Villa Vodno

It felt like staying with family because everyone was so hospitable. The villa has a nice garden and a small pool, in a quiet, leafy spot on the slopes of Mt Vodno. It's a 30-minute walk from the train station. Beautiful place, and I'll stay here again next time I'm in Skopje.

We had to cancel our booking after a very rude exchange. When reserving, we clearly asked for a room with a clean bathroom that didn't smell of cigarettes. The hosts replied sarcastically that they'd leave us a room with a dirty toilet and full of cigarettes. I called to find out what was going on, and the woman told me they don't work with domestic guests. Speaking Macedonian doesn't mean I'm from Macedonia, and even if I were, they should have said upfront that they wouldn't host Macedonian citizens. If I'm paying the room rate, I don't see why a request for a smoke-free room should get me refused. She wouldn't hear me out and hung up. I'm unpleasantly surprised after reading the good reviews. Very unprofessional, and I would never recommend them.

The Sunday family meal the hotel cooked for guests was delicious, and the family were always around and happy to help. We had a relaxing, homely stay at Villa Vodno, with spacious rooms, comfortable memory foam beds and nice showers. The small pool was fine for cooling off. It's outside town in a pleasant area with easy access to Vodno mountain, and taxis across the city are cheap and easy to find. The ride to the centre was about 130MKD, though nearly every driver used the meter, one charged us €10 early in the trip, claiming there was no meter at the weekend. My only suggestion is to vary breakfast more from day to day. Good value, and I'd absolutely recommend Villa Vodno for a stay in Skopje.

The rooms were clean and spacious, and the service was nice. It could use some bathroom renovation. The hotel is in a park area, quite far from the city centre.