This is a hotel in a perfect location for a weekend of sightseeing & relaxation in beautiful Vilnius .True,it may not be in the most scenic street in the city but that's the only negative comment that i can make on the place .We arranged a taxi pickup from the airport with the hotel for 45 litas & on arrival at the hotel it was a pleasant surprise that check in took no more than 2 minutes .We took the lift up to our room on the 3rd floor & were amazed on opening the door at just how big the room & the bed were .The room was comfortable,spotlessly clean & had tv,aircon,mini bar(reasonably priced),tea making facilities,radio/cd player,wi-fi etc .There was also a small balcony .The bathroom was also a sizeable room with bath/shower,hairdryer,plenty of towels(changed daily),bath robes & was well stocked with shower creme,liquid soap,shaving set,dental set etc .The heated tile floor was a nice touch .
As the hotel was quiet breakfast was ordered from a menu list rather than being the expected buffet .All the old reliables were available such as tea,coffee,toast,cheeses,cold meats,sausages,eggs,omelettes,cornflakes etc .Portions were a good size & we certainly didn't have less than we would have had if it been buffet style.
All the staff were excellent & all spoke perfect english & always greeted us with a smile .Nothing ever seemed to be a problem for Natalija & the rest of the team as on several occasions they searched the internet for us to find adresses & timetables .They are a real plus to the hotel .
Facilities in the hotel include a small gymnasium,a sauna(free of charge)& a 2 lane bowling alley in the basement which offers a 10% discount to hotel guests .There is a free of charge luggage room in reception,very handy if your flight is several hours after checkout .
Location wise for the sights,i don't think the hotel could be better located .The Bastion tower is no more than 100 mts away .St Teresa's Church & the Gates of Dawn are hardly a 5 minute stroll away as is St Casimir Church .The Philharmonic Hall,Town Hall,Presidential Palace,the University,Pilies,Didzioji & Vokieciu streets are all just a short stroll away as are the Cathedral,St Anne's & The Barnadine Churches & the weird & wonderful Uzupio district .The National Museum is about 20 minutes walk,situated close to the Cathedral & well worth the 5 litas entrance fee .For a fabulous view of the city get the funicular (2 litas) from next to the museum up to the castle & Gediminos Tower (entrance 5 litas) .For a different type of experience altogether,take a walk up Gedimino Avenue to the KGB/Genocide Museum (6 LITAS) .The dungeon is a dark,depressing & disturbing place but upstairs is also very informative & i doubt if anyone that visits would not be affected in some way by what they would see there .
We found Vilnius to be surprisingly good for the quality of it's restaurants & bars .We had very good meals in Cili Kaimas on Vokieciu Street & Amatininku Uzeiga on the corner of Didzioji & Stikliu streets(in front of The Town Hall) & a slightly poorer but still okay meal in Forto Dravas on Pilies Street .If you enjoy coffee there are plenty of cafes around with the Double Coffee chain having numerous outlets around the old town & Gedimino Avenue .
The excellent local draught beers were really cheap ranging from about 5.50 litas to about 7.00 litas for a 500 ml glass .We were lucky to find some great bars to enjoy our Baltas & other Svyturys beers in .Unfortunately Avilys microbrewery on Gedimino has closed but on a side street further up the avenue we found Busi Trecias which also brews it's own beers & was a fantastic place to spend a couple of hours in .We also liked Prie Angelos beside the angel monument in Uzupio & Cactus Mexican Cafe close to our hotel .
Vilnius surprised us .It was much better than we had expected .Great food & beer,very reasonable prices & amazing sights but it's biggest asset is it's inhabitants ,so friendly & helpful .If you visit pick up the free copies of Exploring Vilnius & Vilnius in your pocket from the hotel reception .Both contain everything you need to know for a great time there ,made even better by the excellent Barbican Palace hotel