The Old Town View

Good location and the shower was good, but the front was broken, there were no drink facilities, and you could hear everything. Just okay.

Once we got into the apartment, it was clean, warm, and nicely equipped, and we breathed a big sigh of relief. We faced the main road above the tramway, so it was noisy, but the trams stop at 11 p.m. and start again at 5 a.m. It was much quieter overnight. The central location was a real plus, with easy access to town, the wonderful historic old town, and the fantastic Christmas market. Getting in was a stressful start. Outside, we could only see the building number 3 and no sign for “The Old Town View,” so we weren’t sure we had the right place. A resident let us into the main lobby, which looked rough, but there was no one around to tell us how to find or enter our accommodation. We’re not used to a system with no staff on site and messages sent by email, and we wondered what we’d got ourselves into. I got a reply from the number provided by “Booking.com.” It turned out we’d arrived too early, at 1:30 p.m., and would get instructions by email at 3 p.m. We had to drag our large cases into town and wait in a coffee shop. There should be a sign and basic instructions at the outside entrance, so guests can at least tell they’re at the right building. Once the email arrived with two door codes, one for the outside door and another for the accommodation upstairs on level one, everything went smoothly. The company’s accommodation area is divided into several apartments, each with its own keypad entry. Would we use it again? Yes, now we know what to expect and how to get in. One tip: we took a day trip to Zakopane and the thermal baths with “Fun Tours Krakow.” It was a great day with a great team, a winter wonderland, and it really felt like Christmas had arrived!

Everything was electronic, with door codes for the hotel and our room sent by email, and there was no lobby or staff. That felt strange, and the missing lobby was the only downside. Still, I was very impressed: it was inexpensive, very clean, nice, and close to everything. The bathroom was really fresh.

The room was wonderful, private, and had its own full bathroom. You’re on a main street, so traffic noise isn’t completely blocked, but the location is hard to beat. The Old Town sights and Wawel Castle are an easy walk, about 5-15 minutes. There’s a Zabka two doors to the right facing the street, a cafe to the left with delicious pastries, coffee, and ice cream, and tram and bus stops a block away.