Apartament u Zosi

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what? I almost walked right past Apartament u Zosi the first time I went looking for it. It’s tucked away on Jaszczurówka street – honestly, if you’re not paying attention to the house numbers, you might miss it completely. But that’s actually part of its charm, I think. While everyone else is fighting for rooms in those big hotels right in the center of Zakopane, you’re staying in this quiet residential area that feels more like… well, like you’re staying at your Polish grandmother’s house, if your grandmother happened to have impeccable taste.

The apartment itself is nothing fancy on paper – it’s a 3-star place, so don’t expect marble bathrooms or a concierge – but Zosia (I’m assuming that’s who it’s named after) really knows what she’s doing. The place is spotless, and I mean spotless in that particular Eastern European way where every surface has been scrubbed within an inch of its life. The kitchen actually has everything you need, not just a sad little mini-fridge and a coffee maker that’s seen better days. I ended up cooking breakfast most mornings because, honestly, it was nicer than going out, and you can walk to the little grocery store on the main road in about five minutes. The beds are proper comfortable too – none of that rock-hard mattress situation you sometimes get in budget places.

What really sold me on the location was how quiet it gets at night. During the day, sure, you can hear kids playing in the neighborhood and the occasional car, but once evening hits, it’s just… peaceful. You’re close enough to walk into town (maybe 15-20 minutes to the main square if you don’t mind a little uphill), but far enough that you’re not dealing with drunk tourists stumbling around at 2 AM. And here’s something the booking sites don’t tell you – you’re actually closer to some of the better hiking trails this way. The path up to Gubałówka starts practically around the corner, and if you’re planning to hit the Tatra trails, you’re not fighting through the town center to get there. Parking was never an issue either, which, if you’ve ever tried to park in central Zakopane during summer, you’ll know is basically worth its weight in gold. The whole setup just works – it’s got that 9-out-of-10 rating for a reason, and after staying there, I totally get why people keep coming back.