The apartment is beautiful, fully refurbished and set in a peaceful residential building. It was exceptionally quiet: no noise from the neighbours or the street. Easily one of the quietest places I’ve stayed anywhere in the world. You can tell that plenty of time, care and money have gone into the décor, materials and kitchen equipment. I particularly appreciated the abundance of surfaces to put our belongings on, a small detail that makes a real difference. Check-in was handled entirely by message. Although the process felt rather impersonal, the host was efficient, prompt and exceptionally clear with all the instructions. Both the building entrance and apartment door codes worked without a hitch. The bed was comfortable, with extra pillows and a good duvet. The smart TV even had a dedicated Netflix profile for the apartment already signed in, which was a lovely touch. Wi-Fi worked flawlessly throughout our stay, and the kitchen was well equipped, with a coffee machine and a small fridge. The windows could also be fully blacked out, making the room wonderfully dark for sleeping.

The bathroom is definitely the apartment’s weakest point. It isn’t particularly obvious in the photos, but the walls are solid only up to roughly 1.2 metres, with glass panels featuring frosted details above. This means you can clearly see and hear whoever is in the bathroom, even when they’re sitting on the toilet. We’ve been married for years, so it wasn’t a major issue for us, but I wouldn’t recommend this setup for new couples or groups of friends. The steampunk-style shower looks striking, but it’s rather impractical: the shower head was heavy and water leaked from the top. The basin also had a large, uncovered drain opening, roughly two or three fingers wide, so you had to be careful not to drop anything down it. The check-in and check-out times could be more generous, or at least come with the option of an earlier arrival or later departure, even for an additional fee.

A bedtable wouldve been nice

The apartment was very practical, fully equipped, tidy and clean. Access was easy using a code for both the entrance gate and the apartment door. It is located near the Palace of Culture and Science and the main railway station, right by a main road and opposite a tram stop. There are also plenty of shops and restaurants nearby.

Old world charm

Terrible instructions for unlocking the room - could easily have saved a lot of stress by being written in a methodical way. Put me off leaving the room.