Villa Bilogirya

The setting is lovely, peaceful and scenic by the river, and the staff, especially the girls, were friendly and tried hard to make us comfortable. They even let us check in early. Still, quite a few things took away from the stay. The Wi-Fi barely worked, so I relied on mobile internet for the whole vacation. The boiler broke, though we could ask the girls to switch something so there’d be hot water for a shower. The bathroom was basic, things fell off the shelves, and there weren’t enough shelves for our belongings. The TV was old, the chandelier was wrapped in electrical tape, and there was no breakfast even though Booking listed it in the description. At 4,900 UAH a night, we expected more comfort. If you leave early because you’re unhappy, they won’t refund the money. I hope these issues get fixed because the place has potential, but I don’t want to return.

The photos look lovely, but the place didn’t match them in real life. It’s far from civilization, and especially inconvenient if you don’t have a car. There’s no breakfast or gym, and the nearest food is a couple of kilometers away at another complex. In cold weather, be aware that the rooms and cottages share one hot water tank. If you get there in time, you can shower; otherwise you get cold water. There’s no air conditioning either, which is a problem in hot weather. A taxi to the center is usually 100-150 UAH, depending on luck, since there’s no fixed fare. Prices can be higher for anything from a wrecked Zhiguli to a decent foreign car. With some antiques and extreme driving, maybe you’ll get there, or maybe you’ll get screwed on the way. Apparently you can even be asked to help with repairs for an extra fee. A disgusting place.

The room had old furniture, and there was no private beach, despite what was advertised. The nearest restaurant was a fair walk away, or we’d have had to cook ourselves. We booked, paid a deposit, then paid for the full week when we arrived. After thinking it over, we asked the owner for a refund that same day, offering to let her keep the cost of a few nights and return the rest. Instead, we were told to leave and threatened. We didn’t actually spend even one night there. If you choose this hotel, don’t expect reasonable treatment from the owner. They don’t understand or appreciate their customers at all. We can’t recommend it.

The location is excellent, and our house looked out over the river. The staff were very helpful and friendly, and did what they could for us. The house itself was cold, around 16 degrees Celsius. We were told the radiators were on and it would soon warm up, but after 24 hours it still hadn’t. Two cheap Chinese heaters were what saved us. The Wi-Fi barely worked, and the toilet and shower were out in the hallway by the entrance. We were lucky it was -7 degrees outside, rather than -22 degrees Celsius like two days later. There weren’t many outlets, the TVs were old, and the kitchen microwave was dingy and barely heated anything. This house might do for summer, but as it is, it’s definitely not fit for winter.