It’s been a while since I last travelled, so I took advantage of a business trip to visit Kraków, a city in Poland I’d never been to before. I also managed to squeeze in stays at two hotels, so let’s take a look.
Kraków is one of the more important tourist destinations in Central and Eastern Europe, and hotel rates are relatively reasonable, with plenty of good options to choose from.
For the first three nights, I went with the Sheraton Grand Krakow. The main reason was the location, although the hardware and facilities also looked pretty decent. The hotel is right next to Wawel Castle, one of the city’s major landmarks, and sits directly on the Vistula River, with lovely views.
The most distinctive feature of the hotel is its huge atrium lobby. The building itself has a triangular layout, with the main restaurant sitting in the middle and sunlight pouring down through the skylight.
It does get a little uncomfortable in summer, though. The entire space is constantly exposed to the sun, and despite being such a large area, the air conditioning doesn’t seem powerful enough. The lobby was noticeably warm throughout my stay.
Another slightly odd design choice is that all the lifts are concentrated in just one corner of the building, so depending on where your room is, getting there can involve quite a walk.
I had originally been upgraded to a Club Studio with a castle view, but the previous guest hadn’t checked out by the time I arrived. The front desk suggested moving down a category to a Deluxe River View Room instead. She actually showed me around the room, and it seemed perfectly fine, so I happily accepted.
For a non-suite room, the size was pretty generous and definitely lived up to the “Grand” hotel name. It was clean and fresh, and the overall condition was still quite good.
After lying down for a while, there was a knock at the door and my welcome amenity arrived. When I saw several plates on the trolley, I assumed they were for multiple guests. But nope, all of them were mine! There were:
- Snacks including olives, bread and cherry tomatoes
- Local cheesecake, biscuits and other desserts
- Strawberries and blueberries
- Bottled water, white wine and a local raspberry liqueur
That’s some serious generosity.
Another reason I chose this hotel was the facilities, including a swimming pool and Club Lounge. Let’s start with the pool and gym.
The pool is a little on the small side, although there is a jacuzzi next to it. My schedule was pretty packed, so I didn’t actually get to use the pool this time. I did, however, visit the Club Lounge a couple of times. It’s located on a mezzanine terrace overlooking the ground floor of the atrium.
Unfortunately, you can’t really see much of the outside from inside the lounge. And once again, there’s the same problem as in the main lobby: it was simply too hot in summer to sit there comfortably.
There was some fresh fruit during the day, while evening happy hour offered a selection of simple hot dishes including pasta, broccoli soup and chicken curry. Nothing particularly fancy, but enough to fill you up.
There’s also a rooftop bar upstairs, although I visited at the wrong time and could only take a photo from the entrance.
Finally, let’s take a look at breakfast in the main restaurant.
The selection was actually quite extensive. Bacon, sausages, porridge and waffles were all present, along with plenty of local pastries and other options. Overall, a pretty solid hotel breakfast.
After three nights, it was time to switch over to Hotel Indigo. There are actually two Hotel Indigo properties in Kraków. One is also right next to the castle, but I wanted to experience a different part of the city, so I chose Hotel Indigo Kraków – Old Town.
Overall, I actually prefer the location here. It’s just north of the Old Town, while the main railway station is only a few minutes away on foot, making it particularly convenient for trips out to the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
In short, it’s close to the major attractions while still being relatively quiet. Hotel Indigo takes a completely different approach from the Sheraton Grand. The brand is all about a more refined and boutique-style aesthetic.
I was able to upgrade to a Premium City View Room in the app the day after booking, and upon arrival I was given a room on the top floor.
Then I opened the door and… hmm, something didn’t quite look right. I absolutely hate rooms with sloping ceilings like this. They make the usable space feel much smaller and create a rather claustrophobic atmosphere.
Even worse, the bathroom had the same sloping wall. You have to be extremely careful while showering not to bang your head.
Another rather questionable design choice was the electric blind for the skylight. It moves incredibly slowly, and you have to keep the button pressed for about three minutes before it fully opens or closes. Genius design!
As for the so-called city view, the angle of the window meant there was basically nothing to see anyway. I could have gone back to reception and asked for another room, and I’m sure they would have sorted it out. But I was too lazy, and figured I wouldn’t be spending much time in the room over the weekend, so I just left it.
Another downside was the rather small TV, which didn’t support screen mirroring. On the plus side, the room had a capsule coffee machine and bath salts.
Breakfast was noticeably less impressive than at the Sheraton, with a much smaller buffet selection.
The saving grace was the à la carte menu. Each guest could order one dish for free, with additional dishes costing PLN 20 (around £4), which isn’t particularly expensive.
I ordered the pancake and was pleasantly surprised. It came in a rather creative pudding-like shape and was soft, fluffy and delicious.
Guests can also access the rooftop terrace. There’s no service up there, so you have to order a drink downstairs and carry it up yourself. It’s only a small outdoor space, but it’s a pleasant enough place to get some fresh air and enjoy the breeze.
There’s also a very compact gym.
Overall, the Hotel Indigo was a perfectly decent property. Apart from the strange room layout, the location, service and food were all quite good. I’m not particularly fond of smaller boutique-style brands such as Hotel Indigo and Kimpton anyway. If I hadn’t already spent the first three nights at the Sheraton, I probably wouldn’t have chosen this one.
Finally, a few words about Kraków itself. It really is a city with plenty of tourist attractions. The main square in the Old Town is grand and impressive, and simply wandering around the streets is a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is also well worth visiting. The nearby restaurant Sztolnia Wieliczka is excellent value for money as well—rarely have I managed to avoid one of the places recommended by Xiaohongshu!
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