POLAND - Krakow, Hilton Garden Inn Krakow Airport 4*
Is it worth it to stay at this Hilton hotel at Krakow airport before your morning flight or after your late arrival?
Address: Hilton Garden Inn Krakow Airport, Kapitana Mieczysława Medweckiego 3, 32-083 Balice, Poland
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Experience Krakow with Get Your Guide:
Location
This is a hotel directly opposite the departure and arrival halls of John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice (KRK), with its own parking lot. Just cross the road and you are at the airport. It is approximately 13 km to the center of Krakow.
I'm from Ostrava, and it takes about 1.5 hours to get to the airport by car. The whole way is on the highway. I would like to point out, however, that just before the airport there are two tolled sections of the highway, you pay at the entry and exit, 15 ZL at each (you can pay by cash or card) at the toll gates, and there are quite long queues, not to mention that some sections of the highway are currently being repaired and there are further delays. You should be at the airport min. 2 hours before departure. But you better give yourself at least an extra hour, because of these delays. Not to mention parking at the Krakow airport, which can be a bit confusing and take up extra time.
Parking at the airport in Krakow
You can order parking at the airport on the website https://krakowairportparking.pl/, beware there are many websites that will refer you to parking lots all around. This is the official Krakow airport parking site and it's the closest option, either in the covered parking garage or there's an open car park right next to it, and it's also a short walk away.
We didn't want to drive from the hotel to the airport parking lot in the morning, so we parked directly at the airport, in the covered parking garage, which is right next to the hotel, and then just crossed the entrance next door, you'll save time and nerves in the morning, because the parking garage is usually quite full . How is it going in it? You can buy your ticket online at the link above. There is a barrier when you enter the airport. It will either let you in based on your license plate or if not, get a ticket. You drive past the airport (on the right, the hotel and the parking garage are right next to each other on the left), go around the entire block until the end, turn behind the parking garage, and when the entrance to it is here, it is signposted. You go through the barrier, if they don't let you in, you take the ticket again and immediately on the floor, where you enter it on the right side is the gatehouse (right at the exit at the second barriers). You stop at it (you can stand for a while on the cross right next to it), take the tickets, your online order and go to checkout. The operator will load your license plate number into the system (I don't really understand why it isn't loaded straight away and you have to bother there at all), tell you that everything is ok and only then go to park. You are looking for any vacancy. We didn't make it once, and we went to solve the parking problem with the concierge only when we arrived, and it also went through, so it depends on your time. There is an elevator in the garages. Parking garage P1 is of course the most expensive, but it is also directly opposite the entrance to the airport hall. The open-air parking lot P2 is right next door, also a short walk away, and is slightly cheaper than the covered parking lot P1. P3 is right next to the Hilton from the other side, uncovered, also a short walk, more or less directly opposite the hall, and the KRK economy car park is behind the parking garages, about 100 m from the hall, it's also not far, but it's the farthest.
So we parked, got all the stuff out of the car so we didn't have to bother there in the morning and went to the Hilton.
Hilton Garden Inn Krakow Airport 4*
Even though Ostrava is a short distance away, if you have an early morning flight, this hotel is definitely worth the relaxation and sleep. You won't be nervous when you're standing at a toll or on the highway narrows in traffic. Even though it is right at the airport, it is well soundproofed, I didn't hear a single plane all night, nor any cars that had to pass by the hotel at night. The hotel has its own restaurant, fitness center, business center with conference rooms, free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. Check in is possible from 3 p.m., check out until 11 a.m. You can also stay with a dog in the hotel.
The biggest asset of this hotel, apart from its luxurious location right next to the airport hall, is the staff. Extremely kind and helpful receptionists at the reception, extremely kind and smiling waiters in the restaurant, and the fact that the waiter would bring an omelette to my table at breakfast in the morning, I just stared. And be sure to order breakfast, it is very luxurious and delicious. I was also drawn to the wooden cards to open the room.
Rooms
I understand that this is not a hotel where you spend your vacation. It is just a hotel for one night before departure or after arrival, so you probably don't care about the rooms, but I'll give them a fair mention anyway. In all rooms you will find a welcome bottle of water, TV, wifi, fridge, air conditioning, safe, kettle including coffee and tea, ironing board and iron, desk with ergonomic chair, fully blackout curtains. The bathrooms have a bathtub, cosmetics in large packages (liquid hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner) and a hairdryer.
You can order the following rooms:
Queen Family Room - 24 m², sofa bed, comfortable double bed, suitable for up to 3 people
Twin Room - 24 m², two large separate beds, armchair, suitable for 2 people
Twin Corner Room - 29 m², corner room with separate beds, armchair, bathrobes, slippers, suitable for 2 people
Queen Corner Room - 29 m², corner room, double bed, sitting couch, bathrobes, slippers, suitable for 2 people
Queen Accessible Room - 24 m², room for the physically disabled, with the latest technology and ergonomic comfort, suitable for 2 guests
King Room - 24 m², larger bed, armchair, shower, suitable for 2 people
King One Bedroom Suite - 48 m², in addition to the bedroom with a large double bed, there is also a living room with a sofa bed and an armchair, the toilet is separate and there is even a microwave, bathrobes, slippers and an espresso machine, suitable for up to 3 guests
King Superior One Bedroom Suite - 48 m², more or less the same as the previous one, there is a larger bathroom with both a shower and a bathtub
Food
The hotel has its own very pleasant restaurant L'atmosphere, where you can have lunch or dinner until 10 p.m. The ala carte menu changes according to seasonal ingredients, it is a mix of international cuisine with a taste of Poland. I had the meat pies because I love them and the second course was the pork tenderloin, both delicious. They even had Czech beer.
If you can't make it to the restaurant, next to the reception there is a counter with various goodies and drinks, you can buy something small or good there. There are only empty fridges in the rooms, this is kind of a bigger upgraded minibar :)
Breakfast is from 6 in the morning and I definitely recommend, a large selection, I was quite surprised that even in a 4* hotel they make eggs and omelettes at the counter upon request, which is usually the case in 5* hotels. But the fact that after ordering, the pleasant waiter came to tell me to sit quietly at the table and that he would bring it to me, really took my breath away. This didn't happen to me even in a 5* (unless it was a hotel with served breakfast), so I applaud, the staff here is really amazing.
Fitness
The hotel also has a gym, if someone has the time and desire for it. But I won't tell you much about it, I wasn't there personally and they don't have any information about fitness on the website.
Well, that will probably be the most important things about this hotel. What is more important before your departure for vacation than to sleep well and eat well. I can warmly recommend this hotel.
My rating - 9/10
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