Hotel Encián

The jacuzzi is very spacious and long, and could comfortably fit 6-8 people. There are also two separate saunas, though no pool. The rooms were cosy and the prices affordable. The staff were friendly, but their English was limited. I didn’t expect haute cuisine, though the half-board food selection could have been a bit broader. It was worth the money.

My husband and I booked three nights at Hotel Encian at the end of February, with half board and wellness included. At check-out we received a discount, but it didn’t make the stay any better. I’ve worked in this industry for a long time and have never had such a bad experience. I don’t recommend this hotel. They put revenue and savings ahead of the guest experience. A few weeks before we arrived, they asked us to consider changing our dates. They had accepted a company party for 45 people who wanted an all-night disco and private use of the wellness area on our first night. Our dates couldn’t be changed, so we had to stick to the plan. I was very disappointed they took this party when other guests were already booked in. On the first day, we got to the hotel at 8 pm and could hardly find reception among the drunk, shouting party guests. They let us eat from the buffet, but it was quite disgusting. The group was eating from the hot counters and making a mess, and nobody was supervising or replenishing the food. Music and shouting kept us awake until at least 4 am. The following evening was no better, even without the big group. There was no buffet or menu to choose from. They simply brought out food without asking what we wanted or whether we had dietary requirements. It was leftovers from the previous day’s party buffet: sour cabbage soup, chicken and rice with some vegetable sauce, and poppy seed noodles. Worse than a canteen. After dinner they told us we’d have to eat out the next evening because they were closing the kitchen and didn’t think it was worth serving only us. That night we went to see friends at another hotel and came back before 11 pm. Our hotel’s front door was locked and everything was dark. We tried calling the numbers posted on the doors, but no one answered. From outside, we could hear the phones ringing at the empty reception. After an hour in the freezing cold, we found a hidden back door that opened with our room card and got into the dark hotel. The next morning, they said we could have told them if we planned to stay out late, and mentioned that the other entrance was at the back. It was already strange that they locked up the whole hotel after 10 pm. They could have told us about the back door earlier, or at least answered the phone, and we could have avoided that awful wait. We didn’t feel safe. What if something happened during the night and we couldn’t reach anyone? On our third day, they closed the wellness area as well as the kitchen, without telling us. A reminder, we had booked half board and wellness.

The food and beer were great, and there’s a kids’ area in the restaurant, which was handy for enjoying breakfast with the children. The rooms were very nice too, and there’s a small wellness area where you can refresh yourself. The hotel is set away from the main road, so you don’t hear the noise, but Donovaly centre is still an easy walk away. I didn’t expect much, and was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was.

The kitchen was delicious, and the service was 100% nice and polite. The hotel itself is charming, comfortable, very clean, and has a good wellness area with a proper chill zone. The only choice in Donovaly!