The hotel is very nice. Clean and comfortable, the staff were extremely helpful and all spoke English, breakfast was pleasant (slighty odd, but then you expect that in Eastern Europe), and there is a gym and sauna (though we didn't use these). The restaurant looks very nice but we didn't use that either.

I have no complaints at all about this hotel and we really enjoyed our stay. The main problem (which is entirely our own fault!) is the location. You're about 10 mins by taxi or about 30 mins (including the walking) by tram from the main square in the city. We didn't really think this would be a problem, in fact some of the reviews on this site said it is a good thing as it can get rowdy in the city at night (presumably in the Summer, as we didn't see any rowdiness while we were there). The taxi fare was between 16-20 PLN (around £3) so didn't break the bank, and the tram was only 2.5 PLN per person each way (about 45p), we just found it a bit of a pain if we'd been out shopping in the day and literally just wanted to pop back and drop off our bags before going out for the night, so we did find ourselves lugging our shopping into bars and restaurants. Some people might not be bothered by this but to be honest I do think if we come back to Krakow again we'd stay in a central hotel.

If you're not bothered about the location, or specifically want an out of town hotel (e.g. if coming on business) then I really would recommend the Crown Piast.

You have two choices from the airport, taxi or bus. We didn't want to risk the bus, not having a clue where to get off it! I'd recommend booking a cab before you arrive for a fixed price - we got a Polish friend-of-a-friend to do this for us, but I'm sure you could get the hotel to do it for you. It only cost us 35 PLN (£6) which was excellent compared to some other people who have posted reviews on this site who obviously got ripped off!

The hotel staff will arrange taxis into town for you, and there is a taxi driver who often hangs around outside anyway so you can just jump in. To get the tram into town, you walk down the drive and turn right, then right at the roundabout. You walk along the dual carriageway under the railway bridge until you get to the steps leading onto the road bridge. Go up the steps and the tram stop is on the other side of the road, and you buy tickets from the kiosk there (ask for 'Centrum' and do a bit of pointing!). Make sure you get on a tram going in the right direction (the platform on the same side of the tracks as the kiosk)! All the trams from this stop go to the centre and you just get off at Teatr Bagatela. It's quite fun for a change from the taxi.

The Crown Piast is located about halfway (and a cheap cab ride) from the airport and/or the old town. The hotel itself is a lovely trip back to the late 70s early 80s. The rooms (and some public areas) could probably do with a modernising refurb but the delightful staff more than make up for the slighly depressing decor. The property is spotlessly clean throughout. Nice gardens and grounds to the rear are spoiled slightly by the smell of cat pee!! Buffet breakfast selection is good though they could improve the quality of the juices and very little fresh fruit on offer. Hotel's taxi driver is a lovely man but he does charge over the odds so check the alternatives and negotiate a deal if you can.

All in all very good value for money and a very pleasant experience.

fantastic hotel breakfest ample staff very helpful
position of hotel great 10 minutes from airport by taxi 20pounds return . local bus 173 takes you to the wowal castle which is eleven stops away from there everything is walkable

I visited the hotel as the tour leader together with 90 of my collegues.
The hotel is situated in the outskirts of Krakow, you can go to the city centre by tram, but we preferred to take a taxi, price about EURO 5-6 (depending upon the traffic situation.
The hotel is kept very nicely, the rooms are of high class and everything functioned well.
The service from the staff was excellent, both front desk, bar and breakfast restaurant.
The breakfast is one of the best I have experienced for many years and hotels !

When all the positive remarks is given, I have unfortunately to say that the hotel did not manage to serve us properly the last evening when we - one year in advance - had ordered full party dinner. The four courses dinner was OK, but: They had not a choice of wine to cover the need of 90 persons except for one very poor wine, they did not manage to serve the wine rapidly (one waiter started to go along the table rows with a trailer with beer and wine while 5 waiters were looking upon) and the serving of the food was carried through as if it was an assembly line (someone were eating course one while someone waited to have the dirty dishes removed while the third ones were eating next course).

They might be excused as I think that this is the way they have to serve big tourist groups, but I think they should send the restaurant chief to some restaurants where they are used to serve parties.

I do recommend the hotel as a reasonable nice place to stay in Krakow if you want to stay out of the city centre or if you come by car and need to park. I will also recommend that you do not order a dinner for more than they can serve at one table, than you may also enjoy a better choice from the wine list.