My first visits to the Opera Hotel were in October 2003 and November 2003. I fell in love with it then. I am even more in love with it now. This visit was with a friend of mine and we stayed for three nights. I knew it was going to be good from the moment Alex Hampu (the manager ) and I started to exchange emails aproximately six weeks before we visited. He listened to our aims and objectives for this visit to Romania(my 5th) and offered us a price that met our requirements. It was essential to have a twin bedded room as, much as l like my friend, I did not particularly want to share his bed. The room we were given (603) was wonderfully quirky with comfortable beds and satellite television, mini bar..a work desk ...all the usual trimmings you would expect from an independent hotel. It is worth noting that originally I had tried to book the Sofitel because it is opposite the newly opened Hard Rock Cafe. In spite of me holding a Sofitel Privilege Gold Card , my email to them did not even warrant a reply. We did visit the Sofitel for a drink but the location( too far out of the centre) the drinks prices, and the fact that there was a ridiculous mix up when we received our drinks bill did suggest that deciding to stay in the Opera again was indeed the right choice to make. I read with considerable interest a report earlier that the Opera has rude staff. I want to address this straight away. Each and every member of the management and staff there are not only wonderfully well presented and professional, but are among the most friendly people I have met anywhere in the world. Nothing was to much trouble for them, whether it was a simple request for a decent local bar, or how to get to the nearest bank, to how much Romania has changed in the past five years. They had time to talk to you and to make you feel as if you were the most important person in the world. If Alex Hampu is also responsible for recruiting and training...then his methods of chosing the right people for the job must be truely applauded. Oh...and another thing...they have a great sense of humour too. Any problems? No, not really. My personal experience is that if you want to get a taste of the hot food at breakfast then please get there earlier than one minute before the breakfast room closes...Also, when you use the shower, be patient...it takes time for the warm water to filter through, but when it does it is perfect. It would be so wrong really to highlight anyone here as being exceptional....because every one is so good. But my personal thank you would go to Mirela and her husband Stephan. The conversation we had with her after breakfast on the second day will stay with me forever. This is why I love to travel. This is why i adore this world so much. A conversation like that...it is worth every flight delay..every bland five star hotel...every sour moment in the whole world. No country is perfect. But really if this hotel represents the beauty and cordiality of Romania as a whole ( and I think it does) then my fascination with this wonderful country will stay with me until my dying day.

I was treated rudely here. I have friends in bucharest and when they would pick me up they were always treated badly. Twice I wasn't ready and the front desk wouldn't let them up to wait for me. The second time I went downstairs and brought them up. They had to leave their identification at the front desk. The breakfast was not good. I am not an early riser and by time I would get downstairs the food was dried up and at room temperature. The only housekeeping that was done was to shake out the blankets.Any food or drink I left was thrown out when i was gone. This meant my only choice was the mini-bar if I got hungry. I stayed there 6 nights. When I got home I emailed the person that took my reservation at the hotel. They didn't even take the time to apologize. I am leaving this rating here now becouse at the time I don't think I could find a place to leave a review. I LOOKED!