Pension - Restaurant Sabato

If you want to stay in a historic property that's fairly close (~20 minute drive) to the high Tatras but a world away from the crowds and busy commercial areas of Strebske Pleso and the other mountain resort towns, Penzion Sabato could be a good choice. This hotel is located at one end of historic Sabato square, which is perhaps 2 km out from "downtown" Poprad. The buildings around the square are nice, and this is generally a quiet area - perhaps a little too quiet if you're looking for lots of restaurants and nightlife, although there are a few places on the square, including an ice cream shop next door. The pension itself is a remarkable place, a renovated 16th century building that now serves as both a restaurant and a hotel. The main level has offices and a corridor with doors and stairs leading to unknown places, ending at a glass door that opens onto a nice courtyard. The restaurant is off this courtyard and looks nice, but we didn't get to eat there because it was closed the whole time we visited. The pension is on the upper floors, accessed via an old door and a steep wooden staircase with creaky "original 16th century stairs." The nicest rooms are two levels up, at the end of another flight of narrow stairs. We stayed in #4, a very large suite which involved even more stairs - stairs to a loft, and stairs up and down from either level to the bathroom. Yes, there are lots of stairs in a 16th century house, and while most of these were no real problem, climbing up and down stairs to get to the in-room bathroom was a bit squirrelly at 3 AM. Other than that, the place was delightful. If you like character, this place has it in spades. The garden/courtyard area in the back is very nice. Service was excellent, as it should have been since we were one of just two guests staying there. In fact, I worry about the viability of this establishment - they need more customers! It's a cool place, and I would encourage anyone who is a fan of historic hotel properties to visit this place out and stay there, if you can handle stairs. You'll be rewarded with a unique hotel experience.