Crystal House II – LoftAffair Collection

Hotel Description

So I stumbled across Crystal House II during one of those late-night booking sessions where you’re desperately trying to find something decent in Krakow’s Old Town that won’t bankrupt you. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from the name – it sounds a bit like a spa or something – but this place actually surprised me in the best way possible.

The location is what sold me initially, and I mean, you really can’t get more central than Senacka Street. You’re literally a two-minute walk from the Main Market Square, but here’s the thing most people don’t realize – you’re tucked just far enough away that you don’t get the full blast of tourist chaos and those horse-drawn carriages clattering by at all hours. I actually slept pretty well, which is saying something because I’m usually a light sleeper and Old Town can get… lively. The building itself has that classic Krakow character you’d expect, but inside it’s been done up with this modern loft vibe that somehow works. You know what I appreciated? The ceilings are high enough that you don’t feel cramped, and the windows are these big, old-school things that let in tons of light during the day.

What really won me over was the attention to small details that you don’t always get at this price point. The bathroom actually had decent water pressure (miracle in old European buildings), and they’d thought about practical stuff like having enough outlets near the bed and proper blackout curtains. The staff at check-in seemed to actually know the neighborhood – when I asked about getting to Kazimierz for dinner, the guy didn’t just point vaguely south but told me which tram to catch from the stop on Stradom Street and mentioned that the 8 and 13 both work but the 8 is usually less crowded. Small thing, but it made a difference. I mean, you’re paying for a 4-star place here, so you’d hope for that level of service, but still – it felt genuine rather than scripted. The only minor gripe I had was that the elevator is one of those tiny European ones, so if you’re traveling with big luggage, you might be making two trips or taking the stairs. But honestly, that’s pretty standard for this part of town where most buildings are centuries old. The 8.9 rating makes sense to me – it’s not trying to be the fanciest place in Krakow, but it gets the fundamentals right and throws in some nice touches that show someone actually thinks about what travelers need.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $102. One-Bedroom Apartment with 1 queen bed and 1 sofa bed for Max. people: 2
• Estimated price from: $194. Two-Bedroom Apartment with 2 × 1 queen bed and 1 sofa bed for Max. people: 4
• Estimated price from: $215. Two-Bedroom Apartment with 2 × 1 sofa bed and 2 × 1 queen bed for Max. people: 6

Reviews

• Perfect stay in Krakow – Ruangporn from United Kingdom – August 8, 2025 (10/10)

  Feel like home from home. Large size bed and comfy sofas in bedroom.
  
  Big TV with all entertainment provided such as Netflix. Good size kitchen with all cooking appliances. Even dishwasher and washing machine provided. To top it off, coffee machine is provided. What are wonderful feelings to start the day with aroma of coffee in the morning.
  Location is superb. Walking distance to the square ,5 mins walking distance to Wawel castle.
  
  What could be improved: Bathroom can do with a little bigger but not a real issue.

• Great accommodation, great location, poor communication from the host company. – Joseph from Singapore – July 22, 2025 (8/10)

  I liked the accommodation. There were two beds in two separate rooms, although we only used one. The beds were very comfortable, and they gave two pillows per person, always an A+ in my books. The Kitchen was adequate for what we needed and the bathroom was nice. There was a good air conditioner. The location was the best if you want to stay within the walled city. Right in the middle, and we were near our favorite casual go-to restaurant. I had no complaints at all about the comfort or location of the accommodation.
  
  What could be improved: The check in was awful. There was a keypad at the main door. Fine. There was a keypad at the elevator. The person forgot to give us that code and we were on the top floor so had to slog our luggage up three flights of stairs. There was a separate keypad to the stairs. And yet a fourth keypad to the room. While I am for security, four separate keypads, all with different numbers, is big time overkill. A code at the main door and at our individual door would have been more than enough. And the worst part was when my husband asked for instructions, everything was sent to a Google link. We are retired, and he doesn't operate on Google, but uses all Apple. So we were literally outside the door for 30 minutes calling them trying to get access. And this was during business hours. .God help us if we had come after hours. Also, on the top floor the internet was usually terrible. Fortunately we didn't spend that much time there on the computer.

• Exceptional – Rafal from Canada – July 19, 2025 (10/10)

  code was provided via text and email

• Wonderful – Karolina from Australia – July 11, 2025 (9/10)

  Beautiful place and a fantastic location!
  
  What could be improved: Nothing to dislike, but room for improvement would be including some tea towels and an ice cube tray in the freezer as well as some more dishwashing tablets. We stayed for 5 days and the bathroom floor gets quite wet with the open shower so more floor towels would be handy too.

• Excellent. – Sheila from United Kingdom – June 11, 2025 (10/10)

  The location, the cleanliness and the facilities.
  
  What could be improved: There was no dish towel or cloth for hand washing the dishes. We could not get the coffee machine to work. I have one similar but we could still not get it to work. The bedroom door did not close as the door catch was missing. The wardrobe in the bedroom was very dangerous as it was not attached to the wall. There was also a smell in the bathroom at times.

• Everything at your door – Jayne from New Zealand – June 11, 2025 (8/10)

  Close to Old town bars and eateries full kitchen facilities good size rooms elevator and really cool light fittings
  
  What could be improved: Tricky emoji instructions to get in, failed to book our tour, crashing recycle noises early

• Wonderful – Damian from United Kingdom – May 24, 2025 (9/10)

  Wonderful location, comfortable apartment and very secure.
  
  What could be improved: No shower door or curtain.

• Wonderful – Matea from Croatia – May 6, 2025 (9/10)

  Location is superb – in the old town close to the central square. But even though it is pretty central, the street itself is quiet. Communication was easy. The apartment itself had everything necessary. Would recommend.
  
  What could be improved: Things that are previously mentioned in other reviews, which are not a big deal – the shower cabin leaks a bit, and there is a light smell in the bathroom (disappears when water is in use).

• Wonderful – Angela from Australia – April 28, 2025 (9/10)

  Very nice, super clean and centrally located in old town. Great place for our weekend jolly with a group of friends in Krakow.

• Perfect Location – Clare from United Kingdom – April 17, 2025 (9/10)

  Great location – less than 5 minute walk to the old town square. Great communication from the team, with clear instructions to check in. Comfortable beds and very clean facilities.
  
  What could be improved: Our shower drain did smell a little – but we guessed that was just from stagnant water throughout the day from showering in the morning and nothing running some water and a quick spray of deoderant/perfume couldn't fix!

SURROUNDINGS