Ascot Hotel - Krakow, Poland 

"Very pleased"
Posted: Mon, Nov 23 2009
New hotel with very stylish decor and very pleasant and helpful staff. Great location about 5 mins walk from both the main railway station and the market square. Excellent buffet breakfast. Expect some noise from ambulances nearby and also the railway behind but it was not as noisy as some other cities. Also check that your room is air-conditioned - not all are and Krakow can be really hot in summer.

Excellent 3* Hotel
Posted: Wed, Jul 23 2008
My partner and I stayed here for 3 nights in early July. Booked through Easyjet holidays but we saw it on a number of other websites and were all around the same price. The Hotel is very very clean, staff were very helpful and friendly and all spoke very good english. After booking the Hotel we emailed them a few times with some queries and a request and got a quick response (within a few hours) and they were very accomodating. Rooms: After reading some of the reviews we asked for a high room with air con at the front of the hotel as some reviews indicate the hotel is warm and the trains at the rear of the hotel are noisy. We were politely told that only the rooms at the rear had air-con son we couldn't have the excat room we'd sked for as it didn't exist. No problems so we opted for air-con. I found it very useful but my GF wouldn't have been that bothered had we not had it. That said, the noise from the trains was not a problem in the slightest and it didn't keep either of us awake at night and I am a fairly light sleeper. The room we had (508 on the 5th floor at the rear of the hotel) was quite small but again very clean and it was more than adequate for the 3 days we were there. Breakfast: Again, for a 3* hotel the breakfasts were absolutley fine. The usual tea, coffee, juices etc with a selection of cereals, toast, yogurts, fruit, scrambled egg, sausages, cold meats etc etc. again, very clean. Bar The bar in recption is small but again perfectly adequate for a nightcap on the way home. Prices quite reasonable too. Location: It was a 5-8 minute walk into the main square and about a 10 minute walk to the Jewish quarter. There is a large shopping centre again within 5-10 minutes of the hotel should you feel the need to visit one. We looked at higher star rated hotels but a combination of their location (the Qubus is in the Jewish quarter for example and is too far out to make the most of the town IMHO) reviews we felt didn't warrant the additional cost and i am pleased we choose the Ascot.. Overall, taking the star rating into account, i thought the hotel was excellent and would stay there again without hesitation. Things to do: Ausw and Birkenau kazimeriez (spelling sorry) Jewish quarter. Wawel Schindlers The main square (Rynek Glowny) Lovely city, felt very safe, nice people, good food and lots of history.

Great location, friendly and helpful staff.
Posted: Tue, Jul 22 2008
On arrival at the central station we exited straight through the Galleria shopping centre which is connected to the platforms via a tunnel. Initially we were a little disoriented as we tried to get our bearings for the hotel. We had a printout of the Hotel address and knew from earlier posts that it was within walking distance so we asked a security person and he pointed us to the right. After a five minute walk we knew it was not the right direction. Thanks to a very helpful car park attendant we were put on the right track and were at the hotel ten minutes later. Tip. Arriving by train. When you enter the shopping mall from the Rail station (platform 1) keep left and exit to the square which houses the old station (left), continue to the blue pedestrian bridge over Lubicz street and Radziwi??owska St. is ahead of you. The Ascot hotel is on the left at the end of that street. We stayed for three nights B&B in a treble room. The room was spotless; breakfast was typical continental affair with plenty to choose from. The hotel staff were most helpful and friendly. There is s free internet device in reception to keep in touch or if you decide to bring your notebook there is free WiFi. The old town centre is just a five minute walk away and has an abundance of restaurants, cafes, pubs, kebab huts, pizza and takeaways. We sampled some fine Italian and a couple of beers in Da Pietro which is on the south corner of the main square. Lovely relaxed atmosphere, spontaneous entertainment in the square and all at a very reasonably price. We made our own way to Auschwitz booking a return train ticket from Glowny rail station to Oswiecim, 18zlt or about 6 Euro return. It would be helpful for visitors if there were signage at the station indicating which bus stop to go to. Then again most people probably go on an organised tour. The public bus (yellow) takes about 5 minutes and returns from the near side bus stop outside the main entrance to the camp. Tip. If you’re not joining an official group tour go to the bookshop inside the enterance and get yourself a guide map and follow the tour directions as shown by the arrows. The barrack buildings that house the exhibits are numbered. Auschwitz had a numbing effect particularly the gas chamber and crematorium, chilling experience. I had read the books, saw the documentaries and films, but to stand there where so much life was extinguished is something I’ll never forget. How they got away with it, and how so many people were brainwashed baffles me. I will always remember the experience. There are some stunning museums in Krakow if you only have time for one then the Czartoryski Museum has a wonderful display housing amoung others Da Vinci and Rembrandt.

Accommodating Staff - Great Location
Posted: Fri, Jul 11 2008
The staff at the Ascot was very accommodating. We arrived at 11 am to attend a wedding at 2 pm. Although the front desk attendant initially told us that we would have to wait until 2 pm to check-in, he was able to find a vacant room (after conferring with housekeeping) after we explained that we needed to change our clothes for the wedding. The room was clean and modern, but small. That wasn't a problem since there's no reason to be in your room very long and we're not very large people and we only had one suitcase. We had a room facing the street, and there was no noise from the trains or people/cars below. There is no air conditioning, but a small desk fan kept us cool (the temperature was in the upper 70s). The bathroom was clean and an iron & ironing board is available at the front desk upon request. The Ascot is in a great location. It's a short walk to both the train station and the main square (rynek). (Krakow is a great place -- I recommend Da Pietro for Italian food on the main square and cocktails at Metropolitan -- just north of the square).