Willa Elżbieta

Hotel Description

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first pulled up to Willa Elżbieta on Rabczańska – it’s tucked away in Swoszowice, which most tourists completely skip over on their way to Krakow’s Old Town. But you know what? That turned out to be exactly why I loved this place. The neighborhood has this quiet, residential feel where you can actually hear birds in the morning instead of tour groups shuffling past your window at 7 AM.

The hotel itself feels more like staying at someone’s well-appointed family home than a typical four-star property, if that makes sense. The owners clearly put thought into the little things – I mean, there’s actual good coffee in the lobby (not that watery stuff you usually get), and the rooms have these heavy curtains that actually block out light, which was a godsend after those long summer days when the sun’s still up at 9 PM. The parking situation is refreshingly drama-free too, which anyone who’s tried to navigate Krakow’s city center with a rental car will appreciate. What really struck me was how the staff seemed to genuinely know the area – when I asked about getting to Wieliczka Salt Mine, the receptionist didn’t just hand me a generic brochure but actually explained the best bus connections and mentioned which entrance has shorter lines (honestly saved me about an hour of waiting around). The location works brilliantly if you’re planning day trips or if you want that authentic Polish neighborhood experience without completely sacrificing comfort. You’re close enough to hop on public transport into the center – it’s maybe 20 minutes on the tram – but far enough out that you can grab dinner at one of those family-run places where the menu’s only in Polish and the pierogi are absolutely worth the language barrier.

I’ll be straight with you though – this isn’t the place if you want to stumble out of your hotel and immediately be surrounded by tourist attractions and English-speaking restaurant staff. But if you’re the type who enjoys discovering a city beyond the postcard spots, and you appreciate a 9.3 rating that actually feels earned rather than inflated, Willa Elżbieta delivers something pretty special. The whole experience feels authentic in a way that’s getting harder to find, especially at this price point. Plus, there’s something satisfying about staying somewhere that locals would actually recommend to their visiting relatives, you know?

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $110. Three-Bedroom Villa with 1 twin bed, 2 × 1 queen bed, 3 twin beds, 2 twin beds and 1 sofa bed for Max. people: 4

Reviews

• Wonderful – Kevin from Germany – March 16, 2025 (9/10)

  Mostly everything.
  
  What could be improved: The door of the toilet could be changed it was a bit awkward.

• Exceptional – Roman from Slovakia – December 30, 2023 (10/10)

  Cozy house at a good price. Hassle-free check-in. The owners of the house are nice people.

• Excellent weekend stay for krakow – Jordan from United Kingdom – December 7, 2023 (10/10)

  Location as it was nice and peaceful
  The layout as everything was nice and presentable
  The facilities was the key point
  
  What could be improved: N/A

• great facilities and really nice house. – Hawthorne from New Zealand – July 14, 2023 (9/10)

  size was excellent. well supplied with all products. clean.
  clear Instructions from owner.
  
  What could be improved: didn’t have a toaster
  beds were very squeaky with every movement

• one of the best stays ever thank you – Tim from United Kingdom – April 9, 2023 (10/10)

  lovely property nice and clean. lots of space for 4 adults. Would definitely return again
  
  What could be improved: nothing

• Run down place – Marioara from Romania – August 12, 2025 (5/10)

  The property is close to Krakow and in a nice part of krakow away from the hussle and bussle. The property is also clean and the water pressure very strong
  
  What could be improved: It is in need of updating and fixing broken things. Plug sockets are hanging off the wall in places, it smells of old. Most appliances are ancient, the microwave looks like it’s from the 1980s as do most things actually. There is a coffee machine but no filter rendering it useless. The hairdryer doesn’t blow hot air anymore. The towels can also do with replacing, they feel like they have dried a thousand bodies.
  
  There is only one bathroom and one toilet so for a large family was slightly inconvenient. To get to one bedroom you have to walk through another which incommodes the person using that bedroom. The owners seems to use the garage underneath at random hours and when it shuts it makes a large noise in the upstairs bedroom. They say you also have to recycle everything but there are no instructions to show you where the bins are for example.
  
  No idea why people rate it 10/10. To get ten out of ten it needs to be perfect and it’s FAR from that.

• Good – Tomasz from Australia – April 17, 2024 (7/10)

  What could be improved: Property ageing, could do with a little TLC. Good overall.

• it wasn’t comfortable staying. – محمد from United Arab Emirates – January 10, 2023 (4/10)

  only the variety of the rooms
  
  What could be improved: 1-the wash room wasn’t clean, there was no lock on all doors of the rooms and the bathroom, so there was no privacy,
  the villa spouse to be for eleven people with only one small bathroom and far away from the rooms, and there was no hot water in the bathroom.

• Nice stay but please fix the heating in the house – Alesia from Poland – September 21, 2022 (7/10)

  Good communication and instructions from the house owner, cleanliness, all the necessary stuff in the kitchen and in the bathroom, nice garden, quiet neighborhood.
  
  What could be improved: It was cold in the house and we could not turn on the batteries. No toilet on the 1st floor (where all the bedrooms are). Creaky beds.

• Wspaniały czas z rodziną w pięknej okolicy – Anna from Poland – July 13, 2025 (10/10)

  Fantastyczne miejsce w cichej okolicy, bardzo miła i pomocna gospodyni. Gorąco polecam dla rodzin czy grupy znajomych.

SURROUNDINGS