Przy Mocaku

Hotel Description

You know what struck me first about Przy Mocaku? The address – Romanowicza 5/198 – sounds impossibly Polish until you’re actually standing there in Podgórze, and then it just makes sense. This isn’t your typical Krakow hotel experience, honestly. While everyone else is cramming into the Old Town dealing with tour groups and overpriced everything, you’re tucked away in this residential neighborhood that feels like actual Krakow.

The building itself has that solid, no-nonsense Polish architecture thing going on, but inside they’ve done something really thoughtful with the space. I mean, you can tell someone who actually lives in this city designed it – there are these little touches that matter, like proper blackout curtains (because Polish summer nights are bright until like 10 PM) and bathroom fixtures that don’t look like they came from a communist-era catalog. The rooms are what I’d call “smartly sized” – not huge, but everything has its place, and honestly, when you’re scoring a 9.3 rating, people aren’t complaining about square footage.

What really sells this place is the Podgórze location, though most tourists don’t realize what they’re missing over here. You’re maybe a fifteen-minute walk from Kazimierz – you know, the Jewish quarter with all the bars and restaurants – but you’re also right near some spots that locals actually frequent. There’s this whole riverside area along the Vistula that’s perfect for morning runs or evening walks, and you can see Wawel Castle from across the water without fighting crowds for the view. The tram connections are solid too (though I always end up walking because Krakow’s just that walkable), and parking – if you’re brave enough to drive in Poland – is actually manageable in this area.

I stayed here during shoulder season and it had this perfect quiet-but-not-dead vibe. The staff clearly knows their stuff; they gave me restaurant recommendations that weren’t just the obvious tourist traps, and when I asked about getting to the salt mines, they had actual practical advice about timing and tickets. That’s the kind of local knowledge you want from a 4-star place. The breakfast (because let’s be real, hotel breakfast can make or break your morning) was properly Polish – lots of fresh bread, good coffee, and enough variety that you’re not eating the same sad pastry every day.

Look, Podgórze isn’t going to give you that fairy-tale medieval atmosphere if that’s what you’re after – head across the river for that. But if you want to stay somewhere that feels connected to how Krakow actually works as a modern city, while still being close enough to hit all the must-sees, Przy Mocaku gets it right. The fact that they’re pulling a 9.3 rating tells you other travelers are figuring this out too. Just don’t expect it to stay a secret forever.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $87. Standard Apartment with 1 queen bed and 1 sofa bed for Max. people: 2

Reviews

• Wonderful – Zuzana from Slovakia – July 10, 2025 (9/10)

  The location is perfect, walking distance to the city centre, easy access to trams, parking in the garage.
  The apartment consists of two spacious rooms (one being a living room with a kitchen table), both have access to the balcony, small kitchen is located in a lobby behind the entrance door, bathroom is also spacious. It is perfect for small family / couple. Although the apartment does not have air condition, even though we stayed during hot days, the apartment was not heated up.
  
  What could be improved: There was quite a lot of dust everywhere, mainly in the cabinets. Our phone went dusty during the night. This can be a problem for a person suffering allergies.

• Exceptional – Margarita from Greece – May 23, 2025 (10/10)

  Really clean, comfortable bed, nice balcony, area on spot, new and very well prepared ❤️

• Ideal location for short stay in Krakow – Neville from United Kingdom – April 6, 2025 (10/10)

  Lift access and great location near Schindler's factory

• Cozy apartment, best quality – price choice – Katsiaryna from Poland – September 30, 2024 (10/10)

  Very nise staff, convenient and well-equipped apartment.
  
  What could be improved: One minor detail – there was no shampoo in the bathroom.

• Exceptional – Pavel from Czech Republic – July 28, 2024 (10/10)

  Modern, cosy appartment. Good location, walk distance to all main sightseens in the city center. Apartment well equiped: you have anything you need.

• Exceptional – Vytautas from Lithuania – July 22, 2024 (10/10)

  Nice apartment with all you need and underground parking

• Exceptional – Patricia from United Kingdom – May 7, 2024 (10/10)

  Lovely comfortable apt.
  Enjoyed our stay

• Exceptional – Jana from Czech Republic – November 10, 2023 (10/10)

  Everything was as was written before arrival. Great place for staying.

• Great city, very good accommodation – Hubička from Czech Republic – July 7, 2023 (9/10)

  This host deserves a high rating. Everything he says is true. The only negatives we noted were: the apartment has a bit of a smell from the bathroom drain and the host uses black sheets. The elevators in the building are equipped with touch controls (not buttons), so it takes a lot of patience to call the elevator. The building itself, where the apartment is located, is modern, clean, with excellent transport links. The city of Krakow is then a very modern, clean city with buildings that give the impression, they were repaired yesterday (the city of Zurich is a grey city compared with Krakow). Young Poles speak English, but on the other hand, you will often recognize, they don’t want to help you, Poles are a little bit grumpy, they push to another people. The toll system works great, especially in the form of a video toll. The card payments are preferred. Great city, very good accommodation.
  
  What could be improved: see above

• Great apartment in a very good area – Robertc83 from Romania – May 29, 2023 (10/10)

  Very nice, clean and modern apartment with everything you need. Bedroom with comfortable bed, full kitchen, washing machine, balcony, underground parking.
  Apartment is located in a new building very close to the Oskar Schindler factory.
  Self check in and check out very easy with clear instructions from the host.
  Public transport, supermarket and restaurants very close to the apartment.
  
  What could be improved: The curtains in the bedroom are a little thin and you might get woken up by the sunlight in the morning.

SURROUNDINGS