Hotel Stary is a luxurious five-star escape nestled in the heart of Kraków’s Old Town, just steps away from the bustling Main Market Square. Housed in a beautifully restored 15th-century manor house, the property masterfully blends centuries-old history with high-end contemporary design. Its exceptional interior, which highlights original elements like vaulted ceilings and historic frescoes alongside elegant modern furnishings, even earned the prestigious Prix Villégiature Award.
The hotel’s most unique feature is undoubtedly its wellness center, tucked away in the evocative medieval cellars. Here, guests can relax in a spa that includes a sauna, a salt-iodine chamber, and two swimming pools framed by ancient brick walls. It is a peaceful, atmospheric sanctuary that feels worlds away from the city streets outside.
When it comes to dining and views, the hotel doesn’t disappoint. The seasonal Sky Bar on the rooftop terrace is a standout, offering an intimate setting with a breathtaking panoramic view of the iconic St. Mary’s Basilica and the surrounding historic rooftops. For a taste of the region, the hotel’s renowned restaurant, Trzy Rybki, serves elevated Polish cuisine in a sophisticated, vaulted setting.
Location-wise, you are perfectly positioned to explore the city’s major attractions. You are within easy walking distance of the Wawel Royal Castle, the historic Cloth Hall, and the Rynek Underground Museum. Whether you are interested in deep-diving into local heritage or simply enjoying the vibrant pulse of Kraków, Hotel Stary provides a grand, central home base.
Hotel Stary is a luxurious five-star escape nestled in the heart of Kraków’s Old Town, just steps away from the bustling Main Market Square. Housed in a beautifully restored 15th-century manor house, the property masterfully blends centuries-old history with high-end contemporary design. Its exceptional interior, which highlights original elements like vaulted ceilings and historic frescoes alongside elegant modern furnishings, even earned the prestigious Prix Villégiature Award.
The hotel’s most unique feature is undoubtedly its wellness center, tucked away in the evocative medieval cellars. Here, guests can relax in a spa that includes a sauna, a salt-iodine chamber, and two swimming pools framed by ancient brick walls. It is a peaceful, atmospheric sanctuary that feels worlds away from the city streets outside.
When it comes to dining and views, the hotel doesn’t disappoint. The seasonal Sky Bar on the rooftop terrace is a standout, offering an intimate setting with a breathtaking panoramic view of the iconic St. Mary’s Basilica and the surrounding historic rooftops. For a taste of the region, the hotel’s renowned restaurant, Trzy Rybki, serves elevated Polish cuisine in a sophisticated, vaulted setting.
Location-wise, you are perfectly positioned to explore the city’s major attractions. You are within easy walking distance of the Wawel Royal Castle, the historic Cloth Hall, and the Rynek Underground Museum. Whether you are interested in deep-diving into local heritage or simply enjoying the vibrant pulse of Kraków, Hotel Stary provides a grand, central home base.
Expert reviews
“Quite possibly the best hotel in Krakow, the Stary is a converted merchant’s house, originally built in the 15th century. The company that owns it, the Likus group, has really gone to town in restoring it—a glass lift, marble, silk, exotic woods, and Oriental carpets, two heated pools, a salt cave, Finnish and steam saunas, and yoga among the many treatments.”
“Rooms and suites have been created with sensitivity inside this 19th-century palace, which lies within sight of the main market square. A gastronomic restaurant lies under vaulted ceilings while a sky bar and summer restaurant offer magnificent views from the rooftop.”
What guests liked
- Central location
- Boutique style
- Swimming pool
- Free Wifi
- Friendly staff
Location
Recent guest reviews
16 April 2026
Exceptional
Everything
Nothing
12 April 2026
Lovely experience
All of it
Not much
12 April 2026
Perfect city break stay
Perfect location, right beside Rynek Glowny but still not noisy in the rooms. The rooms are really comfortable, the breakfast was great and the building itself is really beautiful and has won architectural awards. It was also really useful to have the spa and pool after long days walking around the city.
Nothing.
10 April 2026
Fabulous
Location and style were excellent
Bed was a small bit too low for me
7 April 2026
We had a lovely stay at Hotel Stary
Thoughtful and stylish
N/A
7 April 2026
Very good
The staff were informative and professional.
The pool was under renovation and we were not able to use it. It would have been helpful if that information was posted and available to read during the reservation process. I was traveling with my senior citizen mom, and daughter, and relying on the pool to help with daily exercises.
6 April 2026
Wonderful hotel, will definitely come back
Location, wellness area, room design, staff
5 April 2026
Exceptional
Great location, beautiful stylish hotel. Lovely spa. All perfect.
1 April 2026
Fantastic hotel in amazing location. Spacious comfortable rooms with a gorgeous spa
Fantastic location, just off main square. Spacious. Lovely spa and rooftop bar
More sockets in room please
31 March 2026
Exceptional
Spa area and food
30 March 2026
Nice hotel with great location. Little noisy and therefore restless nights.
Great location and beatifull building nicely renovated. Big rooms and spa downstairs was a good bonus.
Noise insulation turned out to be very poor. Apparently we had our room on some ”newer” side of the building. All the noises from rooms next to us were hearing loud and clear to our room. Also all the birds kept us awake during the night. There was an enclosed ”courtyard” inside the buildings to which we had our windows. It was like a drum which made all the outside sounds very loud. Also the elevator shaft was right next to our room which made all the noises from the lobby etc. clear to the room.
30 March 2026
Definitely come back again
Everything was beautiful from the room through to the staff
27 March 2026
Superb value for money. Great location. Lovely start. Also provided taxi's from and to the airport.
Location spot on
26 March 2026
Excellent
Fantastic vibe. Excellent location
24 March 2026
Great stay, and would highly recommend.
I loved how central it was to the old town, so you had everything on your doorstep. I also loved the spa, it was so relaxing and had everything you needed.
I liked everything about the property but I would change a couple of things such as the gym as some of the machines were stiff and needed an upgrade and it would also benefit from a dumbbell station as the heaviest was 3kg. I would also say the beds could do with an extra pillow as you are only given one each.
23 March 2026
Fabulous
Great hotel. Friendly and service-minded staff. Big rooms. Great location.
20 March 2026
Fantastic Spot
Nothing to fault - friendly staff, nice comfortable and quiet room, fantastic spa facilities.
20 March 2026
Exceptional
beautiful hotel in perfect location near the main square
14 March 2026
Hotel Stary is a unique hotel, full of character, with lovely staff.
Gorgeous view from the rooftop bar . Perfect location for visiting all round the old town sires, bars and restaurants.
Unfortunately there was a small bar at the top of the street that stayed open late into the next morning- the noise from the customers kept me awake on 2 of our 4 nights as our room looked into the street. Double glazing in the bedroom would solve this.
12 March 2026
Fantastic stay, relaxing and comfortable with great location
Spa, bed, bathroom, decor
Size of cups in bedroom which weren’t big enough for tea
9 March 2026
Great hotel, but some design elements lacked practicality
This is a beautiful hotel, in an old building that has been modernised and designed really well. It is also in a perfect location right in the heart of the old town, within walking distance of all the main sites of Krakow. The staff were also great and very helpful. Finally, the spa was lovely!
There were some aspects of the hotel that were design over practicality. For example, the shower had two open sides, with only one pane of glass, and every time you turned on the shower it flooded the entire bathroom - there was no way to avoid this. We also had a long thin pane of window glass running along both the ceiling and wall of the bedroom, with a thin, light grey material blind, which did not block out any light and meant the room was always bright when it was bright outside - this was already not ideal in March and definitely won't be come summer.
8 March 2026
Very good, we would stay again.
The room was large and well equipped. The location was great and the staff were very pleasant.
The pool was a few degrees too cold. No milk in the room to go with the tea and coffee. Netflix on the TV would be nice as there were no English channels except news and sport.
8 March 2026
Exceptional
Stunning hotel, amazing location , very helpful and friendly staff
More choice in room service menu - but food was delicious
8 March 2026
Exceptional
Amazing and stylish! Also great stuff!
7 March 2026
Exceptional
Spacious room , staff , location
1 March 2026
Architecturally unique
Just off the main square of Krakow old town. It was a perfect place to explore the restaurants bars and culture. The modern style mixed artfully with the ancient architecture was delightfully unique. The Spa was very relaxing after long days out.
No complaints
25 February 2026
Will stay again
Very beautiful and comforting
Nothing
20 February 2026
Very good
Location and pool
No staff to book massage or no availability when you found a member of staff
19 February 2026
Exceptional
Gorgeous. Spa area was beautiful. Relaxing. Perfect location. Grocery right around the corner. Steps to main square.
15 February 2026
Comfortable stay great location
Clean, rustic and modern design. Great central location with spa and gym. Helpful staff.
7 February 2026
Very good location and very comfortable.
Downstairs restaurant was not the best
1 February 2026
A wonderful stay at Hotel Stary, combining a perfect location, outstanding service, and superb spa facilities.
Hotel Stary is perfectly located in the heart of Kraków, making it an ideal base for exploring the city. The service was excellent throughout our stay, with all staff being attentive, professional, and genuinely welcoming. We especially enjoyed the pool and spa facilities, which were a real highlight and provided a relaxing escape after a day of sightseeing. Overall, a wonderful hotel that we would happily recommend and return to.
Nothing
30 January 2026
Fabulous
Great Service, polite Team.
27 January 2026
Exceptional
Everything- excellent location, gorgeous interiors, friendly staff, comfortable rooms, relaxing spa, delicious breakfast
I noticed that our bedding was only changed once during our stay (we stayed for 3 nights in total) which I found disappointing given the high spec and price of the hotel
25 January 2026
Ultra Top
Ultra Top
25 January 2026
Amazing staff, beautiful hotel, great location! This is our go-to hotel every time we visit Kraków!
Amazing staff, beautiful hotel, great location! This is our go-to hotel every time we visit Kraków!
24 January 2026
Fabulous hotel in great location
Fabulous space and facilities
No (advertised) option for a light breakfast
24 January 2026
An exceptional hotel in the heart of Kraków’s Old Town.
Set in the heart of Kraków’s Old Town, Hotel Stary is the most beautiful hotel we have ever stayed in. The rooms are exquisitely designed, the spa is incredibly relaxing, and there is such a calm, luxurious atmosphere throughout the hotel. We cannot wait to return once again.
20 January 2026
Exceptional
Excellent hotel in a great location.
20 January 2026
Excellent stay would recommend to anyone
Location and cleanliness
Pillows on bed weren’t too comfortable
18 January 2026
It was something we will remember for life
Old school feel
16 January 2026
The location was perfect for the square with plenty of restaurants and sight seeing. The staff were friendly and profess
Excellent location. Gorgeous design. The spa was lovely too. Bedrooms spacious with comfy beds.
Nothing !
14 January 2026
Stunning hotel in perfect location.
The hotel really is as stunning as it looks in the pictures. Staff are very attentive and cannot do enough for you. It’s perfectly located off the main square. Cannot recommend enough.
14 January 2026
Great rooms, excellent location
Rooms were incredible, heated floors in the winter were life savers. Can throw a rock to main square where the Christmas markets are.
Nothing.
12 January 2026
Fabulous
Design, architecture, comfort, location, attentiveness of staff are definitely wonderful. I've stayed here more than 8 times already.
Room has been absolutely wonderful, but at night there's noise from the streets (partygoers screaming and yelling), but this isn't anything the hotel has control over. I recommend earplugs or others - the rooms and their view (if towards the street) are definitely worth it.
10 January 2026
Fabulous
Beautiful property in outstanding location
10 January 2026
Very good
Excellent location, near the main square and all key sites.
All was good
9 January 2026
Absolutely amazing in everything, will go back definitely!
We just loved everything from the beginning to the end. Recommend for families
All was great.
5 January 2026
Excellent hotel
Everything! Fabulous room, lovely bar area with good choice of drinks, amazing spa, super friendly staff. New years eve was super with roof top drinks and views of the fireworks in the square with live music downstairs afterwards.
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Breakfast in the room
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
- - Fruits (additional charge)
- - Coffee house on site
General
- - Room service
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Car hire
- - Heating
- - Allergy-free room
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
- - Shuttle service (additional charge)
- - Airport shuttle (additional charge)
- - Pet bowls
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Business centre
- - Fax/photocopying
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Luggage storage
- - Concierge service
- - Private check-in/check-out
- - Invoice provided
Activities
- - Sauna
- - Fitness centre
- - Spa & wellness centre
- - Massage (additional charge)
- - Hammam
- - Indoor pool
- - Indoor pool (all year)
- - Spa facilities
- - Steam room
- - Spa lounge/relaxation area
- - Fitness
- - Fitness/spa locker rooms
Outdoors
- - Terrace
Entertainment & family services
- - Babysitting/child services (additional charge)
Cleaning services
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Trouser press
- - Daily housekeeping
Transport
- - Airport pick up (additional charge)
- - Airport drop off (additional charge)
Pool and wellness
- - Swimming pool
- - Swimming pool
Miscellaneous
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Breakfast takeaway containers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
- - Thermometers for guests provided by property
- - Face masks for guests available

More photos

19 April 2026
Loved it, felt comfortable and enjoyed every minute!