hot water to feed through at 01:00 that I gave up half way up. It was better in the morning at 07:05! No big deal. The wifi (password on the info sign) was just useable in the bed (far corner room problems again) but I managed to catch up. I also studied my receipt to find the bill had been paid at the handset providers' bad rate of 3.5% extra 'conversion fee' (on my bank charges too) so instead of the 105Zł being £22.06 it was £23.71! Two sentences described: 'I have been offered a choice of currencies to be applied for my payment above. I choose the transaction currency and agree to pay in GBP....!' I was still in Luton at 19:55 (their time) of processing! I was rather miffed as I'm on a budget as always. I think they upgraded me (pic of single room in B.c was a smaller room and bed) so I accepted it although I had preferred the hotel getting the money not the card device suppliers. Maybe that was how they paid for the convenience of the machine itself although it seems to be a new scam (see Lublin station/PKP trying the same trick at the end). I also accept that I dragged the soul out of her bed as these places are not for the night owls as no bar was open at 00:20. A pity as I really needed a drink and a nibble after all the stress of the delayed flight and not seeing the centre albeit briefly. Eventually I got to sleep at 3 after researching my early morning route to Zdolbuniv (I am drafting this on the Ukrainian train on the way there now). I slept reasonably well and the curtains were (for once) effective. After the odd false start (the corridor echoes peoples' banging doors) I got up to my alarm at 07:00, showered properly, packed and left by 07:30 to find no-one at Reception although the 25Zł breakfast was meant to be available from 07:30. Maybe no-one had booked it? I headed left at the gate to the river, ignoring the (slight short cut) bridge, to walk the 4.3km along the river and main road (via busy roadworks) to the main station by 08:20 to buy my intercity ticket to Zdolbuniv (£12.75 including reservation) although the PKP card handset offered me their (bad rate conversion for 3.5% commission) which I rejected (why pay banks twice for removing your own money?). Also the ACPRail online booking was charging $17US for the £9 journey to Chełm (60km within Poland). Get to the station early to navigate the queues. The Lublin station rebuilding (underpasses closed) means a long walk with bad signage to platform 2 for the Chełm train! 'Pierogarnia' in the main street into town (on the right) is the best place for a sit down real coffee and cheap pierogi breakfast (not listed in TA). Leave plenty of time and ignore their very slow wall clock!!