Hirvemäe Puhkekeskus Hotel

Everything else was very good, but the beds are too soft and there isn't a fridge in the rooms.

Setomaa is easy to explore from here, and the lakeside setting makes a lovely base for a laid-back weekend. The accommodation itself is quite basic: the beds weren't especially comfortable, and the thin walls meant we could hear neighbors talking and moving around. The food and drinks could use some work. Simple meals are fine, but they ought to be cooked with some care and know-how. Random supermarket sauces spread over dishes aren't the answer, especially that balsamic stuff poured over salads.

Staying here felt like hard work, and I wouldn't book again. We were a little past the one-hour check-in window because local police stopped us and kept us at the station for hours while trying to find fault with us. When we got there, the place was locked up and empty. The number on our booking got no answer, but we found another number in a window and eventually reached someone. A man came to let us in, wearing only his pants. The room was very basic, though fairly clean. It wasn't like the rooms in the photos, and there was no TV, kettle, or hairdryer. Food service ends at 14:00, and the local restaurant shuts at 17:00, so there's nowhere to eat afterward. We left at 07:00 and put the keys in the door since the man in the pants doesn't get up before 09:00. Later, there were some heated calls because they thought we'd left without paying. We had mistakenly thought we'd paid through booking[dot]com. We sorted it out by phone and bank transfer, as they don't have a card machine.

I've been here many times because I like this place so much. It's a very good spot to eat.