Stayed at this hotel during the World Cup and booked it directly through FIFA. My first impressions were disappointing as the hotel looked a lot more tired than the photos I'd seen on the internet. The descriptions of the hotel also stated that rooms had the following: desk, internet connection, hairdryer and that complimentary newspapers were available over coffee or breakfast. All I can say is that they must have hidden all these well!

On the plus side, the hotel is less than 10 minutes to the railway station and there was a really lovely Italian restaurant just around the corner, where several Italian journalists & tv presenters who were there for the World Cup went to. The hotel was basic but clean, although the bathroom was a little dingy and had no natural light.

Breakfast was decent with a selection of cereals, breads, meats, cheeses, yoghurts etc and you could help yourself to whatever you wanted. The hotel has no bar but sells cans of beer, which you can keep in the very efficient fridge in your room.

When we arrived we were given a choice of 2 rooms. The first was at the back and rather small and the second was at the front and extremely spacious. We chose the larger room but that turned out to be a mistake. It was very noisy so we had to keep the windows closed at night, which meant we baked, even though we had a portable fan. There was also police/ambulance sirens that kept us awake during the night too. I think the room at the back, away from the main road, would have been much quieter and perhaps a little cooler.

All in all, the hotel was alright. It was functional and served a purpose. I can't say it was value for money as we went during the World Cup when nothing was cheap. However, a similar break at this hotel at any other time costs about a third of what we paid so would probably normally be good value.

Hotel Consul is described as a 3* but in my opinion it is most definitely only a 2*. I wouldn't choose to stay here again because I usually prefer 4* hotels, but for a 2* I'd rate it as being quite decent.