HIDDEN GUEST: Hotel Park Bled

Location is Hotel Park’s middle name. For numerous years, the hotel ruled over Lake Bled’s shore in its red outfit. The hotel’s location next to the lake promenade is one of the greatest virtues of the hotel and can hardly be matched. After this year’s extensive renovation, Slovenia’s second-largest hotel has gotten rid of its old look and is now once again shining in all its glory. A part of the rooms offers lake views, while a part offers glances of the local park. The elements of water and forest reflect in the thoroughly renovated interior. The exceptional location brings some of the best views. Lake Bled together with the Isle and its church, Bled Castle and the scenery of the Julian Alps are part of the incredible and priceless experience of Bled.

For the majority of tourists, Bled is accessible by car. A smaller hotel parking will suffice for such guests. Bled has been striving to achieve the sustainable transformation of its traffic routes. We are anxiously waiting for a mitigating road to free Bled of cars. On the other hand, public transport accessibility to Bled is taken care of. Train lovers will be pleased to arrive at Bled by train. Slovenia’s airline accessibility is the most problematic part of the offer, yet the entire region has problems in this due to the corona crisis. Our recommendation is to go around walking, as most of Bled’s features are in walking distance. A walk around the lake is priceless for the body and soul.

The bright red image of Hotel Park is part of collective memory and was part of several postcards sent from Bled. Following the renovation, the new facade has become a part of the park and has infused itself into the ambience of Bled. The architects deserve praise for their bold and thorough renovation. The facade will be embraced by greens in the future, making it even more attractive to the eye. Even more intriguing is the interior; in particular the lobby, featuring a water fountain and unparalleled views of the lake. The architectural inspiration came from the combination of water and forest, reflected in the used materials. Different elements, made from spruce wood are eye-catching and are reminiscent of local Pokljuka forests. It is staggering how thought-out architecture can completely change the character of a hotel.

The cuisine is also in line with the appreciated COVID standards. The overall feel is safe and pleasant. The highly professional staff also contributed to this. Self-service breakfast is flavoursome, with the front cooking section standing out. The wine fountain is a first for Slovenian hotels and a unique attribute. The quality selection of Slovenian wines excellently complements the culinary experience.

The rest of the culinary offer is also superb, in particular, the recently renovated Kavarna Park. Namely famous for the legendary Bled cream cake, we also recommend the rest of their offer, among which you can find a local selection of appetisers and a classic bistro repertoire. All things considered, the offer is on a high level, but the prices are relatively high (as they are all around Bled).

Hotel rooms

The renovated rooms appear fresh and extremely pleasant. A combination of pastel colours and details from spruce wood appear modern and elegant. The elegance is brought to life by selected pieces of furniture. The chairs and tapestry, covered in motives of Bled are a stand-out, as well as the wooden shelf, overlooking the lake. The bed is exquisite, as well as the minimalist bathroom in beige colours. The room as a whole can be described as Alpine elegance. A marginal complaint goes to the not-so-clever lighting, while the decision to leave the mini-bar empty is understandable in light of the epidemic.

Meetings centre
The smaller conference centre is named after the International Writers Meeting PEN that has been taking place in Bled from 1965. The conference rooms are logically named after Slovenian poets and writers. The largest hall, Prešeren, accepted up to 120 participants in the theatre setting in pre-corona times. The hotel itself offers 5 more conference rooms. All in all, Sava Hotels & Resorts have one of the largest numbers of quality conference capacities in three hotels. The combinations are almost limitless, and together with their congress team, you are sure to find a solution for your next event.

DESSERT – The extras

The must-try dessert is the one and only Bled cream cake. We also recommend trying their ice cream, named Sladogled. The ice cream won them the flattering title of the best ice cream destination in the world!

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES

Finding a parking space is rather a difficult job when the hotel is fully booked. The parking is otherwise free of charge, but if there is not another option, Bled boasts several payable public parking.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES

The charming wellness centre, overlooking the lake, is located on the top floor of the hotel. Finnish, Turkish and infrared saunas are great and accompanied by cosmetics, inspired by nature and bees.

Hotel Park together with the Rikli Balance Hotel, can now finally rival the regional competition. As a matter of fact, it outshines many other hotels. This is due to the hotel’s perfected concept and quality services. Sava Tourism Bled has (re)aligned its future path and put the past behind. Despite some similar characteristics to the renovated Rikli Balance Hotel, the hotel is recognisable and has its own spirit. The hotel does not wish to stand out in every way possible, but will in our opinion convince you with its subtle elegance. The concept is a noticeable step in the right direction. All of this, combined with the excellently thought-out user experience, places the hotel among the best in Slovenia. We must admit that the renovated hotel genuinely amazed us, and we believe it will surprise you as well.

FINAL GRADE: 4.79 SILVER City Meeting Hotel 

GOLD final score from 4.81 to 5.00
SILVER final score from 4.61 to 4.80
BRONZE final score from 4.41 to 4.60