Visiting Ljubljana’s Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa****
- Check-in desk at Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa****
Very few hotels in Ljubljana can legitimately call themselves a Palace but the Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa**** has created something really unique. The world of the hotel lobby, noisy bars and long corridors is all gone and even the word hotel doesn’t do it justice.
Imagine yourself arriving at a private palace. The door itself is modestly named but when you walk in you are greeted by this hidden stately home and its friendly concierge girl. The check in desk is simply a beautiful antique table which you can see in the picture above and the stylishly renovated 16th century building will take your breath away.
- A master bedroom
Many of the ceilings still have the original 16th century fresco paintings and the spacious feel of the tall ceilings gives the rooms a unique calm atmosphere. All rooms are beautifully decorated and so quiet that you forget that you are in the heart of Ljubljana’s city centre. It is the perfect place to unwind and relax while surrounded by the historic building and its luxurious decor.
The hotel’s private courtyard has a wonderful surprise waiting for the guests. Live classical music is provided by the neighboring music academy. This is not beginners practicing badly, neither is it planned concerts but music coming from aspiring professional musicians practicing their music. It is real live background music which keeps the courtyard alive as we imagine that the 16th century musicians did for the nobility when the building was first lived in.
- Breakfast and lounge area
The Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa**** does not have a restaurant and the breakfast is served in the downstairs hall. The breakfast buffet is stylishly served on the round stone table in the picture and you can eat at the tables in the hall or outside in the courtyard. The hall is also a great area to relax in front of the open fire place in the evenings and to meet other interesting guests. The atmosphere could however seduce you to enjoy this palace for too long and forget to explore Ljubljana and its old town which is right on your doorstep. On the other hand, the hidden Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa**** is an attraction in itself.
The Antiq Palace Hotel and Spa**** is not only about the historic building or the great city centre location. For the business traveller, you have access to the executive business center, free wi-fi in all rooms and a large meeting/conference hall. Events can be held here for up to 120 guests and two bars can keep the guests refreshed throughout the day.
To keep in shape, you’ll find a brand new gym with a range of cardiovascular equipment, free weights, Kinesis wall and other hi-tech equipment. You can also book a personal trainer to guide you. The Antiq Spa hosts a Jacuzzi, 3 different types of saunas accompanied by their team of therapists and masseurs.
The Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa**** also offers apartments for mid-term and long-term rental for those who need to stay in Ljubljana for a longer period of time.
Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa’s online guest reviews are almost worthy of a Guinness world record as they have in less than 6 months created an unrivaled reputation on Tripadvisor, booking.com and many others. You will struggle to find a single bad review about this hotel and it is at the top of almost every recommendation list.
If you are looking for a unique boutique hotel in Ljubljana, we could not recommend Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa**** highly enough and you are guaranteed to leave with many happy memories.
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Kavarna Grand Hotel Union, Ljubljana
To get a taste of the atmosphere at the Grand Hotel Union hotel in Ljubljana, I decided to visit its ‘Kavarna’ and of course to enjoy a coffee while doing the hard research. You can see the large Kavarna sign from the Preseren square which is the most central part of Ljubljana and often the busiest too. Despite this, I have never got the feeling that it’s a busy hoel cafe and my guess was confirmed when I walked in.
The entrance is proudly displaying pictures and letters from famous people who’s stayed at the Grand Hotel Union Executive in the past and there were also adverts for chamber music and tango. Once you’ve walked in through the corridor, the Kavarna is a very big open hall with small chandeliers in the ceiling and large paintings on the wall. There is also a stage which at the time had tables but at other times is the place for the , tango, chamber music, folk music concerts and variety shows for which there is a programme provided on the tables and in the corridor. The programme also shows when the Ljubljana bridge club is meeting here in this Ljubljana hotel’s cafe. Kavrna Union also has a facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/KavarnaUnion
The cafe has a feeling of a very grand Austrian coffee and cake shop and it is also very quiet in here today which is a contrast to the busy streets and cafes outside. It’s a perfect place to come to collect your thoughts or work on your laptop. It is not the best place for a private business discussion even if it was only two older ladies and the waitress that would have over heard my conversation today.
Internet is locked to the hotel guests with a hotspot service from Ruckus Wireless but when I asked the waitress, she kindly without hesitation went and got me a code so that I could connect easily. The speed of the internet allowed me to easily have a skype call and watch videos so the wifi was very good.
The prices are fairly high as expected but for a coffee it is not too bad. It is after all a grand kavarna so the prices reflects the atmosphere and together it is creating a feeling of being in a very exclusive place. All in all, it’s a great Ljubljana hotel cafe which I highly recommend you to visit.
Finally to the most important information from my visit, the coffee was very good so you won’t be disappointed even if you are a coffee connoisseur.
WEEKEND package “JUST THE TWO OF US” from GRAND HOTEL UNION EXECUTIVE
WEEKEND package deal: “JUST THE TWO OF US”
If you’re looking for a weekend in a luxury hotel in Ljubljana, Hotel Union Executive has got a great package deal on at the moment which includes:
* double room accomodation,
* breakfast served in the room
* 1 x Dinner for two at the Smrekarjev hram restaurant or at the Union Garden restaurant
* VIP treatment
Price of a WEEKEND »JUST THE TWO OF US« package is 300 EUR for two nights. Minimum stay is two nights.
For more information, see the advertising on GRAND HOTEL UNION EXECUTIVE‘s website or for reservation please contact:
T: +386 1 308 1989 or +386 1 308 1899
E: hotel.union@gh-union.si or hotel.business@gh-union.si
Fri 4 May
Wed 2 May
Tue 17 Apr
Mon 16 Apr
Sat 14 Apr