Grand Hotel Gortani Wellness & Relax

The breakfast was a real highlight, fresh and high quality, and the lobby and breakfast area have been beautifully renovated. The pool itself is architecturally striking, with attractive complementary colors. Those parts show what this hotel could be, but the rooms feel like they’re still in the 1980s and badly need updating. Room 101 has a sagging mattress that should be replaced, and its location is very odd. I’d refuse that room if offered. The bathrobes also feel more in keeping with a safe three-star hotel than a four-star one. The pool and spa schedule made it hard to enjoy the facilities. The sauna closes at 19:30 and the pool at 20:00, with staff reminding us at 19:50 that closing time was near. There’s no pool access on checkout day, even before the 10:30 checkout. The steam room only opens after 16:30, and using the tiny fitness room requires a reservation. We booked because of the pool, so not being able to swim after dinner or before leaving in the morning was especially disappointing and restrictive. With updated rooms and more reasonable pool hours, this could be a grand place and a genuine three-star hotel reaching for four. As it is, the rooms feel like two stars while the rest is closer to a solid three.

The hotel and food were nice, but the pool atmosphere made us feel unwelcome. I was there with my 10-year-old daughter, who swims very well and loves playing in the water. She behaves well, but I still felt older guests watching us. It seemed like the pool was meant for seniors to sit on loungers, and that we should keep quiet and barely move instead of relaxing and having fun. Maybe they could set aside two hours for kids, or one or two hours just for parents and children. Adults can use the pool all the time, while children can’t really be children, even on holiday. That doesn’t feel fair.

The bathroom has definitely seen better days, though it was okay for one night. This is a nice place, but I gave it three stars because that’s what I think the hotel deserves. Having a certain amount of equipment in the room doesn’t automatically make it a four-star hotel.

The staff were exceptionally friendly and attentive, and the rooms were good quality. It’s a wonderful hotel. I didn’t have time to try the spa, though other guests seemed happy with it.