Slovenia - Eastern Europe - page 656

Dunajska 154, 1000 Ljubljana. & 01/588-2500. Fax [phone]. www.dominagmljubljana.com. 214 units. 200 €
($250) double Royal Media; 230

($325-$1,269) suite. Rates include
breakfast. AE, MC, V, DC. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; lounge bar; casino; business center; room service; wellness cen-
ter; Thai massage; laundry. In room:A/C, TV, Internet, minibar.

€ ($288) double junior suite; 260 € -1,015 €

EXPENSIVE
Grand Union The main contender in a group of three co-owned central hotels,
Grand Union is aimed at business travelers, but pins its image to a sense of character
and refinement (despite former Holiday Inn connections). Built in 1905, it was then
the most modern hotel in the Balkans, with a high-ceilinged sprawl of wide passages
and shiny marble floors, behind an Art Nouveau facade. Guest rooms are in two cate-
gories: Executive and Business. Opt for the classier Executive part of the hotel if you
crave historical ambience; the Business wing is in a less-elegant 1970s building. How-
ever, the newer wing includes great views of the castle and the city's rooftops from even-
numbered units on the seventh, eighth, and ninth floors. Guest rooms have pale-yellow
walls and turquoise carpets; they're relatively spacious with bright big bathrooms.
Miklosiceva cesta 3, 1000 Ljubljana. & 01/308-1170. Fax [phone]. www.gh-union.si. 200 units. Executive:
177

€ -283 € ($221-$354) double; 350 € -487 € ($438-$609) suite. Business: 164 € -283 € ($205-$354) double;

279 ($349-$609) suite. Rates include breakfast and VAT. AE, MC, V, DC. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; cafe;

pool; fitness room; sauna; room service; laundry. In room:A/C, TV, Internet, minibar, hair dryer, iron on request, safe.
Hotel Mons Billed as Slovenia's first designer hotel and set at the edge of a
thick green forest right at the outskirts of greater Ljubljana, Mons may be a little way
out of the center (5km/3 miles away, in the suburb of Brdo), but is well positioned for
quick highway access to the rest of the country, and there's a regular free shuttle into
the city. Designed by Boris Podrecca, it's a bright glass-encased hotel, the chic mod-
ernism counterbalanced by its salubrious garden setting (which you're reminded of by
views from practically every window). Guest rooms in pale tones continue the mod-
ernist theme; they're smart, comfortable, and easy on the eye. The drawback here is
that Mons is attached to a Congress Centre, meaning that from time to time it fills up
with delegates; instead of an a la carte restaurant, there's a self-service “market”
-themed canteen-style facility, which is great if you're a conference attendee, but ulti-
mately without charm. Rates are very reasonable, and when things are quiet, you
might get a reduced rate, even without a reservation.
Pot za Brdom 55, 1000 Ljubljana. & 01/470-2720. Fax [phone]. www.mons.si/en. 114 units. Jan 8-July 15 and
Aug 16-Dec 23: 180

€ -487 €

€ ($225) double, 335 € ($419) junior suite, 370 € ($463) suite. Jul 16-Aug 15 and Dec 24-Jan

7: 145 ($419) suite. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities:

Self-service restaurant; breakfast room; bar; fitness room, sauna; conference center; room service; laundry; city shut-
tle; airport transfers; billiards; shop; Internet facility; travel agency; jogging paths; bike rental; sightseeing. In room:
A/C, TV, Internet, minibar, hair dryer, safe.

€ ($181) double, 265 € ($331) junior suite, 335 €

MODERATE
Antiq Hotel This brand-new boutique hotel in the heart of Old Town—
the entrance is marked by four potted “designer” trees adjacent the fountain on Gornji
trg—is a sure winner as the most fabulous place to stay in the capital. Decorated with
an assortment of antiques, the interior is like an advertisement for Ljubljana's Sunday
market; passages are decorated with mirrors and original framed paintings. Guest
rooms are a mixed bag and charged accordingly: Book no. 1 if you want a spectacu-
larly large room with ornate carpets, a carved wooden bed with sumptuous bedspreads
and cushions, lovely closets, antique desk, and a seating area with sofa, armchair, and
an old ottoman; even the bathroom is big and long, with his and hers basins, a bidet,

Finds