Polana Hotel

Quite a comfortable hotel in a great location, right in the centre opposite the castle. The room was newly renovated, but the mattress was poorly chosen. I consider the weak point of my stay to be the breakfast, which is served until 10am. However, by 8.30 there was no butter available and no one had even replenished it. I missed the fresh fruit. No one even cleaned the tables, therefore 2/3 of all tables had leftovers from the breakfast of previous guests.

The hotel had a good atmosphere. The public spaces were clean and well looked after. There was no feeling of "faded grandeur" that you sometimes get in hotels that haven't been properly looked after. The room was nice, clean, had plenty of power sockets (unlike some older hotels). Breakfast was good and you could get an omelette or scrambled eggs freshly made to order. But it had some major failings ... 1) The room had no curtains, only net and limited blinds - fortunately I had a eye mask from overnight flights which I really needed otherwise I'd have been waking up at dawn. 2) There was a shower head in the bath but it was mounted at chest-height so you had to hold it in your hand all the time you were using it. 3) There was no air-conditioning - not an issue in November but would have been a deal-breaker in July and August. 4) Reception was unstaffed in the morning, you just left your key on the desk and left. 5) One side of the hotel faces onto a main road at a junction so there would be lots of noise from vehicles stopping at the lights and pulling away. The receptionist when I arrived was evasive about the traffic noise in the room, fortunately their supervisor came by and allowed her to move me. I'm not sure I would have got a quieter room without the supervisor's presence.

The hotel was very pleasant and the rooms were clean. I stayed there for 5 days and was upgraded to a larger room. The mini bar was complimentary and room service was provided on all days. Breakfast was included. The location is great, it is walking distance to the town square close to cafes, grocery, restaurants and churches. It is quite safe, and the main doors are locked from 10pm to 7am. Guests are provided with a pin that is changed every week. Would recommend staying here if you are in the Zvolen area.