JJ, if there is any way possible, skip the hotels and stay in the home of some locals. I don't think it can be stressed enough that this is the only way to truly have the Slovak cultural experience. I agree with the posters above that Slovakia is becoming more of a tourist destination (which is good for Slovakia) but at the same time the country is becoming more, how shall I say, internationalized. It's becoming harder and harder to find real Slovak food in restaurants, and it is certainly not in the hotels like the Radisson, though it may be a nice place to stay. That's just one example.

I really enjoy the culture here. There's so much more to it than sightseeing in the Stare Mesto (old town). Be sure and meet some of the people and get a real sense of who they are, though you, like me, already have a head start by deciding to be with one on a regular basis