Pensiunea Ileana — Hotel in Săpânța

Maria Stetca, the proprietor of this lovely homely B&B, is a friend of my hostess in Romania, so it was an obvious choice for our overnighter in Maramures. I was not disappointed. Maria is a gem; so welcoming and she had a specially-requested vegetarian supper awaiting our arrival after a long day of driving around looking at wooden churches and the rustic wonders of Maramures. The meal began with first class local Palinka. The bed was one of the most comfortable I've ever slept on in my life and the huge soft pillow was luxurious. The place is spotless and enlivened by colourful traditional art work, embroideries and artefacts. Breakfast was generous - with a wide choice of interesting, fresh local food to choose from. Maria herself is a weaver and we were treated to a glimpse of her loom and working area, as well as the family parlour filled with beautiful cushions, hangings, cloths and embroideries. The pensiunea is diagonally opposite the church and Merry Cemetery right in the middle of Sapanta. I can't recommend this place...

We simply love this guest house! It is just across the Merry Cemetery and sorunded by local market stalls with traditiona8l clothes, carpets, magnets and so many other stuff.||There are 5 rooms here. Three of them have private bathroom, and 2 of them a shared bathroom qith a shower cabin, with hair dryer. Also, one room has twins beds and one room has a double bad and a single bed, good for families with one child.|If you come here you will fill the true spirit of Sapanta and Maramures, due to the amazing owners which are so friendly and the traditional decorations all over this place.||I am in love with the museum room, the indoor and the outside terrace. Also, the rooms keep the same style.||They can offer you the Manu of the day for each meal and I truly recommend you to eat here, because everything the make it's fabulously deliciouse and you het the chance to taste the Romanian dishes. Also, they bring you a lot of food without paying extra... it's like an 'all you can eat'...

Nobody comes to Maramureș expecting a luxury hotel. This homestay gives us not only delicious food and clean beds but also rare insights into traditional way of life.||||Pros:||- Friendliness and local knowledge of Ileana and her son Daniel ||- "Ceremony room" that Ileana proudly represents to her guests ||- Amazing dinner and breakfast (the best we have had in Romania) ||- Location literally a few steps from the Merry Cemetery ||- Cleanliness of the entire property||||Cons:||- Old-fashioned décor especially the bathroom||- Room size (in case of standard rooms)||||Good (or bad?) news: Ileana is building a new building next door. The rooms will be modern and thus pricier. But hopefully, this place will remain what it is, an authentic homestay with personal touches, not just a boutique guesthouse that can be found anywhere...