Hotel Valbor

I’d highly recommend Hotel Valbor if you want a comfortable stay, good service, and an authentic experience. The traditional meals were generous and delicious, with real homemade Albanian flavors. The hotel was spotless, from the rooms to all the little details, and the staff were welcoming, friendly, and always ready to help. It’s also calm and cosy, with the beautiful nature of Valbonë all around.

The table I’d reserved for dinner wasn’t ready when we arrived, despite the confirmation. At first we were directed to sit in the bar area, and it took a while before they found a proper table for us. Check-in was also poorly organized: although the official time was 2:00 PM, our room wasn’t handed over until around 4:45 PM, and it still hadn’t been properly prepared. The poor communication and lack of organization really affected our experience.

That view was the best part, whether we were in the room, at the restaurant, or in the outdoor sitting area. Just wow. But we expected more from a place called a Luxury Hotel, and the price didn’t match the experience. The room was only okay: the shower soaked half the bathroom, the kettle was dirty inside, a mug was missing, there were no mosquito nets, and Netflix and Prime wouldn’t work on the TV. I was especially disappointed that the sauna was closed when it was only around 10°C outside. I understand closing the outdoor pool after summer, but the sauna would have been perfect after hiking. Service was the worst part. The staff seemed young and inexperienced. The girl at reception was nice, but the restaurant guy never smiled or greeted us and barely answered questions. He seemed unprepared and like he didn’t want to be there. We ate lunch, dinner, and breakfast there, so it wasn’t just a one-time impression. The food was only okay, and none of the meals stood out after we’d had great local food elsewhere. At dinner, our mains arrived 15 minutes apart, so we couldn’t eat together. Breakfast was very simple, with little choice, and half the items were gone even though we arrived just 10 minutes after opening. The lounge music was also too loud and didn’t suit the relaxed mountain setting. It took away from the atmosphere.

We went there to eat, but the food wasn’t properly cooked and the service was disastrous. There was no coke, and the pasta came without cheese. They charged us the Lek price in euros, 2.750€, rather than in Lek. Absolutely wouldn’t recommend.