Manuc's Inn (Hanul lui Manuc), Bucharest

When you are traveling for a longer period of time without any concrete plans, arriving in a capital city without any pre-booked accommodation can be a daunting prospect. A few days before we were due to travel to Bucharest we met Unrest (actually Ernest, a charming Swiss) traveling in the opposite direction to us who recommended we try Hanul Lui Manuc. We recognized the name having seen it as particularly recommended in our Lonely Planet and we ...
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When we arrived in Bucharest we headed straight for Hanul Lui Manuc and found it quite easily, tucked away behind Piata Unirii, not far from the Palace of Parliament. It is less than a minute from a Metro station and close to a shopping plaza.

We were instantly charmed; the timbered building forms a quadrant with a wide archway as the entrance. It is instantly recognizable ... more

When you are traveling for a longer period of time without any concrete plans, arriving in a capital city without any pre-booked accommodation can be a daunting prospect. A few days before we were due to travel to Bucharest we met Unrest (actually Ernest, a charming Swiss) traveling in the opposite direction to us who recommended we try Hanul Lui Manuc. We recognized the name having seen it as particularly recommended in our Lonely Planet and we tried to make a reservation via the hotel’s website but this function appeared not to be available.

When we arrived in Bucharest we headed straight for Hanul Lui Manuc and found it quite easily, tucked away behind Piata Unirii, not far from the Palace of Parliament. It is less than a minute from a Metro station and close to a shopping plaza.

We were instantly charmed; the timbered building forms a quadrant with a wide archway as the entrance. It is instantly recognizable as a former coaching inn. Inside the courtyard people were busy lunching, sitting at wooden tables, some shaded and some in the full glare of the sun.

There were no double rooms for that night bit we were told that since we wanted to stay three nights we could take a suite for one night and then move into a double room. The suite would cost around 50 Euro and the double around 35 Euro (this was approximate in summer 2006). Tired, hot and in need of a beer, we reluctantly agreed.

We were given our room key and we told our room was on the floor above; after that, the staff weren’t really interested. The rooms are all accessed by means of a wooden walkway around the courtyard,.that can be accessed from the patio area in several places.

Our “suite” was no quite so grand as one might imagine; a bedroom with two single beds, a bathroom in need of some updating – or at least some elbow grease and the extra room that made it a suite rather than a double room. This room was at the front looking onto the walkway. It contained a dining table with four chairs, an upholstered settle-type seat (most of the padding was sadly missing) and a vast glass-fronted sideboard that contained the most eclectic and useless selection of crockery and glassware – no two items matched and given that there were no cooking facilities, many were redundant. There was a large and ancient fridge which, when plugged in, sounded like it would have been at home in a mill in the nineteenth century.

The walls in all the rooms were meant to be white but we marked and grubby; the carpets did not meet the walls and the beds sagged severely. The light fittings were ancient and of the four bulbs on each fitting, only one was working which probably made the place seem worse than it was.

There was a wardrobe containing two bent coat hangers and bedside tables as well as a desk on which was perched a colour television. I rarely watch television on holiday but when you are away fro three months its sometimes good to catch up on the news. Alas, whenever we tried to watch television, we would pick up the radio messages from local taxi drivers.

You many ask yourself why Hanul Lui Manuc gets such positive and enthusiastic reports; not only is the place highly recommended by some of the top guidebooks but it is a place where Romanian business people like to bring foreign visitors to Bucharest. In a city that is rapidly modernising – and one that was badly savaged by Ceausescu – there are very few really old places in the centre so Hanul Lui Manuc – or Manuc’s Inn as it translates as - is quite notable.

It has the distinction of being the oldest operating hotel in Bucharest and was built at the beginning of the nineteenth century for Emanuel Murzaian a wealthy Armenian (his Turkish name was Manuc-bei). It was essentially what was known by the Ottomans as a “caravanserai”; today it is not just a hotel but (accessed from the exterior) there are some shops and (accessed from within the courtyard) a couple of bars and a restaurant. It is a popular place for wedding parties and is often for television and film companies as an authentic period background.

The Inn has had an entertaining and diverse past: it was the scene of preliminary talks for the Treaty of Bucharest that ended the Russo-Turkish War and the first operetta to be performed in Romania was staged there in 1880. In the early twentieth century it was the “in” meeting place for actors, artists and bon viveurs – it wouldn’t stand a chance with the “in-crowd” today.

After we had freshened up we went downstairs, found a table and waited to be served. We waited and waited and waited. Finally a bored looking waitress took our order but failed to return. We left and went elsewhere.

That evening we chanced it again, this time for a nightcap after a rather fantastic meal at a nearby Moroccan restaurant. The service was better but still very slow; our drinks order was taken but then the waiter busied himself sweeping up leaves rather than fetching the drinks.

Next morning we ventured along to the area of the walkway used for breakfast which is included in the price of the room. There are tables inside but in the summer some are brought out onto the first floor walkway. From looking inside I would think it would be cramped in the winter months when all tables are indoors.

Eventually a waitress arrived with four laminated sheets; each one was a breakfast option and you let the waitress know which one you want. We were soon to find out that the waitress will just bring whatever she wants to; there was, in fact, no choice at all. Some people were even getting things that we hadn’t even seen on the menu.

Whatever you ask for will contain meat; if you ask for a vegetarian breakfast, the waitress will agree but fetch an omelette containing chopped tinned meat anyway. The tea and coffee were lukewarm, the juice watery and very sweet.

We did not eat in the restaurant and having read reviews since our stay, we did the right thing. We would have liked to look in the cellar bar but it was being used for a private function on two of the nights we were there.

I feel quite sorry to say that I cannot really recommend Hanul Lui Manuc; at least not in the glowing way that some of the guidebooks do. It strikes me as the type of place that is perfect for investment and some high end hotel chain could make this place rather special and give it a price tag to match. Of course, I would probably not have seen it if this had already happened.

Hanul Lui Manuc is certainly a sight that should be seen and appreciated; it is exceptionally attractive – at least on the surface but it is not well looked after. Even the courtyard could be looking better; under the breakfast area were two ancient Dacias, one on blocks, rusting and covered in dead leaves and grime. I don’t think it would take much effort to remove them but it would definitely improve the appearance of the patio. Thankfully you can either come for ad rink or quite openly just walk in and take a look at the courtyard to see the building.

Another sore point was the service; don’t knock Romanians coming to the UK to work – especially those in the hospitality industry – it will take Romanians seeing how it’s done elsewhere to improve the service they offer at home. The staff seemed to have no concept of service: they were slow, unenthusiastic and seemed not to appreciate the consequences of poor service.

If you don’t want to stay in a hostel I think this is pretty cheap accommodation for the location. For all the complaints I have made against it, the rooms were clean and of a decent size. For those reasons and the cost I will give three stars but I would recommend you don’t bother with the bars or the restaurant and would urge you not to believe the romanticised descriptions in some guidebooks.

Not really recommended other than for price. 

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