Hotel Granit

Ignore the negative reviews! This hotel is a little hidden gem in a hidden gem that is Macedonia! Staff are friendly and willing to help. Location is great ( only 10mins by taxi to the centre of Ohrid…which costs €5 / 300 mkd ) right on the lake with its own private jetty and sun beds. The views over lake Ohrid are priceless!!! The pool is perfect, lots of sun loungers available and drinks available throughout the day. The rooms have a homely feel to them and the layout of the hotel has abit of character! There’s various restaurants all serving food at different times. Not a vast amount of choice of food for meals but as a vegetarian I didn’t expect much. There is enough to get you through the day though and the free ice cream was a nice touch. Loved that it wasn’t a ‘typical all inclusive’ with lots of kids drunks and entertainment. It had a nice relaxed atmosphere about the place. People played card games etc at night in the outdoor seating area. If you want a laid back hotel where you don’t want to have to go out for meals then it’s great.

We stayed for 10 nights. The rooms are as has been previously mentioned small and dated but OK as you don't spend too much time in the room. I'd recommend a Lake View room as the sunsets are lovely. The food was nice and there was plenty if you eat no later than 8.30. After this time the staff start clearing away, Either get there earlier than 8.30 pm or be prepared to get all your dishes at one hit. I should have suggested to the staff that a microwave would be a great addition to the restaurant as sometimes the meals were lukewarm as is the norm in this part of Europe. Anyway apart from the early evening meal times everything else was fine. The staff are lovely once you smile and are friendly. Once you make the effort to be friendly they are friendly back. Maybe a throwback from the soviet times? The hotel is a short taxi ride, about 5 euros, from the town of Ohrid. The lakeside restaurants are lovely. I feel that once North Macedonia is "discovered" as a tourist destination things will get busier and more expensive. Get there before it does! Happy to answer any questions.

Although it wasn't perfect, overall we had a wonderful holiday so I feel 4 star is justified. Negatives first -The rooms are outdated and could be in a better condition. We had a family room and one of the toilets often smelt, the air conditioning unit had mould in it, the mattresses were stained, the balconies had big holes in and we definitely had to supervise our 2 year old as he could have easily climbed over the side -2 lifts and 1 was broken for most of our stay, with both of them not working at some points. We had to ask a member of staff to help carry our buggy up 4 flights of stairs -Seriously inaccessible if you are a wheelchair user. The only way to get down to the pool or the lakeside is via a steep service road down the side of the hotel. We struggled as it was with the pram! -The food did get repetitive and was not properly labelled. For religious reasons my partner and kids don't eat pork or beef and we frequently had to check what the food contained as it wasn't clear -Smokers! The absolute worst part of our holiday by a mile, smokers everywhere, whilst eating, by the pool. Not great with little children around Now onto the positives which do far outweigh the negatives! -The views! Absolutely stunning. Even the staff were taking pictures of the sunsets in the evening as they are so beautiful -I think we got an amazing deal for the price we paid, and in the summer holidays too. We booked with TUI and were all inclusive although looking at future dates it seems that you can only go half board now. -The pool and lake areas are fantastic, even the locals visit them. Whilst they could get busy you could always find at least a couple of loungers and there were plenty of water activities available and for a reasonable price, about £4 to hire a paddle board or a pedalo for an hour. We did this a couple of times, so relaxing. You could get free towels from reception which was useful. -The wine and beer were excellent, local and very drinkable, not like the usual vinegar you get when AI! -Although the food wasn't amazing, you could always find something to eat - chips, a variety of fresh salads etc. Some days we really enjoyed our lunch/dinner, it just depended what was being served. -The terrace and bar areas were superb Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and would definitely return. Easy access by taxi to Ohrid town, which is absolutely stunning. I didn't have high expectations for the price we paid and the reviews so it definitely surpassed what I was expecting.