Ventus Rosa Self Service Apartments

Getting into the property was stressful. I contacted the apartment the day before, as our booking provider suggested, but was told the access codes would arrive automatically at 3pm on arrival day. We landed in Krakow at 10pm and had received nothing, so I had to chase them late at night before the codes finally came through. There was no clear information about staff coming in, either. No door sign to say do not disturb or request cleaning, and we heard what I assume were cleaners making a lot of noise around 7am each morning. We didn't know whether anyone might try to enter, and waking to that wasn't pleasant. The building is very old, which gives the rooms character, but the shared areas and stairs have not had much restoration and made for an uninviting entrance. Our room looked as though it had only been lightly cleaned: there were cobwebs, mould on the bath, and the TV didn't work. The toilet needed bleach, and the towel rail was coated in thick black dust, so we had to clean it before using it. For two people over four days, we were given two full-size towels, two very small hand towels and two toilet rolls. I emailed twice to ask for more towels and toilet rolls. Some toilet rolls were left outside, but we got no clean towels for the rest of the stay. Emails generally needed chasing, and it would have helped to have staff available to speak to. The location is handy and the building could be popular if more of it were restored. It was an okay stay, but I wish they'd followed through on the access code information and cleaned the rooms more thoroughly.

The room was clean and the beds were comfortable, and the apartment worked well for our city break. It takes about ten minutes to walk to the main square. Check-in was easy, though there's no reception in the building. I'd recommend calling the reception number a day before arrival to get the entry code, since ours wasn't showing in the online portal.

The Old Town is very close, which was the only good part for us. We ended up finding a different place around the corner at extra cost so we could enjoy our trip. The website photos, with monogrammed towels, fresh linen and nicely decorated rooms, did not represent the room we got. We waited outside in the cold and rain for an entry code and to learn which room we'd been assigned. The room also fell below a basic standard for feeling clean and safe: the white towels were dirty and frayed, the bed linen looked dubious, and the mattresses seemed as though they'd been pulled from a skip. Bare electrical wires stuck out of the bathroom tiles, the bathroom door frame was rotting from water damage, and the shower was very poor. The wardrobe safe didn't work, and there was no reception to contact about any problems. The price may be reasonable, but book at your own risk.

We booked an apartment for seven, but it seemed set up for only five. When we raised that, they said we could leave if we didn't like it. The service was rude and the rooms filthy. The mattress in the photo I attached is about 3cm thick. I wouldn't recommend renting here.