Savoy Westend Hotel

The Savoy Westend hotel is a very well appointed hotel, within easy walking distance to the colonnades, very nice rooms and clean facilities. The treatments at the spa centre were excellent. For us though, the experience was seriously impacted by largely two things: - Be it for lack of training, motivation or perhaps understaffing, but the reception desk staff at the hotel as well as at the spa centre were - with one exception - indifferent (at best) and rude (on a few occasions). - The restaurant offers a buffet service only. The selection is very good and tasty, but there is no a la carte option at the hotel nor is there a slimmed down bar menu when one is only looking for a snack. It all rather gives a feel of a package holiday destination rather than a luxury spa hotel. We stayed 4 nights and we made the best of it. But we were disappointed because a 5 star category promises somewhat more than was on offer.

We stayed at Savoy Westend Hotel in Karlovy Vary from June 11 to June 25, on a full-board and treatment package. We had previously stayed at this hotel last year and appreciated the medical treatment and therapy program, which is why we decided to return. Even during our previous stay, we noticed some issues with flies in the restaurant, although the situation was less severe. We were informed that measures would be taken to address the problem. Unfortunately, during this stay, the situation was significantly worse. From the very first visit to the restaurant, we observed a large number of flies in the dining area, which was very concerning in a place where food is served. When we raised this issue with staff, we were told by a waitress (Alla) that, due to “safety rules,” doors and windows must remain open. I was surprised by this explanation and questioned how hygiene standards are maintained under such conditions. Throughout our two-week stay, we repeatedly addressed the issue with hotel management. The manager (Camila) listened to our concerns, but no real improvements were made. Later, another staff member (Vladimir), who returned from vacation during our stay, made an attempt to help address the issue. He told us that he had previously taken personal initiative to deal with flies, including purchasing a spray at his own expense and reportedly eliminating a large number of flies, which he had even counted. We found this effort unusual, but appreciated that he at least tried to take action. Eventually, we contacted senior management and received a written response stating that, due to the hotel’s location near the forest, it is not possible to completely avoid flies in the restaurant. We still have this official response. We understand that nature can create certain challenges. However, in our opinion, for a hotel of this category offering full-board service and medical treatment, proper hygiene standards in dining areas should be a basic requirement. The constant presence of flies around food was unacceptable. We fully understand that the presence of flies in dining areas is widely recognized as a serious hygiene and food safety concern, which is why their constant presence in the restaurant was particularly worrying. Because of this situation, we completely changed our eating habits during the entire 14-day stay. We avoided salads, cold dishes, and buffet items, as flies were frequently present around them. We only ate hot food that was covered, which significantly limited our dining experience despite having paid for full board. While the medical treatments and spa services were excellent and we truly appreciated them, the overall experience was significantly affected by the conditions in the restaurant. In our opinion, the level of service does not correspond to a 5-star hotel standard. We attempted to resolve the issue directly with the hotel management during our stay and requested a partial refund, but this was declined. We have multiple photos, videos, and an audio recording documenting our experience. We hope the hotel management takes these concerns seriously and improves hygiene standards in the restaurant for future guests.

I had a wonderful stay at the Savoy Westend Hotel 5*. The service was outstanding from start to finish, with attentive and professional staff who made the experience truly comfortable. The food was delicious and very varied, with plenty of options to suit different tastes. Everything was well prepared and of high quality. I highly recommend this hotel, and I am already planning my next visit. It was an excellent experience overall.