Arial Lofts

The bed was hard and the price was cheap. Breakfast was poor, and it wasn’t even served at the actual hotel. Noise insulation was poor, the beds were short, and the shower and toilet were basically in the same place. They only accepted cash, even though I’d booked online.

The host was easy to reach by WhatsApp and responded straight away whenever we needed help. The property is also within walking distance of restaurants, small supermarkets, beach clubs, and a pharmacy. There’s a standard breakfast that was fine for starting the day, while dinner at the restaurant was much better, with great food at reasonable prices. We booked a duplex apartment for three, and it had plenty of space. It was new, modern, and clean, with two bathrooms. The small kitchen was enough for simple meals, though we didn’t cook much. The AC cooled the room well, but it took a while for the cold air to reach upstairs. By evening it was nice and fresh. The upstairs window lets in some light early in the morning, which could be a problem if you like to sleep in a dark room. Otherwise, there was no loud noise or anything that bothered us at night. The apartment fully met our expectations.

Breakfast wasn't served on site, so we had to walk about 5 minutes in the sun to get to another location. The rest of the room was just about acceptable, nothing more. At Arial Lofts, the bathroom was in very poor condition: there was no separation between the shower and the rest of the space, the toilet seat was broken, and the showerhead holder was damaged. Water leaked everywhere, leaving the floor wet all the time. It wasn’t a comfortable stay, and the place needs urgent maintenance to be considered a quality option.

My experience at Arial Loft was unfortunately negative. At check-in, the owner greeted us in an unfriendly way. When asked to pay, I pointed out that the booking confirmation, under Payment information, said the charge was due 14 days before arrival. The owner reacted inappropriately to my comment and even refused to let us stay overnight. It was an unpleasant and unexpected situation that strongly marked our stay in Vlora. After many years of travelling, I’d never experienced anything like it.