Leo’s Grandma’s House – 100m from Ski Jump

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what? When I first saw the name “Leo’s Grandma’s House,” I honestly thought it might be one of those cheesy themed places trying too hard to be cute. But walking up to this three-story house on Piłsudskiego Street, it actually feels like someone’s babcia just happened to have the perfect setup for travelers who want to hit the ski jump without dealing with the chaos of central Zakopane.

The location is pretty much unbeatable if you’re here for winter sports – I mean, you can literally see the ski jump from some of the windows, and it’s maybe a two-minute walk to get there. What’s brilliant about being on this particular stretch of Piłsudskiego is that you’re close enough to walk into town (about 10 minutes to Krupówki Street where all the action is), but far enough out that you’re not dealing with the weekend crowds stumbling around at midnight. The house itself has that mountain lodge vibe without being overly rustic – think clean pine furniture, decent Wi-Fi that actually works, and bathrooms that don’t make you question your life choices. Leo (or whoever’s running the place now) clearly gets that people want comfort after a day on the slopes, not some Instagram-perfect setup that looks better in photos than real life.

Here’s what sold me on the place: the breakfast room has these massive windows facing Giewont mountain, and honestly, starting your morning with that view while drinking surprisingly good coffee makes you forget about the slightly creaky floors upstairs. The rooms are what you’d expect from a solid three-star – nothing fancy, but the beds are comfortable and the heating actually keeps up with those brutal Tatra winter nights. Parking can be a bit tight (there’s space for maybe 4-5 cars behind the house), so if you’re driving up during peak season, definitely sort that out when you book. The check-in is refreshingly straightforward too – none of that drawn-out process where they try to upsell you on everything from breakfast to shoelaces. One small thing that might bug light sleepers: you can hear people coming and going on the stairs if you’re in one of the middle-floor rooms, but it’s not terrible and honestly, most people are pretty considerate about keeping it down. What really sets this place apart is that it feels like someone actually thought about what skiers and hikers need – there’s proper space to dry your gear, the entry area doesn’t turn into a muddy disaster zone, and they seem to understand that after spending all day outside in the cold, you want to get warm and fed without a lot of fuss.