Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras מלון

The hotel is in a wonderful location on the shore of a mountain lake Štrbské Pleso. If you choose the lake view room, which I highly recommend, the large windows or terrace door open up directly to the lake and the great peaks of the High Tatras in the background. There is boat rental directly behind the hotel, where you can rent a row boat to get out on the lake. There is also a waking trail that takes you around the lake or up to the adjacent peaks. The hotel itself is located at about 4430 feet (1350 m) above sea level, and offers a very scenic ride up from the main highway. The beautiful setting of the hotel, its comfortable rooms and amenities were good enough reasons to put this hotel on the list of those most memorable places. And if you are looking for a 'luxury' type of a hotel, Grand Kempinski High Tatras is pretty much it, there are no other options in that category in the area.

We went to the High Tatras to go hiking. We were not sure what to expect from the hotel but were consistently surprised in every way. From the beauty of the location - the view of the lake on a clear day is amazing, to the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, the quality of the rooms, to the overall value of the hotel. We were on a special summer promo rate, I would have expected to pay 2 to 3 times the cost for a similar style hotel and room elsewhere. We were also pleasantly surprised by the High Tatras themselves. We did three long hikes and an all day biking trip. The trails were relatively crowded since it was a holiday weekend, but the hikes were beautiful and well marked, the people were really friendly, and the food was very good. Overall this a great experience.

I am quite amused reading some of the reviews for the Grand Kempinski. This is a truly a Grand Hotel. With staff and services to match its 5 star rating. I travel extensively, I do not rate every location I stay. But I must rate the Grand Kempinski as one of the best overall places I have ever stayed. Yes, they have a dress code for the dining room. Yes, you can find less expensive food by attempting to find some other restaurant. However, this is a 5 star hotel with a restaurant, chef, sommelier and a Spa to match that rating and it is possible that some travelers may not appreciate that fact. During our stay of 6 nights, we had a positive experience with every staff member. That is highly unusual. Breakfast was great. Dinner even more so. The food was prepared fresh and was always interesting. The Slovak wine was also very good and a good value. If you want a lighter less expensive experience, try the lobby bar. It has a basic menu of simple food. We were visited by family from Slovakia during our stay and the hotel provided an interpreter for us to communicate. (there was a small fee) Basically all you had to do was ask and the staff attempted to provide the service, from a kettle, to water, to maps, to recommendations on sights and activities. The hotel is also child and pet friendly. A truly memorable experience. We plan to return.