Like famous slovenian heritage expert, professorJanez Bogatajonce well put it ˝every hotel has its own cultural heritage, the question is -do the hotel owners recognize it?˝

In Slovenia we have some hotels where you can experience the past as it once was, or at least have an authentic experience of the tradition of the hotel. In my opinion a hotel without a story around it, is just a ˝sleep-in box˝. What a traveler really needs and deserves is to experience ˝the soul of the place˝. A story based on real historic facts urges travelers to think about the place and it makes them imagine events connected to it. The imaginary, in fact is a part of the whole package of tourist experience and plays a cruitial role in traveler´s final satisfaction.

So let us see which Slovene hotels offer a real historic experience:

1.Vila Bled, overlooking the romantic lake Bled used to be a summer residence of Tito, late president of Yugoslavia. Sleep in ˝Tito´s room˝, the room furnited just as it was in times of Tito and full of memories and stories. 

Vila Bled, Foto: Archive SloveniaHolidays.com (2012)

2.Palace Hotel run by Kempinski chainin Portorož, seaside resort of Slovenia also has a ˝Presidential suite˝ informally called the ˝Tito´s suite˝ which is surprisingly in the first floor of the hotel as Tito did not like to climb the stairs. The original building of the hotel dates back in 1910 in the times of Austro-Hungarian Empire when Hotel Palace was considered second biggest and most exclusive hotel on Adriatic coast. The hotel was restored and reopened in 2008.

Palace Hotel, Foto: Lana Švab (2012)

3. Dvor Jezeršek 1768is a hotel in Zgornji Brnik, in the vicinity of the Airport Jože Pučnik Ljubljana. All the furniture in the hotel is, according to professor Bogataj, authentic furniture from the old manor, which hotel building originally was.

4. Dvorec Jeruzalem, small by size but big in hospitality, is a hotel owned by Puklavec & Friends Wineries Jeruzalem Ormož and Ljutomer. Overlooking vineyards, the manor is an excellent spot for weddings or small-sized reunions. In their restaurant you can taste excellent dishes accompanied by the very ˝heart of the region˝- traditionally produced and world recognized wines. Have a glass of their ˝Muškatna˝ sparkling wine, a mixture of pure love and heritage. 

Dvorec Jeruzalem, Foto: P&F Wineries (2012)

5. If you fancy an ˝out-of-the box˝ hotel experience have a look atCelica hostelin Ljubljana. The ex military prison was built in 1882 but transformed in the youth hostel in 2003. When I first saw the hostel 5 years ago I was so amazed by the whole building that I even signed-in for the summer job as a room-maid. The iron bars on the doors make you feel like a prisoner yet the artisticly decorated and furnited room interior makes you sleep comfortable. Hostel Celica even won the prize as the ˝Hippiest hostel of the World˝. So do have a look, book a room or participate in one of the many cultural evenings and jam sessions they organize.

If you visited any other castle or ˝hotel with a soul˝ in Slovenialet us knowabout your experience!