Balvanyos Resort - Peakture Hotel & Grand Hotel Balvanyos

I was at Balvanyos Resort for the first time with my whole family. (more precisely with my wife and four children). Since I read some negative comments about this hotel, I left with some reservations. We were accommodated in Peakture Hotel, in a two-bedroom apartment (no. 409). Regarding the reception staff, they were very friendly. Every time I called the reception, they solved any need I had. Regarding the apartment, it was extremely spacious and clean. In each bedroom and in the living room where there was also an extendable sofa, there were extremely large smart plasmas. The spa area was a pleasant surprise. On an entire level, there is a spa area reserved just for children. It contains a huge heated pool 1.4m deep, where both children and parents could swim together. There was a pool for the little ones, and another jacuzzi. There was also an area with different activities for children. It was a space with several sources from which water flowed constantly, and children could have a great time in that space. There was also a whole level with a spa just for adults. In the evening, when only the LEDs and spotlights in the pools were on, there was a splendid atmosphere. Here there was a larger swimming pool, slightly cold, a saltwater pool, another pool with hydromassage and bread-flavored water, and sauna area. There were also relaxing pools with hot spring water. I have only seen such a spa in Hungary or Austria ... it is truly magnificent. There is also a heated outdoor pool and an extremely heated jacuzzi also outside. The breakfast is rich, as for a four-star hotel. Nothing to complain about, the coffee was top notch. The only problem is with the food at lunch and dinner. There are very few options. The GastroLab restaurant is expensive and the quality of the food leaves something to be desired. The pizza at the Peakture hotel reception is acceptable. We can't wait to return to Peakture Hotel Balvanyos!

We have stayed in this property before (original review is below) so we knew what we were getting ourselves into when staying in the area. The hotel has actually improved massively, this being mostly down to the fact that children now have their own separate spa. This has improved space in the adults spa itself and has made the environment much calmer and less crowded. There was the odd day where we needed to perch our towel on a plant pot however we were usually able to get at least one seat regardless of the time we arrived. We did spot the occasional child in the area itself but these were mostly 12+ who had been snuck in by the parents and when they were noticed by staff, they were asked to immediately leave. They also had to open the spa on our last day late due to maintenance which meant that we were left without the indoor swimming pool which was being cleaned. It wasn't a huge issue (except for the noise and chemical smell) however it would've probably been more efficient for the hotel to arrange this overnight when the spa is closed. We did bump into the staff member on our first night in the restaurant who was extremely rude to us last year however she was a complete delight this time round, making jokes, being super attentive and friendly. She didn't remember us so I'm hoping that our bad experience with her last year was simply down to her having a bad day. All of the servers in the restaurant were lovely however there was some inconsistencies with wine portions - we would recommend simply purchasing a bottle because it just works out as more cost efficient. Our room smelt slightly of urine upon entering but we put that down the cleaning chemical they had used. The room was spotlessly clean and they had given us a bottle of champagne for our anniversary which was a nice touch. I would've loved to give it 5 stars this time round however there are small issues that are really preventing me from doing so: - We arrived at 2pm (check-in is at 4pm). Our early arrival and lack of rooms weren't the issue - we weren't expecting our rooms to be ready before 4pm but we also didn't expect for them to tell us that they had nowhere for us to store our luggage whilst waiting which meant we had to wait in the bar with all of our bags for a hour or so. The receptionist did kindly give us access at 3:30pm. - The second was the horrible condition of their gym. They are a spa hotel however their actual gym section never seemed too busy (we could see it from our room). I went for a run on one of the days at around 12pm on the treadmill and was actually disgusted by how unclean the space was. There were dirty tissues, black ink, sticky substances and nothing to wipe the machines down with. I did find some hand sanitizer however it was almost empty and the remaining amount congealed. My headphone case was covered in a black tar like substance which was somewhere on the machine. - Last year our room had a radiator however this year we were placed

We went for a couple of nights. We we arrived we found out that our initial cabin had pipes issues due to the cold, so we got another cabin (without the view we payed for). The second accomodation was uglier and always cold (the thermostat was fixed only to nights, while the heating took more than 6 hours). We got a discount so we let that pass. In the second night, where was a huge party in the dining hall, next to our accomodation, at cabin V4. The bass of the music was to loud that all our windows and furniture was vibrating. I went to the party and asked them to at least tune it down, so we could sleep, but I got a smug "sorry, No can do :) " from the manager of the dining hall. The party lasted until past 01:00 at night. The night was ruined since we got so frustrated prior, that neither of us could sleep properly.

I'm really bummed out. The place is basically a construction zone, total chaos everywhere. We booked the whole spa, but the changing rooms are just in the kids' area, and everyone—men, women, and kids—has to share with zero privacy. No one tells you where anything is, and it feels like you don't even matter to the staff. To get to the adult area with the sauna, you have to go down a cold, drafty staircase. They're doing repairs while customers are trying to relax, with workers in dirty clothes everywhere. We couldn't even use most of the sauna because they were swapping out equipment, and then an employee barged in and doused everything with water, making the steam so thick that everyone had to leave. I tried to say something about how messed up that was, but they totally ignored me. It's such a shame because this place used to be amazing. Overall, it was just way too much and really disappointing!

Beautiful quiet location (if the works in the neighborhood would finish). The parking lot should be improved a little and the staff should park their cars not right in front of the hotel and leave their seats to the customers(not professional at all). Being the first time here, I didn't know exactly where I could leave the car, when I asked the receptionist, he replied phlegmatically that if I couldn't find a place, he would move his personal car, So I had to leave the car near the animal stables and carry all my luggage through the snow to a hotel that tends to be pretentious, this was my welcome to this hotel. Unprofessional and poorly educated staff, at least at the reception. For the rest, the rooms are quite clean, they clearly need more attention to cleanliness, they are quite small. The spa center is very crowded and an indescribable noise, you can't find a place to sit down,I don't understand why they give access to so many people when there is clearly no room. The Fork restaurant is a pleasant place, nicely arranged, tasty food, decent service. Overall something nice can be done here with good management, but until then it remains an overrated place