Hotel Crystal

Location

The room was nice, clean and the bed was comfortable. The staff were very friendly and the breakfast was nice. There was no water bottles in the room, which would have been nice to have. Also on Expedia, during booking I narrowed my search to show hotel with shuttle to airport and this one was the only one but when I checked in I was informed there was no airport shuttle. The only reason I booked was for the shuttle service, otherwise I would have booked closer to the airport.

I liked it, a little dark and old inside but this is historical area and the location is perfect. It was very close to the park and Velika Aleja perfect for walking. Staff was friendly.

This hotel is a historical building situated in a park in the outskirts of Sarajevo away from the hustle-bustle of the city, the traffic and the pollution. The airport is only a few miles away, but air traffic noise is not a problem as flights are rather infrequent. We chose to take a taxi into town which cost only around €10 but you can use the No.3 tram too particularly during non-peak hours when its not packed. I would not recommend the tram / bus though during the hot season as it will not be pleasant. The hotel staff are very helpful and will call you a taxi in no time. However, if you want to catch a taxi back from town it may not be that easy. The hotel has recently changed their name to Crystal from Hungaria but the signs on the street have not been changed. Some taxi drivers may not know the new name either so you may have to say Hotel Hungaria. Guests can use the pool and gym free of charge at their sister Spa Hotel a few minutes walk away. Sauna, thermal spring and other treatments have a charge but are pretty reasonable. British guests may like to note there is no electric kettle or coffee machine in the room but you can ask for hot water at the restaurant until 11pm. Being such a beautiful environment, locals like to use the 3 hotels there for their wedding parties so occasionally there could be party noise till midnight and I think weekends in particular. So it may not be ideal if you are not a great sleeper. Otherwise, the hotel surpassed our expectation.