Chalupa u Smrčiny

We’ve stayed here several times and always book the whole cottage. It’s clean, and the owner is fair and easy to arrange things with. Hofmanky lower station is about 300 m away on foot, and the Treetop Trail is roughly 250 m away. It’s a pleasant 2 km walk along a forest path to the center of Jánek and the Colonnade. Thanks, we’ll be glad to come back again 🏠

The cottage itself made a lovely first impression, but getting in was frustrating. We’d arranged to arrive at 5:00 PM, yet the cleaning lady hadn’t finished, so we walked around the area for an hour. When we came back, she apologized and said it would take at least another 30 minutes. We waited in the car, rolling our eyes. Inside, the fireplace, stove, oven and kettle were dirty, and there were cobwebs in the rooms. The windows felt cold and had poor seals. There was very little firewood for three days. Wi-Fi and mobile signal were both weak, and the living room TV was small.

The location is a real plus for skiers. Hofmanky ski lift is a short walk away, and on the way back you can take the connecting slopes right to the hotel across the street. This was our second winter holiday here. The kitchenette has all the utensils you need, along with a large fridge and microwave, the Wi-Fi worked flawlessly, and there’s a small ski room in the building.

The treetop trail is 200 meters away, there’s parking on site, and the cable car to Černá hora is 1.2 km away. The price is reasonable for the location, but that’s about where the positives end. The room smelled incredibly musty. There was a broken chair, the TV remote didn’t work, and one 40-watt bulb was the only working light in the room. The narrow beds had been widened with larger mattresses, and the microwave sat on a makeshift stand. I documented it all with photos. Better to avoid this place.