Willa Kniatówka

The breakfasts were the real bright spot for us: a broad buffet with something hot every morning. The area is calm, with a shop and pizzeria nearby, and the covered outdoor pool can be used even when it rains if you’re brave. There’s a nice barbecue spot for sitting with a beer in the evening. The kitchenette is tiny but has good equipment, and the room with bathroom is large for the price, though nothing special. We stayed a week and nobody asked about cleaning the room or bathroom, or changing towels. I can’t imagine staying longer. The bathroom cupboard had no spare toilet paper, so we had to ask at breakfast, and there wasn’t a floor cloth or extra towel. I also wanted a little shelf in the shower. In the kitchenette, there’s no drying rack, so dishes sit on the drainboard, which is annoying in such a small space. There was a confusing plate of dry, moldy bread on the fridge. Stairs and other common areas had quite a bit of dust and cobwebs. The place is fairly new and nice, but felt a bit neglected and short on details. The adult activities were a joke: the billiards table was old and warped, with cues and only 3/4 balls, so you had to improvise ;-) The chess set had 4 dark pieces and 10 light ones, making the result a foregone conclusion :-D A gate was put up by the pool the day before we left to keep dogs out, but there still wasn’t clear signage and not every pet owner understood its purpose. There are no loungers by the pool for lying in the sun after a swim. For the price, it wasn’t great, though breakfast was a real plus.

There’s plenty for kids outside the house, including a covered gazebo, barbecue, pool, climbing frames, sandbox, and toys. The rooms were nice and clean, and breakfast was good. The yard and access road are fully covered in chunky white stone, which made pushing a stroller difficult. The playground also seemed a little neglected, with some broken toys, though our child didn’t mind :)

Before booking, ask whether a group will be staying at the same time. If there is one, the refrigerator, grill, and kitchen may all be occupied, so you can’t really use the villa’s attractions. The kitchen is about 1m by 1m, fits just one person, and has no dishes. The room is small and awkwardly laid out for three people, with a table about the size of a large chair.

The view from the room was lovely, and the ski bus stops right at the entrance. The hosts are wonderfully kind, share useful local information, and even got us an extra discount for the thermal spas. Their meals are delicious and there’s plenty to eat. The only drawback was that hot water took a while to come through in the top-floor shower.