Ensana Hvězda

The rooms, spa, and treatments were good. What let the hotel down was the food at breakfast and dinner. For a place offering treatments to support people's health, the meals were a poor fit: unimaginative, tasteless, and very fatty. It seems possible they use a lot of trans fats because they're cheap, though I can't know for sure. They need a complete overhaul of the food.

The Roman Baths were the highlight. They felt authentic, were pleasant, and had much warmer pools that my two-year-old enjoyed. They are listed at 29-30°C. Hvezda's pool is also claimed to be 30°C, but it felt like a standard swimming pool and I doubt it was above 28. Knowing the town isn't a thermal spring, I was still disappointed by how cold it was. Hvezda and the Roman Baths connect internally, but getting between them means navigating a maze through four hotels, with lifts, lobbies, corridors, and treatment rooms. With a stroller it took 15-20 minutes. It felt like walking through a spa museum, which was actually interesting. About 90 percent of staff couldn't speak English, including some at reception. They looked at us as if we'd started speaking a language from another planet, lol. Some staff were nice, but others, especially at the spa entrances, acted more like gatekeepers than people providing a service. Dinner was good and breakfast OK. The room was nice and large, and room service was as it should be. But staff started making a lot of noise in the corridor at 7:30-8:00, talking and shouting to each other. We told reception, but nothing changed.

The countryside around the resort was lovely, with forests, lakes, ponds, and animals, and lots of places to go on trips. The hotel was comfortable, the people friendly, and the food absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed the treatments and pampering, and would love to return in spring or summer.

We came for a few days during the Chopin festival. Many visitors seem to be here for the baths, massages, and water source. Our room was large and clean, though a little bare, and the buffet was okay. The bar is next door at the Imperial, uphill from the Arkada.