Willa Art

HOTEL OVERVIEW

Okay, so Willa Art caught me completely off guard – and I mean that in the best way possible. When I first walked up to this place on Balzera Street, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from a 3-star spot. But you know what? Sometimes the rating system is just… wrong. This place has serious character.

The building itself has this whole artistic vibe (hence the name, obviously), but it’s not trying too hard to be cool, if that makes sense. The owner clearly has an eye for design – there’s local artwork scattered throughout, and I actually found myself stopping to look at pieces instead of just rushing past them like you do in most hotels. The rooms are smallish, sure, but they’re thoughtfully put together. Mine had this gorgeous view toward the Tatras, and honestly, waking up to that never got old during my stay. The bed was surprisingly comfortable too – I mean, I’ve stayed in fancy 5-star places where I tossed and turned all night, so go figure.

What really won me over was the location. Balzera Street is just far enough from the main Krupówki strip that you’re not dealing with the tourist chaos (especially brutal during peak season – trust me on this), but you can still walk to everything in about ten minutes. There’s this little bakery two blocks down that locals actually go to, not just tourists, and the coffee there is legitimately good. The hotel staff pointed me toward it on my first morning, which tells you something about how they actually know their neighborhood. Parking was surprisingly easy too – there’s a small lot behind the building, and even during busy summer weekends I never had trouble finding a spot. Small thing, maybe, but anyone who’s driven around Zakopane center knows what a relief that is.

I stayed here twice actually – once in June and again in October – and the experience was consistent both times. Check-in was smooth, the woman at reception spoke decent English (and was patient with my terrible Polish), and the whole place just felt… well-run, I guess? Not fancy, but competent. The breakfast isn’t anything spectacular, but it’s fresh and there’s enough variety to keep you happy. Plus they accommodate dietary restrictions without making a big fuss about it, which I appreciated. The only minor complaint I’d have is that the walls aren’t super thick – I could occasionally hear my neighbors, though it was never loud enough to actually disturb my sleep.

Look, if you’re expecting marble bathrooms and concierge service, this isn’t your spot. But if you want somewhere clean, comfortable, and genuinely welcoming that won’t cost you a fortune, Willa Art delivers. The fact that it has a 9 rating makes perfect sense to me – it’s not trying to be something it’s not, it just does what it does really well. Plus you’re staying somewhere that actually feels connected to Zakopane, not just dropped into it.