Zlata Ladjica Boutique Hotel

Zlata Ladjica is truly a boutique hotel with only 15 rooms, all individual. The building is an older building that has been recently fully renovated and modernized but retains the old sense and charm. The staff here are exceptional in their friendliness and service, and go well beyond any standards experienced in 5 star plus hotels. The accommodation is very comfortable and the bed and bathroom facilities are excellent. Unfortunately the room (35) is a bit small and with limited space for clothing and placing luggage. The room is well equipped with complimentary minibar and regular provision of sweet delights and fruit from the staff. The breakfast is included in room tariff and is good quality and nice selection of Slovenian cheeses and meats and made to order hot meals. The position of the hotel is unparalleled, close to much of the old town delights, shops, dining and sights. Five stars, would be a plus if had more space in the room and clothing/luggage space.

There really needs to be a Tripadvisor category for 5+ hotels, with some way of limiting how freely people could award such recognition - for example, allowing people to identify a hotel as being among the top 5 or 10 they have ever visited. Zlata Ladjica would fit into that group for us. The hotel itself is beautiful and in excellent condition, with tasteful decor and colors and an thoughtful combination of the building's old heritage with modern design. We had the experience of two different rooms during our stay, both of which were very well decorated and designed - in fact, each room is unique not only in its shape but in its decor. The bathrooms were creatively designed and the furniture was well chosen. Yet the real standout of the hotel is its team. From top to bottom, front desk to restaurant, the staff were fantastic - not mere employees but rather well-educated team members who shared the responsibilities for seeing that each guest's needs were addressed. The bar/restaurant staff was particularly impressive, but then again so was the front desk staff, and even the cleaning ladies were full of smiles. The food must be mentioned as well. Breakfast might as well count as lunch as it was oh so large. On the first morning, you are treated to a standard plate with local traditions, which alone would satisfy most hungry diners, but you then also are asked to select from the list of egg and other mains - all delicious but belt-busting. After the first day, you have different themed breakfast options (mermaid, fitness, etc.), which didn't reduce the food quantity but does provide some variety when compared to the traditional European hotel breakfast buffet. We also enjoyed dinner in the restaurant one night and were very pleased with the quality of the food. And, oh yes, the service was excellent. In other words, a 5+ hotel experience!

Luxury here doesn’t mean price. Luxury is in the warm welcome, the history story told at check-in with a delicious and refreshing beverage in hand. Luxury is the room with NICE furnishings, modern touches and little experiences landing in your room to drink or snack on throughout the day. Luxury is DESIRING to eat in the hotel and then being blown away by the cuisine. And the Slovenian wines. This is top 3 hotel experiences in my well-traveled life. Thank you for this experience in Ljubljana, dear Golden Boat team. You are all excellent hosts.