Lux Garden Hotel

The thermostat made no difference. Our room stayed at 25°C every day, far too hot for sleeping, and we won’t be back. The hotel is right by the ski slope and the rooms are spacious, but it doesn’t deserve five stars. The pool is small and cold, so swimming isn’t really possible. The saunas only hold four people, and the spa felt lifeless, with no music. They provide just two 2-liter bottles of water for everyone to share in glasses. There’s none in the room, only a 0.33 L minibar bottle for 15 lei. Breakfast felt like three stars, or maybe 3.5 at best, nowhere near five. It was poor quality and mostly food that doesn’t take much cooking, the sort of thing you could easily make at home. I wouldn’t recommend it.

We chose the restaurant with high expectations because its menu looked promising compared with other places in Azuga. But the gap between the five-star claim and what we got became clear as the meal went on. I don’t understand the positive reviews. Nothing felt five-star, especially for the price. The ginger lemonades were supposed to be unsweetened, but they were made with syrup. The cold cut platter was bland and unremarkable at best. Later, the lamb chop with mashed potatoes was not very tender despite supposedly being slow-cooked, and it came smothered in a tasteless brown sauce like something from a canteen. The duck was dry and the red cabbage swimming in oil. The ingredients seemed very cheap, yet the dishes cost 18 € and 25 €. My wife even found a piece of packaging plastic in the cabbage. There was little care in the details: no thought put into the menu design, no napkins, salt and pepper shakers like you’d find in a kebab shop, and knives unsuitable for meat. A meal for two came to 90 € for cheap ingredients, bad cooking and no attention to detail. If this had been a three-star restaurant charging half as much, I’d have rated it better. Charging these prices in Romania is shameful, and this kind of tourism shouldn’t be encouraged.

The location is a big plus, right by the gondola that goes up to 1550 meters, where the view is spectacular. I’d come back. The balcony design gives you complete privacy, and the spa was fine. The pool is small, but I liked relaxing in the sauna after a long day in the mountains. We were welcomed warmly at reception, and the hotel is beautiful. Our room had plenty of space, all the amenities including an iron and ironing board, and an amazing mountain view. It was spotless when we arrived, though cleaning slipped a little during the stay. They didn’t leave toilet paper on the second day, the glasses weren’t cleaned or changed, and the outdoor ashtray wasn’t emptied. The restaurant was okay, though I think the dishes could be better and didn’t quite feel five-star.

The little gardens around this hotel make it feel like a peaceful retreat, with small lights dotted around at night that make everything look idyllic. It’s my favorite hotel in Prahova Valley, a perfect, soul-restoring place to unwind. The food was tremendous, especially the desserts, and the staff are so friendly. My room was quiet and clean, with a large bathroom stocked with everything you need, including lovely cosmetics. Every room has a private balcony with a beautiful mountain view. Nights are so, so quiet.