Hotel Planai by Alpeffect Hotels

The rooms weren’t great: they got so warm that it was hard to fall asleep, and the beds were a bit hard. The bathroom was okay. Still, I’d really recommend staying here. It’s handy for the gondola at Planai, the atmosphere was great, and I loved the food selection and the afternoon cakes. There’s also a kids’ play area that lots of children used.

Breakfast and dinner were very good, and the service was great. The beds, though, weren’t very good.

The hotel is very close to the ski lift, which is great. That’s its only real advantage. For the price, I wouldn’t recommend it. You can find somewhere better for the same money, or maybe even less. I don’t think this is a four-star hotel, maybe three or two and a half. One receptionist didn’t know English, which should be a standard at reception anywhere. The other was sweet, spoke English and was a pleasure to deal with. The hotel was full of drunk Swedes making huge noise and playing techno loudly from their rooms, with no consideration for the other guests. There was no thermostat in our room, so it felt like a sauna. We could open the window, but the drunk Swedes were right outside it. Breakfast didn’t feel like a four-star offering, more like a cheap guesthouse, and I think even those do better. The room was clean, but not properly maintained: the bedside lamp was broken and untrimmed electrician’s tape was hanging from the TV. The bathroom fan ran constantly, so we had to keep the door shut to get any sleep. You’d think a hotel beside a ski centre would be skier friendly, but there were no hangers or place to dry clothes. The ski room in the garage is meant to lock and open with the room key, but the door was left open all the time, leaving expensive gear unattended where anyone could take it. The shared terrace by the pool is presented as amazing, but it means random guys can sit 30 cm from your window and watch everything you do inside. We kept the curtains drawn the whole time. It would make more sense if each room had its own section with a wooden screen.

Nice hotel in a very good location. The single bed was a couple of centimetres too narrow, and the dessert plates could be bigger. The plate placement at the buffet was odd too, since you have to walk into the buffet and then back again.