Helen Hotel

The best thing about this hotel is the location, as it is within walking distance of the waterfront and many shops and restaurants in Çanakkale.

Guests should know that they will be issued one — and only one — room key upon checking in. We tried to negotiate a second room key, but we were refused.

The safe in the room did not work. The locking mechanism was engaged, but the safe was open. We requested that it either be fixed or that a new safe be brought in. Someone came to fix it, but was unable to solve the problem. He apologized and said we could lock our valuables in the main safe at the reception desk.

The room was generally clean and we could tell that the housekeepers were working hard every day to keep the rooms and general areas clean.

The shower drain was clogged. One ended up standing in water because the shower drained too slowly. We reported it to the management and they sent someone to fix it, but the issue was never solved.

Breakfast was included with our room and it was served as a buffet in the dining room. The food was OK.

Some staff spoke English well, but others did not, so that was a bit hit-or-miss. We found that the staff smiled and said, “Yes” a lot, but that did not mean that they were in agreement or that they understood. Instead it seemed to indicate that they were acknowledging that you had spoken to them.

We learned from other guests that there were two parts to the hotel — the old part and the new part. We stayed in the new part. If you plan to stay here, I recommend insisting on a room in the new part of the hotel.