Hotel Szczawnica Park Resort & Spa

The hotel is really nice, almost perfect. But there was a terrible bell ringing again and again from 8:00 until 9:00 in the morning. The restaurant's orange juice was a bit cold and very diluted. I also didn't understand why hot chocolate had to be paid for when it isn't in such high demand.

We chose an off-season visit, so it was wonderfully quiet with hardly anyone around. The hotel is right in central Szczawnica, close to the river, and there are plenty of places to explore on foot even though many were closed. Our stay was short but really relaxing. The staff were friendly, the room was clean, and I tried one of the pools. There are two saunas, one hotter than the other, plus a steam room. I also booked a relaxing facial and massage, which I’d recommend.

The park and riverside promenade beside the hotel make for lovely walks, and there’s plenty of good hiking and photo opportunities nearby. I’d suggest walking along the promenade in either direction, where you’ll find nice taverns and restaurants. The hotel itself is lovely, too. The lobby restaurant’s pizza was amazing, easily five-star, though the rest of the menu seemed limited and fairly static. A few room details could be better: the shower is shallow and can leak into the room, and they don’t have washcloths even if you ask. The king bed is two twins pushed together, so check whether a proper king is available if that matters to you.

The service and food were five-star, but the spring mattress was awful, much too hard. For a five-star hotel and the price, that bed just wasn’t worth it.