Hotel Emonec — Hotel in Upravna Enota Ljubljana

Nestled in the pulsing heart of Ljubljana’s charming old town, its location is as enviable as a cat in a sunbeam. Affordable too — the sort of rate that makes a weary traveller sigh with relief and say, “Well, at least that’s something.” And yet, dear reader, allow me to temper your enthusiasm with a dash of British understatement: the experience left a touch to be desired.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by... well, no one. An empty reception desk greeted us with more warmth than the young man who eventually appeared, clearly plucked from his Instagram scroll against his will. After a prolonged and oddly dramatic search through his digital ledgers, he found our reservation and offered us the sort of welcome one might reserve for a tax audit.

The room itself? Let’s be charitable and call it economically proportioned. One could just about turn around provided one had first flattened one’s suitcase upon the bed, which, incidentally, then became the only available surface.

Did the hotel offer breakfast? Heavens, who knows! No mention was made, and the notion of interrupting the receptionist’s urgent relationship with his mobile phone seemed a social transgression too far.

Ah, but salvation came in the form of the night porter — a gentleman of the old school: courteous, warm, and possessed of the rare gift of appearing to care. Our humble suggestion to management: promote this splendid fellow to the daytime post. Let him bring light where there is currently only...

If you have a family then this hotel is an absolute must stay when in Ljubljana. We stayed in room 701 and my kids said it was by far the best hotel room they have ever stayed in (and wanted to move in permanently). The room is huge and has a woodland scene curving around two walls from floor to ceiling. There is a large double bed for adults (with pull out beds underneath) but the real highlight is the kids beds. To get to them you have to climb up a ladder (imagine both kids sleeping on a top bunk). Despite being very high off the ground there is a net so it is very safe and the kids have their own lights. The kids absolutely loved it. The room also has velux windows in the ceiling that are motorised with blinds and sun shades. If arriving by car, be sure to get the parking address before you arrive at the hotel and head straight to the parking garage. It's about a 10 minute walk from the garage to the hotel. Parking near the hotel is an absolute headache so don't make the mistake of heading to the hotel first. Also, don't be put off by how the hotel looks on...

For what you’re paying for this, you honestly cannot complain. Sure, it’s not a 5* hotel, and it has some quirks in its design, but everything else about this hotel is great. Staff were friendly and helpful enough, and even though we arrived early, they allowed us to store our bags and come back. The bag storage room was a little questionable, but functional.

The room itself was modern and spacious. I think we got lucky actually with our room, since it seemed to be one of the biggest and had a nice view of the castle, and a balcony! But in general you wouldn’t be able to complain about anything even if you didn’t have this nice little free upgrade.

The best part of this hotel though, is without a doubt the location. You really couldn’t ask for anything better! Smack bang in the centre of the city, a stroll to the old town, round the corner from the river, and so so convenient. If I was coming back to Ljubljana, I’d definitely stay here again, especially for the...