Guest House Mary

Dirty and uncomfortable. There was hair in the linen, more hair on the shower walls and floor, food scraps in the drawers, and no water in the toilet. Nobody seemed to speak even very basic English. I don't understand the 4-5 star reviews. Maybe the place wasn't cleaned before those guests arrived, but this is a guesthouse. Hotels and hostels costing 20eu in Tirana are much better. The mountain view is great, but the busy road right nearby means breathing in exhaust fumes. I'd give it 0.1. For proof, I have a great video, though unfortunately I can't download it. I don't have photos.

Getting to the city is easy, with frequent buses for 40 Leke (Around 30 cent). The rooms are clean, with private bathrooms, comfortable beds, and a delicious breakfast. The staff were very friendly, helpful, and always smiling. The walls are a bit thin, so loud neighbors can be heard. The staff aren't very good at English, but we managed to understand each other with body language, big smiles, and huggings :) I really enjoyed my stay and would stay there again if I visit Tirana.

For the price, it's clean and comfortable, and the breakfast is tasty and pretty filling. The rooms have their own toilets and showers, plus bathroom products, which was a surprise. There's also a TV, wifi, and ac. It's on the 4th floor, I think, of a very random building. They weren't expecting me, so I had to knock a few times before someone came. The hosts are friendly, though English isn't spoken well there. I had read that people smoke, and they do. It wasn't nice because it felt like the smoke was right outside my bedroom, probably because it was next to the kitchen. They also talked super loud when they started their day, so I woke up really early.

The owner was welcoming and warm, and the room was big and clean. The kitchen was good too. Breakfast worked well for vegetarians, but not vegans.