Crowne Plaza - Minsk

Exceeded Expectations
My expectations weren’t high for this hotel. Based on some of the Trip Advisor reviews I was afraid that it was somewhat run down. I used IHG points for the room and was frustrated that I could only use points for a standard room. I also wasn’t sure about the location as a lot of the sights seemed pretty distant. I was pleasantly surprised that none of my concerns were an issue.

The standard room was large and extremely nice. The bathroom was spacious with a separate shower and bathtub. A nice touch in the bathroom were the complimentary amenities: comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving kit, etc.

They have an outstanding gym and indoor pool. The gym is one of the nicest hotel gyms I’ve seen in a long time. They also have a spa but I didn’t use it.

The location worked out well. It’s about two blocks from the main boulevard (Nezalezhnasti) and Minsk is very walkable. The hotel is close to some pretty good restaurants and bars including Pub 1067, a great craft beer bar.

When choosing a hotel I highly recommend staying somewhere near the main boulevard. I considered staying at the Marriott but felt like I dodged a bullet as it’s extremely far from everything relevant in Minsk.

Service was very good at the front desk and restaurants. They also spoke very good English.

Two minor complaints. Breakfast was a rip-off at $20. The quality was good, not great. It took forever to get an omelette as the woman making them was usually elsewhere. I ate there one day and bought yogurt and a pastry from the market across the street ($2) on the second day.

My other complaint relates to a certain level of tackiness that pervades parts of the hotel. My room was littered with a large number of brochures, pamphlets and advertisements. There were also some cheesy ads around the hotel. In some ways I felt like I was staying at an old hotel in downtown Las Vegas. Not a significant problem but a little odd given the quality of the hotel.

Just OK for a Crown Plaza
The room was clean and nicely decorated, but on the smaller side and in need of maintenance. There were many loose fixtures in the bathroom and overall it could use refurbishing. The wifi was pretty good. My room had a door to the adjoining room and I could hear everything through it (as, apparently, could my colleague staying there!).

The hotel breakfast was good with lots of choice. The pool and gym area was really fantastic, though again there were a some broken or missing small tiles (not really obvious, but shows lack of attention to detail for a high end hotel chain).

I didn't like the lobby at all...really bare and cold. There are couches in the "cafe" area that connects the hotel lobby to the casino, but this part of the hotel felt seedy and I really disliked it. Suspicious looking men and women were always hanging out there (which I guess you might expect from a casino, but the hotel really needs a separate and more welcoming space for guests). You had to walk through this cafe area to reach the pool and gym.

A big, impressive marble staircase winds up the center of the hotel. A local colleague told me this building was formerly the city communist party headquarters, so perhaps that's why.

Good location @ Minsk
Centrally located.. Very good hotel..
Excellent breakfast.. very good service..
Rooms are little smaller but comfortable..
Kettle provided in room to make Tea/Coffee..nothing to complain about..

Shopping centers and railway stations are nearby.. old city is also not so far..
10 minutes by taxi..

2 stars hotel with 5 stars price
Normally i am staying in this hotel, while coming to Minsk on some business visits. Location is almost perfect, close to everything in the center of the city. Breakfast is good, wide choice of fruits and veggies. Staff are nice and helpful, but is changing all the time. Every time i found some new persons in the reception. The hotel has a good gym and swimming pool, but...The last week, when I stayed 3 days in this hotel, the jacuzzi was totally "occupied" by 7-8 middle aged Turkish men, very noisy, behaved like they owned the place (maybe they do :-( ), there was no place to me and my daughter:-( . Almost the same level of noise was pretty much disturbing during the breakfast, while I like to start my working day in more quite environment, not in the middle of bazaar. The hotel has a lounge, with a very strange concept. If you book some of the most expensive rooms with lounge access, it´s ok to invite someone for negotiating. Your guests will be offered some tea&coffee (as I mentioned previously, staff are very kind). But if you are unlucky and your guest will take a sandwich etc., you will be presented for an extra check of 18 USD per guest (?!) and nobody gives a damn about, that you already paid a higher price for your room. In addition, I am getting a free access to lounges in any other IHG hotel due to my status, but not in this one. The lobby bar is a "state of art", always full of smoking (??!) men, mainly from the Middle East, very often accompanied by certain kind of girls...Due to the hotels smoking policy or total absence of it, it stinks so badly, that you cannot stay at the place in 5 minutes. The price level is above average in the city. So.... 2 stars in my world (I am staying in IHG hotels approx. 150 nights every year).

Never have I ever.....
....stayed in a 5 star hotel that was just so, so bad.

Booked a 3 night stay in a Club room while in Minsk, and thought that the 5 star Crowne Plaza would be the way to go. Hotel rate was normal, not discounted and thought I would get a premium service since booking Club.

GOOD:
* Pillows were plentiful
* Club rooms are pretty spacious
* Free and good wifi
* Breakfast staff

BAD:
* Lobby is small and unpleasant. Hotel security are like club bouncers and loom everywhere instead of being helpful. They even (very obviously) followed me around occasionally to watch my moves.
* Reception is only ever manned by one person. Check-in took over 40 minutes because the one receptionist was dealing with a group who paid individually. Senior reception staff were "around", but not helping. My own check-in literally took 5 mins to complete. What the hell?
* Mattress in the first room was mismatched with the bottom half, so there is a step before getting on the bed which could lead to serious accidents. Not professional!
* I booked a Club room, which meant I had access to the Club lounge, but this was not told to me upon check-in. Luckily I knew already, but not great that they didn't mention it.
* Bathroom supplies were not restocked consistently. I ended up having to ask for more supplies. This should not happen in a 5 star hotel!
* Welcome fruits were a nice touch and were not fresh and most were rotting.
* Free water in room was not consistently replenished.
* Spa was good, but got burnt by amateur masseuse doing a hot stone massage.
* Hotel could not help me post a letter. Was told to go the post office.
* Concierge was non-existent.
* Club lounge was hard to find, not properly sign-posted, not mentioned, and unmanned when I went there. There were also a lack of refreshments on offer (1 bottle of still water)

UGLY:
* Air conditioning was atrocious. Complained and the receptionist did nothing but lie about "checking" and then about "sending over a technician". Never happened and they they further lied to say that the aircon was broken in ALL parts of the hotel, even though it was working fine in other guest rooms and in the main lobby. Had to leave the windows open which wasn't great since it was facing the road and had traffic noise at all hours. The next day, I demanded to get a room change (this was not offered, by any means, and I did have to demand it) to one that had working air conditioning. However, though the electricity was working in the new room, the output was pathetic. Again, slept badly with open windows.
* "Ladies of the night" occupied the lobby/bar area in the evening, which isn't pleasant especially if you were bringing children to this hotel. Should sort this out.
* Reception did not know when money changer (done in front of casino) was opened and I ended up having to go to ANOTHER HOTEL to exchange money since they had a person manned all they time. Seriously, guys?
* Throughout the hotel, there are severe electrical inconsistencies. Some lights on, while some broken/off. So this made public areas dark at times and very much unacceptable.

Having stayed at numerous 5 star hotels around the world, this one has got to be the worst one ever. I have stayed in hotels with less stars that have better quality and service.

Cannot say that I will ever use this hotel again, and even more so, will make me reconsider staying in Crowne Plaza hotels in general.

Quite good - needs renovation at public places
It is the first time staying at this hotel. Location is almost perfect as very close to Independence Ave and main business area, but hotel needs a renovation lifting. The lobby is spacious for business or other meetings but its old fashioned with old furniture and needs urgent renovation. Could help better for business meetings if there was a freshly renovated place with nice bar / cafeteria. Of course this has nothing to do with hotel hospitality and quality. The mini bar has no coke or 7up but only juices and alcohol and not renewed every day. The wifi is fantastic everywhere and the personnel very friendly and professional which reflects that the management is doing a good job. The hotel rooms are renovated, at least the one used by myself and really clean. No place to sit at night at the lobby as is usually full at night from girls coming from outside. Its ok for me as an adult male but maybe not for a family with small kids

Noise intrusion issues spoil the overall score
This is a rather outdated hotel that needs refurbishing fast.
The entrance lobby is small and dark and does injustice to the rooms that are very spacious in an old fashioned way
All the modern amenities are in place,the mini bar is well stocked,WiFi signal is strong but walls are paper thin and during my three day stay I lived ‘together’ with at least 3 more people although our rooms were separate.I could hear every noise from their rooms making the notion of privacy not applicable.
As a consolation to intruding noise and sleep deprivation,however,breakfast was rich in variety and very tasty.
Shame because the location is great and staff wonderful.

Location is good but improvements needed
Stayed here for 4 nights with friends, the location is good , malls , restaurants all walking distance.
The staff is helpful
Rooms are little old , they need renovation. but overall it is comfortable rooms.

We used the pool, spa etc its good but the way its made its haphazard, the layout of that entire section is faulty and confusing. Many doors, many stairs and just not very user friendly.

B/F is ok. spread is ok nothing wow. B/F area is very dimly lit. looks very shady first thing in morning

The hotel has some policy of adding extra $ on your room for certain things.
I found this absurd.

NEXT club was in hotel but we had to pay entry every night, i thought hotel could help us waive it off . We asked but they refused. This could have been done easily.

Overall its ok, dont know if I would come back here again.

Great location, extremely money oriented service and unprofessional management team
I have been staying at the Crowne Plaza for many years and have also been using their conference spaces for business purposes. Although a few reviews reveal the truth about the outdated furniture and the high prices on dining in, the staff and the support teams at lower levels are extremely helpful and polite. On the other hand, the higher management usually treats guests with a single goal of revenue generation. I had an incident with a suite I rented to sleep two, the single bed that was offered was extremely small, low and short and when I asked if they could bring a second bed they very politely mentioned that there was nothing available. When I tried to ask for two separate rooms to make up for this inconvenience they would not budge from their price even though I was only asking for a minimal discount to fit my company budget. It seemed very strange to me that they are willing to lose a long standing, loyal customer that not only spends on on ancillary services and F&B but also on conference services for a mere $30. Above this, after they stood firm on their rate and delayed me for an hour while making their 30$ decision, the reception manager asked me to go to the reception pick up the key and hand in my credit card for a guarantee as if to say I was not a trustworthy customer to them anymore. I think it is important to put this out there in order for clients to see and in the hope that this side of Crowne Plaza can improve and evolve. I have been a business traveller and event organiser for over 14 years and have never experienced such a poor level of customer care and such a minimal effort to allow a continuation of a positive loyal customer experience.

Business Trip
I often travel to Minsk on business & always stay at the Crown Plaza - Great location & easy to get to my local office -

Never again -

1. I booked a double bed & got two singles cobbled together
2. The Air Con just blew air with no climate control - I had to have the both windows open.
3. The TV had a volume limiter which made it difficult to hear & the remote was useless
4. The lighting in the room was inadequate & dingy.
5. There was no milk for Tea of Coffee
6. No spoon to stir with.
7. The mini bar had just about everything but no beer.
8. They have a new wifi login system that is so un-user friendly.

Just so many little things were missing hat make a difference.

The only plus were the staff who are alway really pleasant & efficient

Nice place in center of city
We as couple stayed in crown plaza for three nights in Minsk . Right in city center and well designed hotel .
English speaking staff with quick check in . Good room spacious . Clean and more ten toilets with good toiletry .
6 th floor restaurant have nice breakfast elaborated menu. Ask for a discount they will give 25%
They hv nice indoors swimming pool with jacuzzi. Spa was usually over booked hence could not get appointment.
Though I think they shld keep few slots for room guest as priority.
Tea coffee was Gud and housekeeping done was also Gud
Over all staff was prompt eager to help and courteous.
There are many good eatery restaurants out side the hotel turn right and again first right side of the lane .

I stayed for 35 days. The staff generally was very kind and helpful. Specially the lady manager who
always were looking for our comfort .
The hotel is very good located close to restaurants, train station, underground, supermarket, etc. I really will miss this staying .
Congrats to all the staff !

Я был в Минске на этой неделе и поселился в отеле Crowne Plaza на 7 дней. На стойке регистрации вы увидите улыбку всех кооперативных сотрудников, где они сделают для вас все, что угодно, чтобы вы почувствовали себя как в собственном доме, первым делом я попросил их сменить мою комнату, и они немедленно доступны для меня и немедленно ответят . Обслуживание номеров намного лучше, чем в любом отеле, который я проверял раньше.
У консьержа Алены Беляевой есть особенный, интересный персонал, который будет с вами в любое время с 9 до 17, она мне очень помогла, я могу спросить здесь все, что угодно, и вы увидите ее преданность, чтобы сделать ваш день лучше и лучше.
Также в отеле есть соседний ночной клуб и казино Diamond, которое считается одним из самых популярных и привлекательных мест.
В отеле есть аква- и фитнес-зона (бассейн, сауна, тренажерный зал) - все бесплатно.
Я рекомендую этот отель за его расположение, хорошие удобства, сотрудников и гибкие цены

Very comfortable hotel with excellent staff. A little on the higher price range for rooms but super beds and facilities. It has a casino with 24/7 money exchange counter and a night club for the more adventurous. Buffet breakfast was $18 and well worth it...nothing missing that you could want. One street from Karl Marx Street that has a whole list of bars and restaurants to suit most tastes, from fine dining to pubs. It is directly opposite the sports stadium too so handy for sports fans

Awesome place to stay. Very clean and wonderful rooms. Service is very good as well. The staff is very supportive. The location is very good. Quite a few eating joints and malls and metro at walking distance.
Already done 2 trips with them and would love the third time as well. Highly recommend.

What an amazing hotel! From the moment we made our reservation, we were treated like royalty. As a Spire Elite member, I was upgraded, and both the manager and concierge introduced themselves to me. The room was rather large and beautifully appointed. The Club Room was well stocked throughout the day, and all of the staff members were extremely pleasant and helpful. Everyone spoke English.

This hotel is located near all the action, and a good central point from which to explore this amazing city and its Soviet architecture throughout. The rooms are above average, but the bathrooms are modern and clean. The nightclub on the third floor "Next" is excellent, and opens every night at 11pm-6am. If you need a taxi, have the front desk call one for you. Most trips cost 10-20 rubles. To the airport with the private driver is 50. The breakfast buffet was underwhelming, but the made-to-order omelettes were great. One final tip: have the hotel use one of their drivers to pick you up from the airport, it's 50 rubles and prevents you from getting ripped off by a local taxi driver. Cash machines are at the airport. Make sure you buy the mandatory health insurance right before customs (about $1USD per day).

The breakfast was very good. In the same token location is really nice. Right in the center of easy reach to major venues. The service was just ok.. The room cleanliness was well but not too bright, especially bathroom. Smoking is allowed in the lobby and at restaurant.  Which really makes very horrible smelly atmosophere. Restaurant dining is somewhat expensive and mediocre at that (breakfast is at different places luckily).  WiFi works solid. The rooms are quite noisy, as it appears some are having interconnecting doors and thin walls.