VisitZakopane – Apartament Olimp

HOTEL OVERVIEW

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much when I first pulled up to Apartament Olimp on Bulwary Słowackiego – I mean, it’s a 3-star place and you know how those can go either way. But this little spot actually surprised me in the best way possible. The building sits right along one of Zakopane’s main boulevards, which sounds like it might be noisy, but it’s actually perfect because you’re close enough to everything without being stuck in the tourist chaos around Krupówki Street.

What really got me was how the owners clearly get what travelers need. The apartment itself feels like someone actually lives there – not that sterile hotel vibe where everything’s beige and bolted down. You’ve got a proper kitchen (and I mean proper, not just a mini-fridge and microwave situation), which is clutch when you want to grab some oscypek and bread from the local market and have a real breakfast before hitting the trails. The windows face toward the Tatras, and on clear mornings – well, let’s just say your Instagram followers will hate you. I spent way too much time just standing there with my coffee, watching the light change on Giewont peak.

The location thing is huge here because Zakopane can be tricky to navigate, especially during peak season when everyone’s crawling all over Krupówki. From Bulwary Słowackiego, you can actually walk to the main pedestrian zone in about five minutes, but you’re far enough away that you’re not dealing with the street performers and crowds until you want to. Plus – and this matters if you’re driving – parking isn’t the nightmare it is closer to the center. The owners were super helpful with local tips too, like which cable car has shorter lines (Kasprowy Wierch gets insane, but they told me about timing it right) and where to find the good żurek that isn’t tourist-trap pricing. You know what really sealed it for me though? The little details. Fresh flowers in the entryway, actually good WiFi that works even when half of Poland seems to be streaming something, and towels that don’t feel like sandpaper. It’s those things that make you realize someone actually cares about this place instead of just collecting booking fees. The 9-star rating isn’t just people being nice – this really is one of those gems where the value completely exceeds what you’d expect from the price point.