I previously stayed here in 2007, and found the hotel both decent and stuck in a timewarp. I had an OK room the first time and was generally treated well.

HOWEVER:
This time was different. The amusingly grand reception has been removed and replaced with a hole in a bit of chipboard. The receptionist took an instant dislike to us, and promptly gave us the worst room possible: Loud building work on scaffolding right outside window, dirty as hell, two widely spaced single beds instead of a double, army hospital style decor as opposed to the quaint '70s wood and red-carpet Iook I had previously seen. When I attempted to complain she suddenly pretended to understand no English.

Luckily I was only (briefly) using it as a base before moving to other accommodation. I also paid 109 PLN for the two of us - this would have been a decent rate but the state of the room we were given was so bad I would have felt ripped off paying anything for it.

Breakfast is inclusive and is OK with a fairly wide selection of hot and cold, but some of the fresh produce seems a bit stale at times. Plently of yoghurts etc to fill up on though.

A word about the location: it isn't in the plushest area, but is very convenient for both the centre and the station.

Yep, no doubt this hotel has the convenient location. A short walk to the train station and still walking distance to the main square.

But isn't it in horrible condition?! I tried to book the hotel over the internet, but couldn't receive a confirmation on whether I my reservation had been confirmed or not.

Upon my arrival, I was told the rate was 119 PLN for renovated ones, and 99 for non-renovated ones which supposedly in much poorer condition. So I picked 119.

I agree the rack rate of 119 is much cheaper than the others, but this hotel claims itself a 3 star and I thought I got a great deal until I walked into the elevator.

1.The elevator was run down. (the morning I checked out it didn't even work, I had to drag my luggage all the way down)
2. The doors and the lighting in the corridors look very pre-Soviet style.
3. There are multiple designated smoking areas in the corridor, even the so called non smoking rooms have ash trays, and guess what, every fabric in the room smells.
4. It was a renovated room, I could see the new tiles in the bathroom but the following things didn't work:
4.1 The bathroom heater. So the ceramic floor was freezing
4.2 TV. It had reduced to a bulky decoration
4.3 Ceiling lamp. So the ONLY light worked was the one tiny reading lamp on the night stand.
4.4 The bed is in very bad condition, making so much noise whenever I turned, I had to stay in one position throughout the night in order not to wake myself up.
4.5 The hot water was really luke warm to say the most, and I had to let it run for at least 2 minutes to pump it out, what a waste to the environment!
4.6 The caulking is already molded in the bathroom
5. The so called front desk is a tiny cement window on the side of the entrance. I reported the problems (4.1, 4,2 and 4.3) and they told me it would be fixed the next day. And surprise, everything was the same when I came back to the room the next day.

The only positive thing I could say about this hotel is that at least they are flexible. They pre-charged me 3 nights of stay upon my arrival(that's another practice I didn't like), but they were kind enough to refund for one night after I decided to dump this hotel and the boring city and head to Warsaw.

If this hotel were advertised as a hostel, then some of its shortcommings may could be neglected, but with the price range, it doesn't quite fit into the hostel category either!

STAY AWAY as much as you could. Or just lower your expectation to nothing, then you probably could live with it.

I went with some apprehension, having read all the reviews but it was cheap at 99 Zloty single, 139 double (room only) booked on their own website. The location is good - 5 minutes stroll from the railway station (where the airport bus drops you off) and a 10 minute stroll from the main square (Rynek). Reception staff, whilst rather slow, spoke English and were helpful. My room was great - the bed was very comfortable and quite high up making it easier for someone like me with aging legs to get in and out of. Bed linen was spotless, as were the towels in the nicely tiled bathroom which had a good corner entry shower. The double-glazed window ensured a very quit night despite being on a main road. The TV only got Polish (and one German) channels - but at that price who cares? I did not try the breakfast as it was not included, but the "Express Lunch" at just 12 Zloty for soup and main was pleasant and good value. I would go again.

i found the hotel staff very helpful if you needed something otherwise they just ignored you. the breakfast i thought was inedible ie stale bread still with a paper bar code on it whats that all about.3 slices of rotten cheese/ham 3 wedges of tomato and 3 gherkins lovely ha ha. back to the hotel. you get what you pay for we stayed in a twin room basic facilities ok for the money we payed. we did get something we did not pay for though yes the dreaded bed bug. got home with spots all over my face/hands/back/arms and legs the doctor said it could take weeks for them to go away. so my opinion on the hotel polonia is to avoid at all costs unless you want to bring some unwanted friends home who give you bites not love bites.