Orbel

It was my first time here, and I loved the place. I’m not much of a winter person, so I’ll come back in late spring, when everything’s green and the flowers are in full bloom.

The apartment was a good size, and the restaurant food was delicious. The pool and spa were clean and warm, although I imagine they could feel crowded on weekends. This is a great place to stay with children. There are several lounges with fireplaces, where we spent time playing chess and board games or just relaxing.

I liked the quiet location, the view, and the rustic feel, and the staff were helpful. But the facilities need renovation, especially the spa. It’s advertised as a spa hotel, yet the spa is only open for a few hours a day, from 10 to 12 on Sundays and 4 to 7:30 during the week. Only one of the three sauna rooms worked. The steam room had to be switched on when requested, its tiles were coming off, and it smelled damp and mouldy. Two of the four Jacuzzi jets didn’t work. A guest I spoke with said it had been like that for 1-2 years. The relax zone roof also leaked one day. It was dealt with quickly, but still felt unsettling. Some smaller things added to the frustration. The brown spa towels often smelled damp, including the replacements about half the time. The scrambled eggs at breakfast were greyish and gooey, with a strange texture. We couldn’t adjust the room temperature as the description said, even though we wanted to lower it at night; it sometimes reached 25 degrees and was too hot to sleep. We called reception, but got no help and the problem wasn’t fixed. The food was just okay, neither great nor bad, and breakfast and dinner options were more or less the same each night.

The rooms and other areas are very spacious, and the staff are welcoming and smiley. The hotel has all the services I’d expect from a spa hotel. The building quality is moderate to poor, though. Wind whistles through the windows, water in the bathroom goes everywhere except the drains, and the flimsy interior doors feel like they might fall apart when you close them. I wouldn’t consider staying here in winter if the wind can get through the windows.