Over the Miljacka riverbank, located in a historic place of Bentbasa - Sarajevo Old Town, newly adapted luxury apartments in Guesthouse ,,River" offer chic and modern accommodation just 250 meters away from Sarajevo City Hall and famous Bascarsija Fountain, which is the heart of Sarajevo. With stylish decor and comfortable large beds, each room features free Wi-Fi and and flat-screen TV with satellite channels for guests to relax with. In most of the rooms, guests will have opportunity to enjoy drinking coffee on their own spacious terrace with astonishing view of the river - lake and Sarajevo Old Town. Free private parking is available for our guests. The breakfast is served at the same restaurant where Oscar winning actress, beautiful Penelope Cruz was filming her movie ,,Venuto al Mondo" aka "Twice Born". Feel the magical spirit of Sarajevo in Guesthouse "River" in a historic place of Bentbasa that is sung in many songs, including the old traditional song, by many the anthem of Sarajevo - "When I went to Bembasa, To Bembasa, to the river, I took a white lamb, A white lamb with me", and let your stay in Sarajevo be remembered forever.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
River View
Location
Bentbasa bb, Sarajevo 71000 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pansion River
165 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
We loved our stay at Pansion River. We had opted for room with River View so we got a nice balcony with a beautiful view where we got to witness breathtaking sunset views over the river. The room was spacious and cosy. Everything was clean. Hot & cold water dispenser was provided along the hotel corridor. The breakfast room was also bright and airy with the river view. Breakfast was filling. The staffs were all friendly especially the front desk staff lady whom was helpful giving us lots of info. It's a nice 5-10 mins walk to the old town where you will walk by the river then along shops. We absolutely loved our stay.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2019
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We instantly fell in love with both the history of Bosnia & Herzegovina and its people. Most notable in making us feel right at home are those at Pansion River in Sarajevo. Our room was spotless and pretty. Two beds arranged neatly in the room with adorable decorations throughout. The bathroom toilet had a piece of tape across it indicating to the new guest(s) when the bathroom had been cleaned and by who. It’s always nice to know that your bathroom is being properly sanitised between guests.
Everything in the building looked new and, in fact, we found out they had just opened the hotel earlier this year. Prior to the hotel, it used to be (solely) a very successful restaurant opened in 1989 and fortunately not destroyed by the war. Though we had just arrived that morning and technically should not have received the complimentary breakfast, Nesh (the fabulous receptionist and cook) insisted we go the above restaurant for food. So thoughtful! The food at Pansion River is absolutely fantastic - great quality, great quantity, great price! From the restaurant, there is a view of the river and part of the old town of Sarajevo.
If you find yourself in Sarajevo, look nowhere else but here if you want amazing meals, extremely friendly and caring staff, and central location - for real!. We were less than 5 minutes walking from the Old Town, less than 10 minutes from the very center of the Old Town, and close to everything you might need while in Sarajevo.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from PansionRiver, Owner at Pansion River
Responded Dec 25, 2015
Dear Sarah and Filip, it was our pleasure to host you, and we really had a great time with you guys! Thanks a lot for writting such a nice and warm blog abot us! Wish you all the best, especially to travel the rest of the world, those few places that you still haven't visited :) Ermin
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Slightly tired in places but that adds to the charm
There was a do happening on the Saturday which I was informed about at check in with loud music but fortunately I had my earphones and music stopped at a reasonable time
Friendly staff
Only slight gripe apart from the loud music above was the fact that they don’t accept card payment
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First the pros, the location is great, stones throw from the old town and also the venue looks lovely. Most of the staff are lovely and try and be helpful so there is definitely great potential here. However, for the price we paid this is more of an air bnb/apartment as opposed to a hotel. Breakfast is provided albeit very basic, the rooms do not have water or tissue. There are water coolers at the venue but no glasses. There is a TV but the remotes had no batteries. The double bed is actually 2 single mattresses which is uncomfortable. As I say this place has potential but with the service level provided at the moment I wouldn't hurry back.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
Perfect location near the old town with parking. Despite a busy road behind the hotel, the rooms are absolutely quiet; you can't hear the traffic at all in the rooms facing the water. It's original that a tree grows through the breakfast room. The breakfast offering is good - with one exception: there is no yogurt and I couldn't get any even for an extra charge. Unfortunately, the hotel is unkempt. In the breakfast room, there were crumbs on the tables from the previous day and from other guests. The floor in our room was dirty when we arrived. The room was not cleaned during our 3-night stay. The room had a nice terrace - but at the end of May there were only soil and plant remains from the previous year in the flower boxes. It's a shame, the hotel is too expensive for that.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Not for us we paid for the two nights and left after one . Maybe with a river view in the sun it might be ok but our room had no view just fences and the beds were beyond uncomfortable and for my son it was like sleeping on the floor. No tea/coffee making and overall just too simplistic . But what got me was the cats running all over the place including the dining hall , smoke from the resturant filtering up to the rooms , service unfriendly & very hardwork in the bar (despite friendly owner in reception) a family shouting until midnight downstairs , busy traffic sound at night and in the morning which you have to cross around all the stray dogs . Overall we felt it was too basic and when we moved the place for the same price was luxuary for being just slightly further out. It wasn’t dirty but it felt grubby and like camping so sorry to say we wouldn’t recommend it especially given what you can get for the same price
Read more
Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pansion River, General Manager at Pansion River
Responded Dec 2, 2024
Dear Guest, Thank you for your feedback. We would like to kindly remind you that you had reserved a Budget Double Room via Booking.com, which, as clearly described on the booking platform, does not include windows, a terrace, or a tea/coffee maker. These details were available to you prior to your arrival. We understand that the room may not have met your expectations, but we are unsure why you did not choose a different room category if you were looking for more amenities or a different experience. Additionally, as a pension, our offerings are more basic compared to a luxury hotel, and we believe this should have been considered when making your reservation. We appreciate your understanding and hope that, in the future, you choose a room that better aligns with your preferences. Best regards, Pansion River
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No comment! each letter is too many! double zero for value! pets are allowed but in the booth, and smokers are allowed!!! entrance to the room from the restaurant, poor sound insulation! It's been a long time since we've had such a miserable breakfast with purchased packaged croissants!
Read more
Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:For THE 144€ for 2 nights is too much but we have dog and in Bosnia YOU gave a limit for...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Erko C, General Manager at Pansion River
Responded Jun 27, 2023
Dear Frankica, thank you for your feedback, even though most of what you wrote is not true. First of all, smoking is allowed only at the terraces, not in the rooms. You stayed in a completely newly built double room with private terrace above the river, and you knew the price in advance as you reserved it on booking.com, perfect location in a historic neighbourhood - only 4 minutes easy walk to an old town square, and FREE parking in this area (everywhere else u would have to pay 15 to 20 euros per day).. Strange how you put the photos of walls and floors of the terrace (!?!?) but did not put the photos of the whole room and magnificent river and nature views from that same terrace, why? We permitted your dog to stay with you in the room for FREE, even in the restaurant where breakfast was served, NO ONE in Sarajevo or elsewhere would permit you this, no matter how much money you pay. Ungrateful. Breakfast is various, you had three kinds of omelettes, hot dogs, boiled eggs, chicken ham, dry meat, cheese, muesli, corn flakes, continental breakfast with pastries, jam, cream, butter and marmalade, espresso coffee as much as you wanted, juice and milk, and all of this was served to you on the terrace above the river like nowhere else in the country. Yet, you were disappointed with ‘packed croissants’?? Well, first of all we are not French bakery to serve you early morning fresh made croissants, and second, all hoteliers in the world recommend packed croissants after corona virus pandemic. Price that you have paid for all of this is more than a good value, considering all service you got, you will not get this service these days anywhere else in Europe’s capitol centre, not for this price. Your feedback is simply not true, and disappointing, but nevertheless we are completely sure that you will come again to our unique Boutique hotel next time you visit Sarajevo. Stay positive and best regards.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The position is perfect, a five minutes’ walk to the old town of Sarajevo which is a little gem. The host Nash is very, very polite and helpful. The structure may look old and deceptive but the interior of the room is modern, clean and well equipped. We had a large room with a huge terrace placed on pillars above the river so … it‘s an interesting and nice experience. You may even fish from your veranda. Free parking in front and good Wi-Fi. Minus: The structure is made of wood and not so well isolated so it might get noisy.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2015
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from PansionRiver, Front Office Manager at Pansion River
Responded Dec 25, 2015
Thank you very much for the review. Next time in summer you must try to fish from the terrace, it is indeed a great experience :) Many greetings, Nesh
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This hotel is very symbolic of our time in Bosnia - filled with kind, beautiful people, amazing hospitality with just a touch of character building chaos.
I would suggest if you are looking for a standard hotel type experience this isn't your place but if you are looking for an warm, authentic guesthouse filled with character look no further.
Due to my own booking error (no fault of the hotel) we stayed in both a single room and the apartment.
The rooms are small but comfortable - the bed was actually the comfiest we have found in Europe. There were a few little "quirks" but for 50 Euro a night it was pretty fabulous value.
The apartment was next level. Very spacious; well catered for and peaceful. It had facilities so we could have cooked for ourselves however with a great breakfast included and old town so close we decided to take advantage of the local specialties. It was also cleaned thoroughly.
This is a family run business and I was very happy to choose to support them rather than a chain. They were very hospitable even doing a LOT of washing for us at no charge. The staff in the restaurant are also lovely and it clear everyone at Pansion River works hard to ensure their guests needs are meet.
A couple of things future guests may wish to note:
The wifi here isn't great. Although Ermin tried hard to help, it was quite patchy particularly in the apartment. It made it hard to book our next leg.
The view is incredible and the perfect spot to wake up to this beautiful city however you are very close to the river which on inspection isn't particularly clean and makes it difficult to keep the balconies clean which some may find a little off putting.
As stated clearly in all their booking materials the hotel is cash only so be prepared- we totally overlooked this (our fault but worth a mention).
Over all Pansion River is a quiet, quirky boutique guest house with excellent service and in a fabulous easy walking location to town. We were very pleased to stay here in Sarajevo.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent three nights at Pension River and it was wonderful and relaxing. The staff was very nice and helpful. Since my flight was later that afternoon I checked out late which was not a problem at all. For the time being there we even had a little kitten stop by our terrace every night which made for an even homier experience. I'd definitely recommend Pension River next time you visit Sarajevo.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2015
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Try to get a room with a terrace, great view.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Sarajevo area.
PRICE RANGE
$57 - $68 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Bosnia and HerzegovinaFederation of Bosnia and HerzegovinaSarajevo CantonSarajevo
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
