Villa Siesta - Vysoke Tatry, Slovakia 

I stayed in this Hotel in March 2008 and I have very mixed feelings about it. I gave it a score of 2 because I don't feel neutral about it as I wouldn't go back again. I feel I should start with the positives, because they should be recognised. Villa Siesta is set in the High Tatra's in Novy Smokevec, a well established and lovely village next to Stay Smokevec. The Hotel is easily accessed by flying to Poprad and then taking the Tatra Electric Railway to the Sibir stop. Novy Smokevec is an ideal place to be based to visit the Slovakian High Tatras, being around halfway along the stretch of villages that are serviced by the light rail system, which is very efficient and cost effective to use, particularly if you get a travel card. The rooms were very clean and tidy, although we had to ask for light bulbs for our room, I guess they had blown and someone forgot to replace them, a very minor issue. There are reasonable views and the area is nice, quiet and relaxing. The Jacuzzi is more of a hot tub, but very relaxing, and the sauna is well set up. I do think that this is an attempt at a "wellness hotel" rather than the real deal - the set up for these facilities hasnt been planned properly - there is no booking system to use them, which you really do need considering you change and shower openly in the room with the sauna and the same for the jacuzzi (there are no changing rooms so anyone can walk in). The ventilation in the jacuzzi is substandard and the room fills with steam and the floors are very slippy, making your clothes damp as they are neatly folded waiting for you to finish! My real issue was also that dogs and family issues dominate over the Hotel, making it centred on the owner's personal life and not the customers. The dog barking was usually in the morning or the evening, both at times you wanted to rest, and family friend's children were allowed to take over in a way that was very noisy and disruptive very early in the morning and in the evening. One night there were children tantrums at 5am and noone seemed concerned. On three nights there was some kind of screening off of the dinning and sitting area at the fire, for family and friends. I found this completely unacceptable and it made me very uncomfortable. On one of these evenings the entire area was blocked off. If you were relying on the hotel for an evening meal you would have been out of luck. The staff were generally very helpful, although some came across as nonchalent. I note that a very reputable company who cater for trips to mountains and lakes are planning to use this hotel this summer as one they offer, and my experience was that many of the staff could not speak English. When booking in I had to rely on German. This could be a problem if you only speak English. The breakfast, described as sumptious in the brochure, was not up to what I expected. Warm milk and a limited variety of choice didn't make me delight in the experience. It was average, being fair. I found the evening meals, of which I had two, better, although I am convinced the soup was made from frozen vegetables. There are a lot of really excellent restaurants in the locality that shouldn't be missed. The checkout time, 10am, is not very realistic, since that is the time that breakfast ends. When you book online through various sites checkout is identified as being 10-12, but after 10 the key card system locks you out of the room and hotel. Not the best way to make you feel like a valued customer, despite how good at being secure it is. The wireless internet access was really inadequate, you could only get a decent signal sitting at the reception near the entrance. No cable internet was available. The TV channels were all fairly local, but I had plenty of booked to read. Overall I think this Hotel/Villa needs to sharpen up its act. It has so much potential, the problem appears to be in the owner's/managers philosophy, which is a shame. I didn't complain when I was there, as I feel very uncomfortable about being put in the position to complain, and I didn't want to risk feeling even more unwelcome than I did (after the screening off that happened). In short, I wouldn't recommend this hotel until they sort out these issues.

Two of us spent six nights here in the run-up to the Easter holidays. First impressions were OK, it was quite easy to find (if making your way from Poprad on the Tatras Electric Railway, if you sit in the direction of travel you can see it if you look out the window to your left just before the Sibir stop - so wait to get-off there rather than Novy Smokovec before it). Our room was basic but clean, and there are probably quite good views from all of the rooms, and the maid service was excellent. The shower cubicle was tiny, though! There is a small whirlpool and sauna, neither of which were used much, but they were fine. Breakfast was substantial enough, but hardly "sumptuous" as they advertise on their literature. It was palatable. We ate there twice in the evening, both times were satisfactory but bland, and much nicer and better value restaurants were available in the vicinity. We wouldn't recommend using the restaurant. Contrary to the guide, the TV in the room had no non-Slovak/Czech speaking channels and, while wireless internet is also advertised as being available throughout the hotel, it is not - as the Siesta staff admit, it only works in the reception area. Our booking stated clearly that check-out was between 10.00am and 12.00 noon - however, when returning from a walk on our last morning there, we were locked-out and, on being let-in, we were asked if we realised "you are leaving today?" and we said yes, only to be told that check-out was 10am. We challenged this and our key was reluctantly re-validated. Would-be guests should be aware of this. On several occasions while there, the small dining area was partitioned-off to varying degrees, to the ridiculous extent that one evening, we could only have a drink (and use the internet on laptop) at the entrance. This seemed to be for the benefit of people known to the proprietors; whatever the reason, one was made to feel like an intruder, not a paying guest. Then, there is the issue of pets in the room. When booking, we were aware that "small pets" were allowed at the hotel by prior arrangement, but those in the room opposite had a very big, long-haired Golden Retreiver with them. It was a friendly dog, but noisy too, including in the evening (should a big dog be left alone in a hotel room?) and early morning, spoiling rest and sleep. In hindsight, I should have complained earlier, but one got the impression that the laissez-faire attitude wouldn't have got me very far. I have stayed in other simple, even fairly basic hotels/pensions, and not experiened these types of problems. It's as if the paying-guests are almost in the way. As for the region itself, it is pleasant, though the appearance of much of the immediate area has been ruined by the storm damage and later fire three years ago. However, there are several good places to eat in the area and a nice, relaxed atmosphere (away from the hotel). For skiers (first-timers, amateurs or pros) head to Strbske Pleso (on the Electric Train) - it's about 350m higher up than Smokovec, and with an excellent snow record. Its setting is also idyllic and looks like it would be in summer, too. Like much of Slovakia, the people are generally friendly and helpful but a little reserved, and the shops, food and drink are good value. So, in short, I intend to go back to the Slovakian High Tatras, but will definitely give Villa Siesta a miss. It's just not good enough.