Hotel Zdravilisce - Thermana Lasko

The big draw in Laško is the swimming, and the clean pools at Zdravilisče Hotel are suited more to older guests who want a dip or a swim. The outdoor section was closed in winter. Younger visitors may prefer the impressive Thermana Park centre, with its attractions and outdoor pool, though getting there from Zdravilišče means going outside instead of taking a corridor, which is inconvenient in winter. The riverside and little town are also nice for a walk. The hotel feels older despite renovation, and the room furnishings look worn: scratched surfaces, grubby bathroom tiles, and cables sticking out of the lamp switch. Maybe guests are being steered toward the newer neighboring 4*Superior Thermana. Don't expect slippers or a bathrobe in the room. You have to rent a robe for €5, and there are no slippers at all. Breakfast and dinner tasted satisfactory, but dishes weren't labeled and their placement was haphazard, so it wasn't always clear what you were getting. The dining room feels more like a canteen than a 4* hotel's restaurant, with paper placemats instead of cloth tablecloths and a messy table layout. The atmosphere doesn't seem to be a priority. Staff barely notice you unless you order drinks at the bar entrance, so you can be left thirsty. Clearing tables also felt poorly handled, with an attendant moving a trolley around and sorting leftovers and cutlery in the dining room. Food service was the hotel's weakest point for me. For a hotel presenting itself as luxury 4*, it doesn't meet the standard in my opinion. I'd rate it as a better 3* place, but it isn't cheap compared with some better, higher-rated hotels. And even the bathrobe costs extra.

The food and pool were fine, but nothing special, and at this price I wouldn't say the stay was worth it. The rooms on the fifth floor are the only ones that meet 4-star standards. Everywhere else looks shabby and stuck in the 80s. My room got very hot from the old lighting, the shower had black mold, and when I stayed in February there were loads of mosquitoes inside.

We were really disappointed. The outdoor pool was shut, but we still paid full price, and most of the massage jets barely came on or didn't seem to work. There was also a dead mouse indoors in the water channel connecting to the outside pool, and nobody seemed to care about cleaning it up. Save your money and go elsewhere.

The bathroom in my room was the one bright spot, much newer than the rest of the hotel. The rooms otherwise have dated furniture and colors. The place looks and smells like a hospital, though I suppose you know what you're getting into when you book a thermal hotel.