I'm not sure where the glowing reviews came from.. and I used these reviews on Tripadvisor as a basis for my booking of this hotel. It was a disappointment.
By American standards, this hotel is a barely 2 stars. First, the staff. Very unfriendly and somewhat rude. English is well spoken by the apparent owner (a middle aged and very stiff gray haired woman) ONLY. We stayed in six European hotels on this trip, and the staff at this hotel was the worst. They required both myself and my travelling companion (significant other) to fill out the entire hotel registration form seperately, even though we were staying in the same room! This very obtrusive form asked things like birthday, place of birth, etc. I know many European forms ask this, but it is rarely required to be fillled out completely, and certainly not by people sharing the same room - at least in my experience. They demanded it.
The doors in this hotel have a very unusual interior locking mechanism (very old and outdated) and they ask that you leave your key at the desk whenver you leave the hotel (say to go outside and walk around). When you come back in, you simply ask for your room key back. The Problem? Different people at the desk when you come back, and no, they don't ask for ID or anything before they give you the key. I could have asked for the key to any room in the hotel and gotten it! Perhaps this is another custom, although it seems awfully outdated, and not consistent with the rest of Europe (we stayed in other quaint places with much friendlier staff). I feel security of the rooms could be an issue here. I would not recommend this hotel for single travelers.
The beds were bricks with funky linens. The matresses were worn out (prepare to sleep in a crater). Clean? Seemed like it. The rooms are somewhat oddly furnished (a real mish mash) - yet each had a crucifix on the wall. Kind of seemed like how I'd imagine a monestary.
The hotel restaurant was average at best. I found the breakfast to be supbar (again, below what we experienced in other parts of Europe)..
Excursions offered by the hotel "taxi" were extremely overpriced. Staff seemed less than excited about sharing access to other options. For example, you can take public transportation to Auschwitz for a tiny fraction of what the hotel will charge to take you there..
Location is good if you arrive by train. Not a far walk from the depot. However, there are more central hotels available right on the main square.
Krakow is a beautiful town. Lots to see. Don't miss the castle. I think there are better places to stay than this place, however!!
