Hotel Park

Leaving was the most relaxing part of our weekend getaway. My family and I wanted a quiet break from town, but the room was dirty, poorly maintained and full of things that didn’t work. The showerhead holder was completely broken, so I had to hold it while shampooing and washing. It made showering tiring unless you have more than two hands, and the room didn’t match the hotel’s apparent 4.3-star rating. The sink wouldn’t drain. When my husband managed to open it, a terrible filthy smell came out, like a sewer leak. We also ended up with an extra bed we hadn’t wanted. My husband had asked reception whether there was a sofa bed and was told there wasn’t. We went upstairs and found one, so we asked the receptionist to remove the unnecessary bed. They said they were busy and would do it the next day. When we paid the following day, there was an extra 38 euro charge for a bed we didn’t use and had asked them to take away. I paid because I just wanted to leave, but told the receptionist how bad the room was and that almost nothing worked. My husband came back later, was unhappy about the charge, and demanded a refund since we hadn’t used the bed and had asked for it to be removed. This was the worst hotel I’ve stayed in. Nothing worked, and the receptionist was very unfriendly. If she doesn’t want to talk to people or help them, she should find another job. I don’t know how she got this one. The hotel feels greedy, with poor maintenance and poor staff. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. I’m pretty sure some positive reviews are fake, because my experience was nowhere near four-star quality. Maybe it could scrape two stars, and even that feels generous.

The Park Hotel is very well located and looks appealing at first, though the outside feels a little dated. The interior is being renovated gradually, and the parts I saw were nicely furnished. Piešťany is a beautiful spa town, especially in summer, with plenty to do for a holiday or a relaxing break. The hotel offers what the travel agency calls All inclusive, apparently the only option of that kind in Piešťany, though I’d call it the Slovak version. It’s also listed as four stars by the agency and as three stars on the hotel website, so take your pick. The seasonal Planet Fun program for children up to 12 was very good and had experienced animators. Parking was easy because we’d reserved a spot in advance. Reception and check-in went smoothly with attentive, kind staff. The children were first given half-board bracelets, but reception changed them after a second mix-up in the dining room, where the waiter understandably couldn’t tell from the different bracelets which meals we’d paid for. The buffet food was very tasty and had a decent selection. Still, I don’t understand calling it All inclusive when it’s really full board plus. The minibar, drinks at the new Sky Bar, and drinks in the wellness and pool areas all cost extra. It seems like everything could be included for a genuine All inclusive stay. For seven days with our own transport, we paid 1,982 EUR. Slovakia is terribly expensive, yet its services fall far short of places like Turkey, even though prices here are higher. We’d chosen to support Slovak tourism and the economy during coronavirus, as Slovaks ourselves. We were told our apartment was one of the best, in the newest and most luxurious part of the hotel. Access to that area was limited, though, with only one old elevator for three people, and it wasn’t suitable for luggage. At first glance the apartment looked very nice and luxurious. Then I noticed mold in the shower joints, by the bathroom fan, and behind the couch in the living room. The internet cable came through an absurdly large hole by the window, and I found a few other similar “tweaks,” as if in Albania. In apartment 52, the Wi-Fi signal was almost nonexistent and kept dropping. The bathroom door groaned like a 700-year-old castle gate, and its handle was almost completely stuck. A second visit to reception didn’t fix it. The room was clean, considering the apparent shortage of maintenance and cleaning staff. The pool and outdoor terrace were lovely, but there was almost never enough staff around. One person was rushing about with towels, turning on the limited hot tub, and clearing water from the pool area, which was extremely slippery nearby. Pool towels and sunbeds were free, and there was a swimsuit spinner by the pool too. I’d recommend a holiday or stay at Park Hotel, but management should take better care of the building and staff and improve the services for the price.

The food was tasty, and breakfast had plenty to choose from. The rooms were clean but a bit shabby, especially the bathroom. The shower cabin doorway is so narrow that only thin people can get through easily.

We had a very comfortable stay in this beautiful hotel. The river view made it even better, and the pool was lovely and relaxing. There’s a jacuzzi too, the massage was really, really good, and the food was amazing.