Chata Motyčky

A lovely place to stay, with an amazing view.

What a letdown. The online photos had us enchanted, but the actual rooms and cottage felt less luxurious than the booking listing and website suggested. That alone wouldn’t have bothered us as much as the cleanliness, or finding out the owners live in the building when that wasn’t mentioned anywhere. We arrived to ants on the kitchen counter, a dirty ceramic hob, torn toilet seats in both bathrooms, a hole in the sheet, and a grill left dirty by previous guests. The sauna was dirty too. We hadn’t come for an Easter break just to have to clean first. There was also moldy Sodastr (photo attached). The veranda, where we kept groceries, shoes, and a stroller, was only temporary. You never knew whether the person walking past your door would be the owner, his daughter, or someone else. The website and the labels on the garbage bins were only in English, though we had older family members with us. Not everyone knows English, and we’re in Slovakia, so Slovak should come first, then English. The wifi didn’t work either, though that was a smaller issue. We were very disappointed. Otherwise, we would have come back, but these things really matter.

We came for a quiet break away from the city, and the house by the reservoir and garden seemed promising. Communication with the host was excellent, but a number of things need attention. The garden is much smaller than it looks in the photos, just a little area between the sauna and house overlooking the reservoir. The owner's family lives in the adjoining unit, so it isn’t a separate rental, and they often use the porch and garden. There are lots of cats around, which means keeping a close eye on your dog. Although there’s a sauna, the owner's fee was too high for us to use it, even though we were willing to pay. We also ran into several small problems: a broken furnace, no hot water, a leaking ceiling, and a clogged shower. The owner responded fairly quickly and fixed some of them. The fridge is tiny, fine for two people but not for ten. There’s a freezer, but it’s shared with the owner. Some beds squeak so much that a small movement can wake half the house.

We found three things to like: the kitchen has an authentic village feel, there’s a pub with good beer within 80 meters, and the owner's sister has grandchildren who are amazing, sensible kids. We loved them. The people we met were all nice, including his girlfriend, who lives there and enters through your porch, and his sister, who lives on the other side with her grandchildren on holiday. But there are several permanent residents on the property, something the owner never mentions. If you want privacy, avoid this cottage. If you enjoy the company of friendly strangers, you may like it. We had another stay booked for October, but canceled it just five minutes after arriving. This was our first and last time here. The owner wasn't rude, quite the opposite, but the sauna costs €50. I think that's excessive. He said he doesn’t make money from it and the fee only covers overhead, yet with electricity at €0.14 per kWh and a 7.5 kW heater, it’s about €4 for four hours. Another problem is the sewage treatment plant right by the terrace. The smell of sewage can overwhelm your grilled sausage in the evening, so plan barbecues around the atmospheric pressure.