Casa cu Scări

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what caught me off guard about Casa cu Scării? The name literally means “House with Stairs” in Romanian, and honestly, I was expecting some quirky multi-level nightmare. Instead, what you get is this surprisingly charming three-star place tucked away on DJ102I in Lunca Mare that feels like someone’s well-kept secret. The 9.4 rating isn’t just inflated review padding either – this place actually delivers on the small details that matter when you’re trying to unwind somewhere off the beaten path.

The thing about Lunca Mare is that it’s one of those Romanian villages where you can still hear roosters in the morning (which I actually found charming after the first day, though light sleepers might want to pack earplugs). Casa cu Scării sits right in the heart of it all, but the rooms are surprisingly quiet – thick walls, I think, plus they’ve got this little courtyard that seems to buffer most of the village sounds. The staff genuinely knows everyone who walks through the door, and I mean that in the best possible way. When I mentioned I was thinking about hiking up to the nearby forest trails, the woman at reception – I think her name was Maria – actually drew me a hand-sketched map and told me exactly where to park my car so it wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. Try getting that kind of personal attention at a chain hotel.

What really won me over was the breakfast situation. They don’t do some massive buffet spread, but what they serve is clearly made that morning – fresh bread that’s still warm, local honey that tastes like wildflowers, and this incredible Romanian cheese that I’m pretty sure came from farms you can literally see from the dining room windows. The coffee’s strong enough to wake the dead, which you’ll appreciate if you’re planning day trips to Brașov or Cluj-Napoca (both totally doable from here, by the way). The rooms themselves are clean and comfortable without being fancy – good beds, reliable hot water, and windows that actually open wide enough to let in that crisp mountain air. I stayed in October and honestly didn’t need the heating most nights. The WiFi works fine for checking emails and uploading photos, though don’t expect to stream movies or anything. But here’s the thing – you probably won’t want to. There’s something about the pace of life here that makes you want to put your phone down and just exist for a while. The whole experience feels authentic in a way that’s getting harder to find these days.