Motel Bijele Vode

The setting around Kozara is lovely: conifer forest, clean air, quiet, and plenty of nature walks. The hotel itself was spotless, and everyone we met was exceptionally kind. Breakfast was abundant and excellent. We only booked breakfast because lunch and dinner felt a bit expensive for us as local guests, but we found very good, affordable places nearby. I left a separate review for one of them if you want to check it out. Our room was on level -1, right by the pool and spa, which made getting there easy. But it was tiny, and we struggled to fit what we brought for two days, including a camera, phones, and a photo drone. Most of our clothes stayed in suitcases on the floor, and there weren't enough hooks for wet towels and swimsuits, let alone other clothes. For the price of a 4-star hotel, we felt these rooms weren't adequate. The bed was too soft for me, though my wife was comfortable, so that's subjective. The room was clean, but it felt humid, possibly because of the pool or the nearby forest. There was no air conditioning control in the room, and we couldn't find any mosquito nets on the windows, so sleeping without getting hot was difficult. On the second day I realized the refrigerator switches off when you take your card out of the room's power slot. If you want cold drinks, leave one card there and use another to get in. There was another drawback to being on -1: the restaurant is above those rooms, and we could clearly hear chairs scraping across the ceiling from 8 am to 10 pm. It was most noticeable around breakfast, less so at lunch and dinner, since not everyone has full board. The pool and spa were very pleasant and clean, but day visitors can pay to use them too. That made it less relaxing for hotel guests, especially with children shouting around. We came hoping for a quiet nature and spa break, and it wasn't quite that. My ANC headphones helped. The pool seemed nicest from 9 to 11 am, when mostly hotel guests were there. I'd go right after breakfast to get one of the better placed sunbeds, as they may be taken later. As local guests, we knew from the room prices that this might be expensive for us, but still wanted to experience a 4-star holiday. In general, don't expect affordable prices for locals. There are also some smaller costs to remember: at the entrance to Kozara National Park, tickets are charged per person in the vehicle, and there's a tourist tax per person per day. Best wishes. I hope this helps future guests and the hotel.