HotelChatter

Ljubljana Hotels / → All Tags

Ljubljana's Celica: A Prison, an Art Hotel or a Youth Hostel?

Where: Metelkova 8, Ljubljana , Slovenia, 1000

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, has a really fascinating place to stay. The Hostel Celica might be cheap and does advertise itself as a youth hostel--but that doesn't make it not worth trying. Celica used to be a prison, is now also an art gallery and has rooms in converted prison cells that were each designed and furnished by a different artist.

You're not going to get a huge room--remember, they were prison cells--but most people agree that the funky furnishing is enough to make up for that. Shared (but clean) bathrooms and a basic buffet breakfast are also the go. Recent guests say there are plenty of positives:

The cells are marvellous, small but funky, and the staff delightful ... Creative atmosphere, including the bar and hang out rooms downstairs ... The cell bars on the window are a great touch. It's not claustrophobic as you might think it is in a cell!

But if you do want more comfort, you can actually just take a tour of the hostel at 2pm every day--for free.

[Photo: JMcNally]

Related Stories:
· Hostel Celica Ljubljana reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Hotel Hell: Hotel Ljubljana Renovates [HotelChatter]

Hotel Hell / Ljubljana Hotels / → All Tags

Hotel Hell: Park Hotel Ljubljana Renovates

Where: Tabor 9, Ljubljana , Slovenia, 1000

Slovenia's pretty capital Ljubljana is increasingly popular as a short break destination from Brits, and should definitely be put on the to-visit list from others traveling around Europe. But you should heed the warning from blogger Sheila who recently described the Hotel Park in Ljubljana as the hotel from hell. This picture of the view from her window looks pleasant enough, but apparently it needs audio to understand what kind of hell she was going through:

It really doesn't give you a clue what it was like living with saws and machinery above our heads, working from 7 or 9am till about 5pm. Constant grinding/sawing noises.

In frustration Sheila's already started posting unfriendly reviews around the web, including:

It felt like the whole hotel was being rebuilt in the room above our heads. There was a letter of apology in the room, but that doesn't actually help anyone sleep. I shared a lift with mattresses, and bits of wood, but at least the lift worked. The coffee at breakfast was undrinkable, no kettle in the rooms.

The list goes on. The building work will continue until March 2007, so it'll be a bit longer until there's even a chance that Sheila's hell will return to some semblance of normality.

[Photo: Sheila]

Related Stories:
· Hotel Park Ljubljana reviews [TripAdvisor]

Anti-View / → All Tags

Room with an Anti-View :: Scaffolding.

Where: Miklosiceva 9, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1000

You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.

Ah, the dreaded scaffolding view. This shot was taken from  room 155 at the Grand Union Hotel in Ljubljana. But the guest tries to look on the brightside by saying,

I had worse than this. Scaffolding right in front of my own hotel room window.

Related Stories:
· poederbach's photostream [Flickr]
· Grand Union Hotel reviews [TripAdvisor]

Celebrity Scoop / → All Tags

Trump Should Give Slovene Hotels A Chance

Where: Dunajska cesta 154, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Did anyone see The Donald and Melania on Larry King last night?

Trump was full of his usual cocksure hyperbole, even as Larry grilled him about Michael Jackson living in Trump Towers.

However, what did seem to bother the Trumpster was the thought of being away from his beloved Manhattan apartment for an extended period of time.

On multiple occasions he mentioned that his version of work would involve traveling to some "god forsaken country and having to spend two weeks there." For Larry, Trump's third world phobia became a perfect segue to the Trumps' discussion of when Donnie met the parents over in Slovenia. Trump said of the experience, "I got off the plane, waved hello to Melania's folks and hopped back on the plane to Manhattan." Well Mr. Trump, if that is the case you missed the chance to stay at a kick ass hotel in Lujubljana.

Apparently, Trump hasn't heard that Ljubljana is the new Switzerland, and Domina Grand Media is one of the most technologically advanced hotels in the world.

High Tech Ljubljana Hotel After The Jump

more ›