Accommodations and food
Slovakia offers the widest imaginable range of alternatives – most of which are half or less the price of western European neighbours.
Spas in Slovakia
A grand old European tradition, spas specialize in restoring health as well as simple relaxation for the hard-working. Slovakia's rich mineral waters and wholesome nature have provided the foundation for these rejuvenation facilities for over a century.
The quality of Slovakia's hospitality is high, but somewhat unstable. Food and housing can be among the best in the world, and unfortunately can be disappointing. To complicate matters, it happens that one season's best restaurant takes a turn for the worse. Hotels keep their quality longer, but tend to decline slowly over the years. The situation is improving, but it's still hard to know if a place retains its quality.
The best way to find the right place for you is to ask many questions. Feel free to ask directly, by phone or email, from the hotel and even (with more expensive restaurants) of the restaurant. The way they answer your questions will tell you a lot about how hard they try, and staff at a really good place will not hold it against you.
The other source, as in most parts of the world, is to ask locals for recommendations. A friend or relative, or even a taxi driver or reception clerk, will probably give reliable advice - but be sure to find out whether the advice is current. If you hear "That hotel was great 5 years ago" or "We had a good meal there last summer", it's very possible that things have changed since then.
Accommodations
In most ways, Slovakia’s accommodations are as good as those anywhere in the world. Some accommodation types are rare, for example the so-called “bed and breakfast” (it is relatively easy to find a private home with a bed, but breakfast will often not be provided). Also, you may find some one specific aspect problematic, so it is useful to think in terms of priorities, and then focus on making sure your highest priorities are satisfied.
One word of warning: in most towns, especially outside of Bratislava, the biggest hotels are rarely the best. They will provide you with all the basics, but may disappoint you with one or more details. If possible, take the time to at least explore alternatives.
The trick to finding the right place to stay in Slovakia comes down to two simple things: knowing what you want, and finding people who think of you as their guest and not just their “customer”. If you keep these questions in mind, you will probably find what you’re looking for. The next two sections are meant to help you through these questions.
What do you want in accommodations?
Slovaks have worked hard to provide very nice facilities, so in whatever town or location you will stay, there is a good chance that you can find what you want.
If you want recreation facilities directly in the hotel, it is not hard to find a hotel with one or more of the following: fitness centre, massage and/or sauna, indoor swimming, tennis, bowling, ski rental. (Bicycle rental and horseback riding are not usually part of a hotel’s services, so if these are important to you, then plan to look for them outside of the hotel.) Of course, both in larger cities and in resort areas (like the High Tatras), even if your hotel does not offer these services in-house, hotel employees can probably help you find external services nearby.
Many or even most hotels (but certainly not all) offer business facilities, like internet connection, faxing and photocopying. In-room telephones are common, but are not in all accommodations.
Services such as laundry and shoe care, babysitting, room service (food) and even in-room safes are typical only in the most expensive hotels. Ask about these well in advance of your stay.
If you choose more independent accommodations (such as self-catering apartment flats, cottages or simpler pensions), then most probably none of the above will be available directly in your room, not even telephones. However, your host should be able to help you find something nearby, or make special arrangements if necessary.
Service: Where you can be a guest, not just a customer
Slovaks as a people, like most people everywhere, are extremely kind to their guests. Unfortunately, many Slovaks have not yet learned to be kind to paying customers. Therefore, the level of service you receive will depend on the extent to which your hosts see you as their guests, not just as a way to make money. Fortunately, many who work in hospitality, whether big hotels, small hotels or other accommodations, really want to make you their guest, so with a little effort you will probably find them.
If you have time, the easiest way to discover this is by corresponding with your potential host - even before you make a reservation. The first test is whether they answer you at all, and if they do, how thoughtful they are of your needs. Of course it is possible that hotels with excellent service will give you an incomplete or impolite answer (or none at all!) - but it is less likely.
The same principle works with reservation services. Thoughtful reservation agencies prefer to work with thoughtful hotel accomodations providers. So if you get into a good correspondence dialog with a booking agent, that agent will probably lead you to accommodations that will satisfy your most important needs.
If you don’t have time for correspondence, here are a few more rules of thumb:
- In Bratislava, the staffs of international chain hotels tend to be very good at customer service, though at prices comparable to those in western Europe. Other cities do not yet have hotels from international chains.
- Recommendations from locals are useful - but be sure to ask a question specifically about customer service, otherwise they might automatically recommend the largest or most expensive place, and some of these offer weak service.
- If you are willing to accept simpler accommodations, consider a self-cater or room in a private home. People who offer these services have a tendency to try a little harder - and you will be dealing with one or two people, instead of a larger (and potentially more mixed-quality) staff.
Tipping
It is not required in Slovakia to give a percentage as "tip" (a.k.a. "gratuity" or "trinkgeld").
In restaurants, it is customary to let a waiter or waitress "keep the change" - a few coins - when paying. From student customers, for example, it is often expected that they will want even coins in return - but from more solvent customers, this indicates that the service was not satisfactory.
When satisfied, round up to the nearest number. For example, when paying a 980 Sk bill, one might leave 1000 Sk. Of course, when very satisfied with really excellent service, one can give as large a sum as one wishes, and this will certainly be appreciated.
But be careful in offering to buy a drink for a waiter - not to mention a waitress! |
