Bachleda Luxury Hotel Krakow MGallery by Sofitel - behind the candelabra

100   Recommended

Room 810 &... , Deluxe Twin Room
May 21, 2019 by
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Room 810 &...

Deluxe Twin Room

Liked:
Location
Service
Food
Amenities
Room

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Room
Deluxe Twin Room

So this is my first time reviewing on FT - I decided to take the plunge as the hotel has nary a review anywhere online, and deserves for its "luxury" credentials to be validated.

With a hotel name as long as that, and with the owner's name and the literal word "Luxury" in it, the official publicity photos of rooms stuffed with all kinds of gilded decor, leather, velvet and wood veneers come as no suprise. But is this real luxury or a wet dream of "Dynasty" reboot?

Do pardon the photos - taken with a potato.

Check In

The first hitch came on arrival already - to get to the entrance to the refurbished historic townhouse, one mas negotiate two (short) flights of stairs, with luggage and all.

When asked if there is another entrance or a ramp I might have overlooked tugging my rollaboard, I was told that there is a porter on duty, but at the moment he was away helping other guests. In my experience, he was rarely in a position to see any incoming guests struggling with luggage, so my advice is to pack light ;)

Bachleda_Lobby.jpg

Otherwise, the check-in process was smooth, I got the drink vouchers, and an apology for not being given an upgrade since I expressly requested a twin and only the base room category ("Deluxe") has this configuration. For the first time ever, the front desk personnel actually did want to see my LCAH card and said they need to type in some digits to their system.

I am quite impressed by this franchise property having paid proper attention to LCAH details and their staff being proficient in Accor systems, including being able to copy some of my details from the loyalty system to their billing facilities (apparently impossible for some other Accor hotels).

Room

Bachleda_Room.jpg

The most surprising feature of the rooms is that they indeed do look just like in the promo photos - little expense was spared to make sure all the furniture, upholstery and decor all live up to the "luxury" moniker. I got a room on the top floor and requested to be moved to the street side, discovering that the "view" on the other side was a bare wall.

Bachleda_Bathroom.jpg

The bathroom is especially impressive with a mirror that would be at home in Snow White (or Dubai), but also a very comprehensive set of toiletries - some branded Christian Lacroix in the spirit of understatement permeating the hotel - and a very comfortable shower / bath.

The beds are super tall in a very American way, but obviously heavenly comfortable and large enough even for a tall guy like me. Can't complain about the supple pillows, but the placement of switches and sockets on the headboard does not work too well with the twin setup.

The best feature of the room is its size. Even with the sloping roof of the streetside room, there was ample space to enjoy the huge welcome tray of fruit and a drink, as well as to work comfortably.

Bachleda_Screw.jpg

I am not quite sure if the FF&E person has done hotels before or if they were previously hired to do the personal homes of the famed wealthy owner family, as there does not seem to have been much thought spared to the longevity of the room fittings - one could already see some of the more vulnerable areas feature small chips, plus one of the bedside cabinet drawers featured a loose screw in lieu of a Bible.

Dining

The on-site restaurant is ran by a very qualified chef with previous experience at the Dorchester in London, which make it even more a shame that the owners do not seem overly interested in promoting the venue.

Bachleda_Restaurant.jpg

The opulent decor works very well in a restaurant setting, the seating and tables are surprisingly comfortable given how much attention was devoted to their looks, the gilded cutlery is a little bit over the top but overall the experience is positively "luxurious".

Bachleda_Breakfast.jpg

The breakfast spread is adequate, if not exactly sumptuous or surprising - but then with 64 rooms and the small size of the restaurant there is only so much you can do. Of note are the superb pastries tucked away in a cupboard. I had a risotto for a quick lunch, and found it a good, nicely presented, choice.

The chef was happy to come over and have a chat with us while we were enjoying a quick lunch, and offered us a free dessert. He seems really keen to get the place off the ground and hope he succeeds.

Service

Apart from the chef, the other staff seem very new to the whole business of luxury hotels. They are young and keen, but somewhat lost and slightly terrified in their costume-like uniforms.

The porter is kind and quick on his feet (the one single guy I ever saw in this role seemed to have endless shifts, having been on duty during my entire stay), the front desk ladies have done their best to be politely helpful.

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I was lavished with gifts - not only the welcome tray with all kinds of fruit (but no cutlery - I had to go down to the restaurant to get a knife to peel and cut the apples and kiwi), but also a bottle of sparkling cider, delivered, much to my surprise, half an hour after I settled into the room.

The breakfast lady, however, obviously not Polish (I am Polish, btw), was a bit lost and did not offer us anything more than a greeting originally - neither coffee nor hot items, for which there is quite a comprehensive menu, but one has to order them proactively. I've been offered cooked breakfast choices at properties charging a fraction of the rate, so this was a bit of a letdown.

Location

The location is very convenient for a leisure stay and sightseeing, with most of the major sightseeing points of interest within walking distance. That said, other luxury hotels in Kraków may boast being in nicer immediate neighbourhoods

Overall

The hotel is double the price of the Mercure or Novotel, and obviously uber-expensive for Kraków, but one does get what one pays for - the promise of Dynasty-style luxury delivered. If you know luxury from actual upscale hotel stays, however, you may find the staff still gathering the necessary experience.

That said, I will be coming back - I like the rooms and the restaurant very much and the small size of the hotel provides the personal touch needed to make it feel like home away from home.

Bachleda_Courtesy.jpg

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