Hotel Bellevue

The restaurant was another letdown: the food was greasy and poor quality. We ordered two different dishes, and one was spoiled while the other seemed nearly spoiled. When we mentioned it, the waiter casually told us to choose something else from the buffet, as though this were normal. Our arrival towels had stains, and the shower felt dirty and unhygienic. We had booked a room with one large bed but were given three small singles, with two pushed together and the third on its own. The room smelled musty and old, and the mattresses were visibly worn. Dust and dirt seemed to be everywhere during our stay, including all over the air conditioner. For a 4-star hotel, there wasn't even a complimentary bottle of water each day. The place felt more like a cheap boarding house than a 4-star hotel.

Vlade and Jonce at the main hotel restaurant deserve special thanks. They treated us like royalty, old-school Communist-regime waiters, with service worthy of seven stars, better than what you’d get in Dubai. The receptionist was also nice and welcoming. The younger staff could use some training in manners, though, and management should learn from Vlade and Jonce. Across the rest of the complex, including all three hotels in a row, they don’t seem to know how to run a business or even say thank you. The beach and the grounds need care: renovate the beach and sunbeds, clean the area, and look after the gardens and paths. The little Evropa shop is never open. They could also adopt better technology than handing out a piece of paper to use the beach facilities. And charging extra to use sunbeds on the hotel’s own private beach is ridiculous. I’ve never encountered that at a hotel with its own beach anywhere in the world.

Before booking online or through a travel agency, make sure you clarify the sunbed charges. Even with a 10-day stay in a double room costing €1,000 in mid-season or €1,400 in high season, you may have to budget another 3-10 euros for pool sunbeds and the same for the hotel's private beach. They sell it as a 4-star premium hotel with a pool, private beach, and all the usual extras, so charging guests separately for pool loungers that seem part of the room offer is absurd. How crazy is that?

It’s a peaceful, relaxing spot for a vacation in Ohrid. The hotel has a pool, parking, and its own beach by the lake. The rooms are nice, and most have a view of the lake. There are more photos and videos on Instagram at @_darling_daniel. 👌🏻😀🩵☀️🙂