Hotel Best Western Premier Slon

The hotel is situated on a busy street corner in Ljubljana's city centre and at the end of a pedestrianised shopping thoroughfare, only two minutes walk from the famous Triple Bridge. Ljubljana Airport is about a 30 minute drive away.

Pets are welcome.

The Slon is a 7-storey hotel that was last renovated in 2009. We liked the elegant lobby; furnished in dark colours and crystal chandeliers and light fittings it provides a chic introduction to the hotel. The hotel attracts a mix of business and leisure guests therefore the décor throughout remains quite classic. However, renovations are currently underway (we visited in July 2011) to refresh the corridors (carpets, wallpaper, etc) and the fitness/sauna area. As of our visit, the latter was in a small room on the top floor, with limited equipment in the gym. Finally, watch out at busy times (check out, breakfast, etc) as the elevators can fill up quickly and it might be quicker to take the stairs.

The 168 rooms are divided into single, twin/double and deluxe rooms, and suites (including a duplex suite). Smoking rooms are located on the 2nd floor only. While the single rooms are slightly cramped they are perfectly acceptable for a solo traveller on a quick visit. Standard double rooms are neat and bright with parquet floors and large beds draped in crisp white linen. While some of the bathrooms are a tad small they are spotless and functional. Other standard doubles are lucky enough to have a slightly larger bathroom with both shower and bathtub. The superior rooms are incredibly comfortable due to the special mattresses on the beds combined with the softest of pillows and blankets (polished Egyptian cotton, 90% down and 10% duck in the pillows and blanket, and 7cm of pure duck down in the mattress insert): you're guaranteed a good night's sleep. Superior rooms are either corner suites (not much room around the bed) or larger rooms with the addition of a sofa bed. All superior rooms boast spacious bathrooms with large Jacuzzi. Unlike most other city hotels, all rooms come with tea and coffee making facilities. The deluxe rooms and suites come with their own coffee machines. We found the air conditioning unit a bit noisy.

There are several food and drink options at the Best Western Premier Hotel Slon. The breakfast room is found on the first floor and features a large buffet station in the centre of the room. High ceilings, big windows and displays of silverware and antiques create a pleasant dining environment. There is a very good variety of both hot and cold breakfast items - the pancakes are especially popular.

On the ground floor is a coffee shop and bar and restaurant situated on the street corner. Large windows mean this is a good place for people watching plus there's also a terrace. Open for all day dining, meals are available on an à la carte basis however there are also special set menus available (tasty but go with an empty stomach!). Decorated in a cool 1930s style, there's a tempting dessert cabinet and a central circular bar under a wired dome. Seating is available on the ground floor and the upper mezzanine level. There is a good variety of both local and international dishes, best washed down with a few glasses of local wine.