Hotel Kodra in Gjirokaster

Stayed here for two nights and had mixed feelings about the hotel: What worked: the location was excellent and very central for the old town and popular sights. While some reviews criticise the ease of parking and getting into the hotel, I honestly can’t see any way of making it easier given the hilly nature of the town! The fabric of the hotel was great too, which amazing views of the city from the dining room. It’s a very stylish building with a nod to the Ottoman period in its interiors. Breakfast was enjoyable: yes, the buffet was pretty typical for Albania, but special shout out to the older guy who brought us decent coffee, pots of local tea and fresh fruit. What didn’t work: our room was too close to the dining area which meant lots of noise from the dining area. The younger female staff do not hide their resentment of hotel guests and ignore questions and avoid eye contact. One evening, there was an event on in the dining at a and the only way to get to the room was to walk in front of the band: this felt really awkward as if we were gate crashing a private event. While the room was mainly clean, every towel had long dark hairs on them. Not sure if this is a fault of the laundry.