Hotels near Ishëm Castle - Kalaja Antik e Ishem, Durres

As requested by receptionists I post the review- unfortunately it cannot be positive. We arrived on Thursday afternoon (SEP 8 2022). First of all we were disappointed by impolite service in the restaurant that we used twice- for the lunch and for the dinner. During the lunch we were served by the waitress (black pony-tailed hair) who was impolite, impatient and angry. She was confusing the price of house wine several times- once she was saying the price of 800 LEK, shortly after the price increased to 8000 LEK, then 800 LEK again and suddenly she showed her disapproval that we dare to ask of the price of house wine as ”it is so cheap as 80 EUR”. Maybe 80 EUR for the house wine is cheap for the well-paid waitress but we do not consider it to be adequate price. During the evening we were lucky not to be served by Her. Restaurant manager came, took the order and professionally delivered pastas and drinks we ordered. Then nightmare started again as angry, stressed and tired (the same) waitress came and stated that ”she does not know if / and what kind of/dessert is left and we can go to the other bar and ask them”. Seriously? You have desserts in the menu and when I ordered panna cotta and tiramisu I must go to different place to ask it it is still available? This is not a treatment I would expect in a cheap meat shop, not in an aspiring 4 star hotel. This situation forced me to write the review. Hotel itself is pathetic with urgent need of maintanence- in our room nr 101 shower hand holder was falling apart whenever I was trying to move it, fridge did not produce any cold, water did not drain from the bidet and shower gel was so small that was not enogh to take even one shower, for one person. Plenty of insects in the outside pool, water needs impovement too. There is plenty cheaper hotels literally a few steps away where price- quality ratio will be much more honest. And perhaps their staff will not treat the guests as intruders who dare to ask for the price of ”house wine that is that cheap as 80 EUR”. Atmosphere in Best Western Ark at Rinas Airport is dense and the staff treats the guests condescendingly. There are jumping around the people who come for a dinner well-dressed (pretending to be much posh than they really are) serving them free shots whereas ignoring the people who come in casual clothes and telling to go for the desserts elsewhere. It is really strange that from all the guests ordering from the same menu only some get special treatment, even free shots and the others are not even served properly. The staff should definitely improve English. For us Best Western proved again that they are below standards or their much better competitors.

I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Mercure Hotel in Tirana, and I must say, it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The hospitality provided by the staff was truly outstanding and made my stay incredibly enjoyable. First and foremost, I want to highlight the incredible friendliness and professionalism of the entire team. Andriane, from the restaurant, went above and beyond to ensure that every meal was perfect, always greeting guests with a warm smile and attentive service. The women at the reception desk were equally impressive, always ready to assist with any inquiries or needs, making the check-in and check-out process seamless and pleasant. The gentlemen at the rooftop bar deserve a special mention as well. Their courteous demeanor and excellent service added an extra layer of enjoyment to the evenings spent there. The food at Mercure Hotel is another standout feature. Every dish was delicious, well-prepared, and presented beautifully. Whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the culinary experience was consistently top-notch. Additionally, the hotel's amenities, particularly the swimming pool, were fantastic. The pool was clean, well-maintained, and provided a perfect spot to relax and unwind after a day of exploring the vibrant city of Tirana. Overall, my stay at Mercure Hotel was marked by exceptional service, delicious food, and excellent facilities. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Tirana and looking for a place that truly understands the importance of hospitality. Thank you to the entire team for making my stay so memorable!

This hotel was fabulous, from check -in when they let us check in early through to check-out when they made us a breakfast takeaway for our early flight. I cannot rate this high enough. All staff were amazing and helpful, a special shout out to the waiting staff and housekeeping. The rooms were immaculate, spotlessly clean, and a good size with everything needed for our stay. The breakfast was absolutely gorgeous with a huge amount of choice (a la carte) and whilst we do agree with some of the other comments regarding slow service this was the case in all of the restaurants we visited and so is more a general thing rather than being specific to this hotel (maybe we live life too fast in the UK!!!!). We ate in the restaurant in the evening a couple of times and the food was absolutely delicious, we also just had drinks and it was a pefect ambience to relax with great vibe. All in all, this was a wonderful introduction to Albania and we would definitely return to this hotel in a heartbeat.

Large and comfortable room with big balcony overlooking the beach. No problem at all getting sun loungers, towels provided by the hotel. Friendly and helpful staff. Good location for seafront restaurants.