Hotel Piran ★★★★

Slovenia, in spite of its small geographical size, has an amazing variety of landscapes. What makes it unique is its position between the Alps and the Mediterranean, each with their special regional characteristics. You can feel the sense of pride in this lovely piece of coastline throughout the city. It is also reminiscent of Venice, and everywhere in the architecture there is the visible legacy of centuries of Venetian rule. Piran is the acknowledged pearl of the Slovenian Mediterranean coast, and it is easy to see why. Sitting right at the tip of the Istrian Peninsula, with sweeping views to the Alps and across the Adriatic to Italy, the ancient city of Piran is a collection of undiscovered treasures. But we were about to discover one of them: the Hotel Piran!

You arrive in the entrance lobby to see fresh multi-coloured Italian marble tiles and pictures of the local coastal highlights proudly displayed on the huge cylindrical light. We are used to a warm welcome and courteous staff, but rarely had we felt such genuine concern about our comfort and well-being, and this was not a fleeting first impression, but a taster of the way we would be treated throughout our stay, from the friendly reception staff to the expert sommelier who later would give us the benefit of his expertise about the excellent and under-appreciated Slovenian wines.

Our bedroom was clean and unfussy with plenty of practical storage, desk space and an inviting sunny balcony with an enchanting sea view. This is a four-star hotel and it shows in the range of practical conveniences like Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a safe and a mini-bar. Best of all was the inviting balcony where you could sit and gaze out over the endless Adriatic sea views. The fresh all-white bathroom was conveniently fitted out and had a pretty basket of toiletries from a local supplier.

In between trips to explore the lovely old city of Piran, we indulged ourselves back at the hotel with a relaxing massage in the wellness centre – an essential part of a great holiday for both of us, and we agreed that if this hotel was in Venice, apart from being three times the price, you wouldn’t notice anything different. Dinner in the hotel’s restaurant was really excellent. The menu was Mediterranean with the focus on seafood, but with meat and vegetarian options offered as well. We were more than happy with the delicious sea bass with a glass of wine, and the advice of the sommelier was interesting and made for a light-hearted, fun occasion.

When you explore the city, the winding small roads are thankfully free of cars, and the hotel even offers bicycles to get you around. We took time browsing in little shops, sipping coffee in pretty courtyards, strolling on the promenade by the sea and climbing to the top of the town walls – the view from the top definitely made it worthwhile! By the time we left, I had almost forgotten this had been my friend’s idea; I was congratulating myself on my brilliant discovery of the Hotel Piran!