Natural Apartments by Renters

The living room got a little cramped when we unfolded the sofa. Apart from that, apartment no. 204 on the second floor of the Natural Baltic building at Słowiańska Street 19 worked very well for our two-person family during a winter break of over a week. After walks along the winter beach, it was lovely to come back to a warm, clean, well-kept building and apartment, finished to a high standard. Both rooms had internet-connected TVs and plenty of furniture for unpacking, and the kitchenette was fully equipped. The windows looked out naturally onto the dune and a stretch of sea. The dune hides beachgoers from view on both sides, and with luck you might see a ship or fishing boat pass. A beach entrance is right beside the building, making the location and closeness to the sea a big plus. Parking was easy with the apartment's garage space, and there is an elevator.

This was before the season, and even then I wouldn't recommend the street-facing room during peak season when traffic is heavier. From that window you get car noise, the stink from parked buses, tour groups, and an old-fashioned resort by the water park right opposite, all in pastel colors. Instead of the peace and fresh air you expect, you're in the middle of street activity and breathing exhaust. The building is close to the beach and in a beautiful spot, but the view from a room without a direct sea view is poor, and the street-facing view is truly awful. I'm posting the window views.

Darłowo itself is a small town with some charm, about a 40-minute drive to get around. We won't return, especially not to Natural Apartments. Our apartment in Giżycko rentals would never be managed this way. For all the flaws and the uncomfortable bed, this place might have earned a 4, but the way we were ignored and spoken to brought it down to a 1. The service here was abysmal compared with our friends' place at Solaris, two buildings away. They had a lovely 8th-floor apartment with a stunning view. We couldn't book there, and when they visited ours, they saw there wasn't even somewhere to sit on the balcony. Apartment 33 initially seemed nice, though not top-of-the-line. The balcony gave a sideways sea view, which was fine with us, but another building stood right in front, so you could see into other people's balconies if privacy matters to you. Then the problems started: a hallway hook fell off on the first day, there were two in total, and another was already on the floor when we arrived. The bathroom toiletries shelf came off too. Not disastrous, but it could have been done better. The provided frying pan was in such bad shape it felt unsafe to eat from. We asked the manager to bring another, got a reply within an hour, but had already gone into town to buy one. We weren't going to sit hungry waiting. Buying it wasn't an issue, but it was upsetting that no one checks the equipment, and I'd rather the bad pan hadn't been left there at all. There were no breakfast options nearby, and the downstairs restaurant kept "various" hours, a rather misleading description. The balcony had only two cheap plastic chairs, which seemed excessive. We asked if we could relax there and were rudely answered. The woman showing us the apartment said it suited four people, but looking at those chairs, "I don't think so." Two wooden loungers and a small table would have been a better impression. We immediately told the manager about the lack of seating.

You can watch a lovely sunset from the terrace without even leaving the apartment, and the sea's sound can lull you to sleep. It feels like living right on the beach, with good privacy. The place is modern and clean, and even the coffee machine and tableware look nice while being useful. The town is about 1.5 km away, a short beach walk gets you to the center. When I stepped onto the beach, I was surprised to see so many swans, more than I've seen in a long time. We'll definitely come back :)