Botel Gracia, Bratislava > Reviews > Cheapest place in central bratislava

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Good
Quality of Rooms	Average
Standard of Service	Average
Cleanliness	Good
Quality of Facilities	Average

Advantages:	It's a floating hotel !  And it's cheap
Disadvantages:	You're not going to write home about the decor or service

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

We stayed here a couple of times, firstly 3 years back and then this year. It worked out at about £40 for the night for a double room, which is hugely expensive for a hotel in Slovakia, except for one within walking distance of the city centre. For that tiny part of the country, it's a bargain. And also it has the selling point of being a botel, a boat and hotel cleverly mixed together.

The city centre is a mere 5 minutes walk away, to the main square in front of the national theatre where most of the best bars and culture are. Just down the riverbank bank is the national gallery, for fans of socialist modern art, and the many times rebuilt castle is upstream a little. You'll also get a marvellous view of the Bridge of the SLovak National Uprising, with it's UFO restaurant at the top, which you may be tempted to visit. Don't. Just don't. It's hilariously expensive and you have to pay even to get in the lift to take you up there. You're in Eastern Europe, be cheap.

Anyway, the hotel itself is not particularly beautiful inside, 1980s MFI seems to be the theme, but that's part of the atmosphere. The gentle bobbing up and down and the gurgling of Danube water past your porthole is soporific, and after a few beers or glasses of fine in the splendid dining room, you'll happily sleep for ten hours. The service is the same as most of Slovakia, usually indifferent, but occasionally incredibly friendly and charming.

The rooms have double beds, a simple ensuite with shower (nice hot water but not much pressure), a TV to watch CNN and local channels. The beds are a bit old and bumpy, but unless you stay in an international and therefore expensive chain hotel, that's the norm for Slovakia. The restaurant is very cheap, £2 for a main meal, 70p for a beer, £2.50 for a bottle of wine, and there are loads of bars and restaurants nearby to explore.

There aren't many other facilities, no internet access or laundry, so it's maybe not ideal for backpacking, but for a cheap weekend break, I'd recommend it.

Find out more (well see some pictures) by putting botel gracia sk into google.

In all it's worth it for the different experience of sleeping on a boat in the middle of the city. The radisson and the holiday inn in Bratislava are just like the ones in Leeds or Manchester, but we're painfully short of Botels like this one.