Hotel Zochova Chata — Hotel in Modra

I have been visiting Hotel Zochova Chata regularly for several years now. Their location is their strongest value, around which they should be building their reputation. However, the reality is very sad and similar to several hotels around Slovakia.

In 2011, the reconstruction took place, and it was a masterpiece. A combination of great architecture in the middle of the Carpathian woods, great service, and exceptional food..

But this was the year 2011, and now it is 2024. I could finish my review with just one last sentence: time stopped in 2011, and its past fame faded slowly away. Today, in 2024, it is an overpriced hotel with great potential but very poor service

Let's dive deeper...one of the top facilities of this hotel is (was) its wellness and pool area. It still could be the best around Bratislava. Imagine it is June, Saturday, the hotel is fully occupied, sunny, around 28°C. You can enjoy the saunas and pool inside, or feel the light summer breeze in your hair outside in the fabulous garden in the middle of the forest Unfortunately, in the spa area, there are only around 30 sun beds, half inside around the pool, the 2nd half in the huge garden. My guess is that there are around 100 guests in the hotel, most of them in the spa. Now, how complicated is it to purchase 50 extra sun beds for the summer season? Not to mention that the existing ones are from the year 2011!!!

I could go on with...the staff - you have to search for the smiles on their faces. The restaurant - overpriced, but very average The amenities - the AC was not working, but nobody bothered to inform us and apologize

The conclusion: if you like to be "silently" ripped off for very poor service in very nice surrounding woods, give it a try. Otherwise, let's hope the owners will wake up and invest a few euros into amenities and carefully choose their...

I am not an existing customer rather an ex potential customer. Couple of days ago, I attempted to go through online reservation to book 4 nights family stay (3 people). I was shocked by information on 10Eur fee for in-building parking. Ok, maybe worthy of money so better to check more info. During the call, receptionist offered to avoid a fee by parking outside the hotel?! So I asked if it this a pro-customer attitude to send me parking somewhere outside the Hotel when I am still only considering the stay. The reply was devastating. Receptionist advised me to stop whining. I rather asked twice to make sure I understood. She repeated the same words with even kinder tone. Though literally stunned, I decided to give a hotel one more chance. So I reported this experience to hotel's marketing department. After two days, I received even more devastating answer than with receptionist which left me completely flabbergasted. Rather an expected apology was then followed by an explanation that receptionist was otherwise rather a very skilful professional (Really...and who cares?) And a proposed solution was a peak of arrogance. I was offered to avoid the fee by booking one of those most expensive rooms (apartment)!!! Just a remark in the end...in Slovakia, it is not covid as a primary reason for declining hotel business, instead it has been constantly ravaged by suicidal practices from inside this industry. It is not so difficult to build wellness, fitness or distinctive cuisine if you have money. Being able to communicate and sell services to customers, who also experienced foreign quality of all round service delivery, is for many hotel operators in Slovakia like a space trip, which is out of what is possible. Hotel Zochova chata is unfortunately...

*This is a review of the hotel restaurant only, not the hotel proper. We did not stay here, but visited for lunch *

This restaurant came at the recommendation of a friend, so I went to its website to make a reservation. They have an online form to request a date and time, all very convenient, except… I never received the promised email confirmation. We decided to head over anyway.

Let’s start with the positives: it’s located in a quiet woodland area, and the hotel lobby looks very nice. Overall, a beautiful location. The food was served in an artistic and pleasing presentation. The prices, while not a bargain, are more than reasonable for the menu, which is a mix of local cuisine with a speciality flair. We ordered soup, venison, pheasant, duck, and telacie rezne. With the exception of the duck, everyone agreed it was all quite good.

Now for the issues. I’m not sure if what happened was a comedy routine, but it sure felt like it.

On arrival, the servers graciously offered a table after complaining we didn’t make a reservation… smh

I asked the waitress for a wine list, which she said they had, and then… just stood there. I didn’t know whether to be surprised or frustrated, so I just asked for a dry white wine. She brought a nice white bordering on dessert wine.

Another server then brought out the wrong order of drinks, then a wrong meal order. Between the wait for the meal then the correct order, we wondered if they had hired a hunter to head to the woods to get our lunch.

I’m not sure how you can cook duck meat so that it’s dry, but they exceeded my expectations.

Anyway, these would all be minor complaints but for our high expectations based on reputation, and the price. In another day, maybe you’d have...