This was our third time staying at E & O over the past 11 years. I knew they were renovating but was so disappointed to find their gorgeous outdoor pool was closed. I am a gold member with hotel.com which offers VIP gold exclusives. Upon checkin the reception staff knew nothing of this. Ok so we didn’t get an upgrade which is at their discretion and availability even though they had an upgraded room available on the website. But we were happy with our room. Huge bathroom. But the beds were so hard that we had to get extra mattress toppers but I still couldn’t sleep and I was glad to get to our next hotel and a soft mattress. The pillows were terrible too. Service was fine but they forgot to give us towels one day! Breakfast was very good. But this time around the hotel lacked its ‘old’ soul.

Hotel room ticks most of the boxes - large room, comfortable bed, bathroom was clean with a very good shower and the usual amenities. fridge (no freezer shelf), kettle, etc. I would have given 5 stars if the lighting was better, especially at the mirror over the basin, if the curtains had been replaced, as there were small holes in the curtains and if the balcony doors were soundproof. The traffic from the road disturbed me most nights, probably because the studio room (room number 1220) faced the road. Check in was efficient and service was excellent, the staff were all polite, helpful and cheerful. Breakfast was nice with the usual eggs and breads - the addition of a variety of Asian food such as fried kway teow and roti chanai was a plus.