Aparthotel Punct pe i

HOTEL OVERVIEW

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first saw “Aparthotel Punct pe i” on my booking confirmation, I had no idea how to pronounce it (turns out it means “dot the i’s” in Romanian, which is actually pretty clever). But after spending a week in Sighetu Marmaţiei, I can tell you this place absolutely nails what an aparthotel should be.

The location on Simion Barnutiu street is one of those spots that locals probably take for granted, but as a visitor, you realize how perfect it is. You’re literally a five-minute walk from the city center – I mean, you can see the main pedestrian area from some of the windows – but it’s tucked away enough that you don’t get the late-night bar crowd noise that hits some of the hotels right downtown. The building itself has this updated-but-not-trying-too-hard vibe, and honestly, the apartments are way more spacious than you’d expect for a 3-star place. Each one has a proper kitchenette (not just a mini-fridge and microwave situation), which saved me a fortune since Romanian groceries are ridiculously cheap if you know where to shop. There’s a decent-sized Kaufland about ten minutes away, or you can hit the local market near the Tisa River if you want the full experience.

What really impressed me was how the staff actually seemed to care about the place – the woman at reception (I think her name was Elena?) gave me this whole rundown of hiking trails in the Maramureş Mountains that I never would have found otherwise. She even marked up a map with the best spots for photos, which… honestly, most hotel staff wouldn’t bother with. The rooms stay surprisingly quiet at night, even the ones facing the street, and the Wi-Fi actually works throughout the building (you know how hit-or-miss that can be in smaller Romanian cities). Parking was never an issue either – there’s space right outside, which is huge because navigating those narrow old town streets with a rental car is kind of a nightmare.

The only minor thing I’d mention is that the elevator is one of those old-school European ones that takes forever, but really, that’s me being picky. For what you pay here, especially considering that 9.5 rating isn’t inflated – people genuinely love this place – it’s probably the best value you’ll find in Sighetu Marmaţiei. Plus, you’re perfectly positioned to explore the wooden churches of Maramureş (UNESCO sites, by the way) or take that day trip to the Merry Cemetery in Săpânţa that everyone talks about. I ended up extending my stay by two nights because, well, why rush when you’ve found a place that just works?