Grand Hotel Pylypets

On my visit in 2020, the T0718 to Pylypets was in great shape, but the final 4 km were awful. If your car made it through, you found spotless rooms, a comfortable bed, a relaxing tschan, very friendly staff, and a tasty restaurant with more than fair prices. The Bogratsch was delicious. The quads and cross motorcycles nearby were the one thing that really got on my nerves. By 2024, the quality had seriously slipped. Some bathroom floor tiles were loose, breakfast was no longer a buffet and the menu was rather poor, with no warning beforehand. The syrniki and cucumber seemed obviously old, and the cappuccino gave us serious stomach trouble. The restaurant was still excellent, but there was no ATM or currency exchange on site, so there was no way to get tips for the staff. At that quality for the price, I’d rather see the hotel close in the low season.

The scenery around the hotel is beautiful, and the staff were good. Shypit waterfall is just a 10-minute walk away, and Synevyr lake is under an hour by car. We enjoyed the breakfast too, it was quite tasty. Getting around is the downside. The roads within about 10 km are badly broken, especially the shortcut the GPS may send you down. Don’t take it, I thought we were going to get stuck. I was also confused by the hotel rules: reception said children’s breakfast had to be paid for, but the rules book says parents can choose whether to pay. The sauna costs extra as well, and needs to be booked.

The location makes it easy to head out on hiking trails, visit Shipot waterfall, or use the chairlift that runs all year. Trips to Sinevir lake and the thermal pools in Kosino and Beregovo don’t take too long either, so I’d recommend staying here, especially in warmer weather. Our standard room was clean and had everything we needed. The one thing I noticed was that it wasn’t vacuumed during our stay, or we just missed it. Breakfast was usually a tasty, varied buffet. On one day they served a simpler breakfast instead, but it was still good.

The setting is lovely, in a mixed forest near a pretty waterfall, and the breakfast was tasty with plenty of variety. The hotel also has a jacuzzi and sauna, plus a Ukrainian hot bath called “chane.” It’s a wood-heated steel tub for 5-6 people, using wood from the surrounding forest. Service was excellent, the staff were polite and kind, and the price felt very reasonable. I can only recommend this place.