Gjirokaster Hotels with Shuttle Service

We spent one night at the Kalemi Hotel. It is an old Ottoman house with a lot of character and charm. The room is very large, very quiet and the view of the city is breathtaking. A very warm welcome, very good breakfast, wifi which works very well...everything was perfect. Only small point, a little difficult to find because the streets of Gjirokastër are quite ”complicated” with a car. But, parking is at your disposal. I especially wanted to warmly thank the hotel staff : I had forgotten a gold chain in the room. I contacted them and they graciously sent it back to my home in France. I found it in my mailbox when I returned. A big thank-you.

We chose this place because we wanted an authentic experience and also because all rooms had a balcony ( and we wanted to wash a few clothes and dry them in the balcony). NO ROOMS HAVE A BALCONY here! However, the positives : it was authentic, the room was a good size, the bed was comfortable and it was an easy walk to the old town and castle. Negatives: We had walked 30-40 minutes up steep hills with full backpacks to get here and my partner wanted a wash asap. She closed the plug with the old fashioned pull/push type mechanism, filled the hand basin, had a wash and then when she opened the plug again the water gushed out from behind the unit all over the floor. I immediately reported this and it was fixed leaving me waiting 40 minutes for a wash & to change to go out for dinner. We were later to be blamed by the male host for breaking it. As a GP, my partner didn’t take kindly to being called a liar! There were cobwebs attached to the window pelmet - maybe a bit too authentic. We went to the “shared” kitchen area to make a cup of tea to find a kettle full of “herbs” and seashells. It transpires that the hosts make herbal tea which they boil in the kettle then put in percolator style coffee pots for you to have cold at breakfast. Bizarre. Breakfast was not brilliant (traditional Albanian cold over-cooked fried eggs - also bizarre to us). However, there was some lovely home made sour cherry jam and also some Madeira style cake which was nice. We then had a stand up row about the exchange rate he was charging (different from 3 hotels before and one since). Though this was pathetic as it ended up being over £1.50, I paid with some euros we had to avoid feeling being ripped off. The hosts then told Booking. Com that we hadn’t turned up (either to avoid their charges or avoid our review). I think we were just unlucky. Wanted authentic - be careful what you wish for!!!

Beautiful modern hotel in a lovely historic building only a few feet from the Old Bazaar. The double room is very spacious and my room offered a great view over the Ottoman-era rooftops of the town. Breakfast was included with my booking and it was amazing with a big selection of hot and cold food on offer. You'll love your stay here!

This was my second time staying here and I loved it as much as the first time. The hotel is in an old traditional building that has been completely, beautifully restored. I got an upgraded room, one with stone walls, wood carved ceiling, and built in seating - very wonderful. There is outdoor seating on a deck with beautiful views. Breakfast was a feast and really delicious. The staff was welcoming and friendly. I wouldn't stay anywhere else. Driving here was a bit of a challenge as Google maps took me on some impassable roads. You could probably ask them for directions. From the main road what worked for us was; Bulevardi 18 Shtatori and then at a roundabout taking Rruga Doktor Vasil Laboviti, then Rruga Lufta Mashkullores and then going right on Rruga Alqi Kondi, then going 2-3 blocks and going right on a road that's only 1/2 block long and then a quick right, the hotel is on your right. There's a nice parking lot just a 50 feet beyond the hotel on your left.