Hotel Starkl - Heritage & Unique

I've never left a bad review before, but I'm so baffled by all the positivity surrounding this hotel. They prioritize the restaurant (which on our arrival served us flat, room-temperature champagne) over the hotel, so it's a struggle to find someone to help you at the desk at any time of day. The room is so cramped that it's difficult to walk through, and the bathroom is the smallest I've seen in a hotel. The furniture is all obviously cheap, and so is the construction. From the room, you can smell the kitchen and hear everything that happens in the hall, on the stairs, and in the restaurant. The AC doesn't work, and if you want to open the window to let the food smells out and some cool air in, you're subjected to loud noise from the road immediately in front of the hotel. There is also a total lack of accessibility features. No elevator, so there are no rooms that you can get to if you have mobility issues. There is also no grab bar in the shower. This place was so miserable we considered getting an earlier flight home.

Hotel Starkl is a beautiful, freshly renovated hotel directly at Lake Bled, a bit off the buzz. We loved the atmosphere and the tranquility of the place. Boats to the island are departing directly in front of the hotel and it’s only a short walk along the lake to the centre of Bled. The restaurant was excellent and the staff there extraordinarily friendly. We will definitely come back!

Super quaint and beautifully kept hotel. Beautiful remodel and wonderful views of lake Bled. Has ample parking for guests. The included breakfast was amazing. Great variety every morning of breads, fruits, eggs, sausages, yogurts, granola, etc. (vegan and vegetarian options, even had vegan milk options for coffee). Staff was VERY friendly and knowledgeable of area. Rooms were very comfortable and quiet. Rooms included a safe and a nice size wardrobe. Wine glasses and coffee glasses were in the room, as well as tea/coffee. And a full stocked minibar for a fee. My husband and I had the junior suite which was VERY spacious. It had a separate sitting area. The bathroom was remodeled and GORGEOUS, but a little small (but to be expected for Europe). Free toiletries were wonderful. We had a tiny view of the lake. And also there was a terrace on the side of the hotel that anyone could use. Great location, quiet end of bled away from the hustle and bustle, but still walking distance to all the restaurants etc. (about 20 minutes). One thing to note, there is no elevator so if you are on a higher floor they will offer to help with luggage. If you stay here make sure to make reservations and eat at the restaurant. It was outstanding. Would definitely stay here again, highly recommend!

We decided to treat ourselves to a room with a balcony. As the rooms are small this added some extra space and provided a lovely view of the lake. This was particularly nice at night when the traffic had calmed down ( the current roadworks don't help but I am sure will be gone soon). The hotel is a good 20 minute walk from the main restaurants and hotels but just across the road from the boats that take you to the island. The Arriva bus from Ljubljana stops outside the hotel- stop Bled Mlino- and was excellent value. We ate in the hotel restaurant on our first night and would recommend doing do. Excellent food and wine- the gluten free chocolate cake is delicious. Breakfast was good but nothing special. I was not a fan of the coffee machine and would have preferred freshly brewed coffee. Staff were a bit hit and miss. Some were very friendly and helpful. Some just lacked a smile. Bled itself is lovely but very touristy. I preferred Lake Bohinj which is easily accessible by bus which leaves from outside the hotel.

We stayed for 4 nights, lovely hotel across the street from Lake Bled, away from the commercial district (15mins walk). Boats are located to get to the center island as well. The restaurant has great food, we ate there every night because of the restaurants in the commercial area was mostly pizza places. Because of the beautiful views from this area, many tour buses stop outside to allow tourist for picture taking, it could be noisy if your window is open, otherwise, you don't hear anything once windows are closed. Rooms are small, very clean and be sure to book one with a view of the lake. Bathroom has a small shower, if you're a large person, this could be a challenge. The hotel does not have an elevator, depending on who is available at the desk, you may need to bring up your luggage up to one or two floors, pack light. I'm a travel advisor and would certainly reserve this hotel for clients that don't have challenges going up & down stairs, and with understanding of a very small shower. I want to give a shout out to our girl " Tjasa" , she made our stay extra special by giving us ideas on what do to, and is a " jack of all trades", the girl does everything around the hotel, including help with our luggage, she certainly is an asset to the hotel. Everyone at the desk was helpful, including Jozsef at breakfast, he kept the dining area very clean and was constantly making sure everything was filled. If you love to walk, it's easy to go around the Lake Bled, it's about 6.8 miles with several areas for taking breaks, make it a glorious day in do so. We will certainly go back to Lake Bled and stay @ Hotel Starkl, it's a little gem right on the lake with excellent service both hotel & restaurant!

Lovely stay - Very welcoming and accommodating staff nothing was too much to ask. Breakfast options were vast and varied, fresh warm bread every morning - gluten free and also vegan options available - the staff knew my husband liked a big mug of tea and would bring him a mug specially for him every morning which I thought was such a lovely touch. The rooms are clean airy and newly decorated in a lovely style and also smelt lovely - we had daily maid service who gave clean towels and made the bed. Yes the rooms are small and also the shower I'm 5ft and found my self banging my elbows on the shower door the first few times! With two suitcases there really wasn't any more wriggle room - but what I will say is the view over looking the lake makes up for all of that - it was so lovely to look out every morning you felt like you were on the lake its self - good AC and double glazed windows - a suggestion for the room would be if there could be some hooks added just so you can hang things up and also a few small shelves to put things on I think this would really help with the layout of the room and make things more accessible. location wise there is a restaurant attached to the Hotel - we ate here once - lovely view and attentive staff serving a range of different dishes - you even get a complimentary glass of bubbles which was a lovely touch - its around a 20min walk in the main town of Bled where there are more restaurants and bars - there is a free shuttle bus that comes around but we found this unreliable and found it easier to walk - right outside you can get a row boat or gondola boat over to the lake bled island or just along for that chill out on the bank and go to a lovely dip in the beautiful lake bled - overall we had a beautiful stay and would recommended to anyone thinking of going - thank you!