Ljubljana, an easily navigable and compact capital, is one of the greatest European city break destinations. Baroque, Roman, medieval, art nouveau and socialist-era chic all beguile along the willow-dappled Ljubljanica river, where you can embark on a scenic cruise.
The city is distinctively, proudly Slovenian with a swathe of museums and art galleries where the country’s rich culture is writ large, and the greatest architectural legacy of all remains pioneering local architect Joze Plecnik. There’s also local produce-driven restaurants, where seriously underrated Slovenian wines star too.
Ljubljana’s hotels have really expanded and shifted up several gears since Slovenia joined the EU in 2004. You can recline in grand art nouveau and art deco dames, linger in swish boutique hotels graced with rooftop swimming pools and even bed down behind bars in an old socialist-era prison, brilliantly reinvented with the help of artists as well as architects.
How we review
All our reviewers are either resident destination experts or travel writers that specialise in hotels. Often they will have stayed at a hotel many times and so can see how it has changed for better or worse over the years. They know what makes a great hotel in that particular destination and will compare it contextually against local competition. When our reviewers first visit a hotel, they stay for at least one night, eat one meal in addition to breakfast and will experience all of the facilities on offer. Whichever category of room they stay in, they will see the entry-level rooms in order to assess them.
After their stay, our reviewers then give the hotel six scores out of 10, rating its location, style and character, service and facilities, rooms, food and drink, and value for money. The average of these scores then determines the overall score. Our experts then select reviews for curated lists like this – the best hotels in a particular destination for families, for instance – together with the Telegraph Hotels team.
At a glance: best hotels in Ljubljana
Best luxury hotel in Ljubljana: Grand Hotel Union Eurostars
Best hotel with views in Ljubljana: InterContinental Ljubljana
Best boutique-style hotel in Ljubljana: Hotel Cubo
Hotel Cubo
9/10
Ljubljana’s Hotel Cubo, with its striking art deco façade, offers luxurious, impeccably stylish rooms, great food, a genuinely warm welcome and top-notch service. It’s conveniently located on the edge of the old town, and there is simply no better place to stay in the Slovenian capital.
Antiq Palace Hotel
8/10
The Antiq Palace is an outstanding luxury hotel located right in the heart of Ljubljana, Slovenia’s bijou capital. It is housed within an exquisitely renovated 16th-century palace, complete with huge rooms, peaceful courtyards and masses of character.
Celica Hostel
8/10
Celica Hostel is a 19th-century prison in Ljubljana, renovated to create a slick, stylish and unique hostel with private rooms in former cells. It also offers dormitory beds, and a café-restaurant with a garden terrace, staging occasional concerts and art exhibitions. Nearby is a social centre with galleries, studios and bars.
Vander Urbani Resort
8/10
Vander Urbani Resort is a smooth, sumptuous, even cheekily sexy, oasis right at the heart of Ljubljana’s cobbled old town. Magazine-shoot-chic rooms, can-do staff, a rooftop infinity pool and a restaurant worth staying in for complete a cocktail as compelling as the 200 wines that await in their cellar.
Lesar Hotel Angel
8/10
Lesar Hotel Angel is an outstanding small boutique hotel in the heart of Ljubljana’s historic old city centre. Housed in a beautifully renovated old building, with stylish décor and plenty of character, it makes a perfect base from which to explore the Slovenian capital.
InterContinental Ljubljana
8/10
Ljubljana’s tallest and first five-star hotel adds a slice of international luxury to Slovenia’s capital, with sweeping views of the castle and Julian Alps from the upper floors, and a fabulous Mediterranean-inspired menu served in a Michelin-recommended restaurant.
City Hotel
8/10
Ljubljana’s four-star City Hotel offers comfortable and spacious bedrooms, secure on-site parking and an à la carte restaurant in an unbeatably central location. Some rooms also boast breathtaking views of Ljubljana’s landmark castle.
Hotel Nox
8/10
Hotel Nox, Ljubljana’s leading design hotel is a showcase of contemporary Slovenian style; its 34 rooms having been dreamt up by several different local architects. Each one is unique, although they all share the same high level of slick, professional design.
Grand Hotel Union Eurostars
8/10
Ljubljana’s most prestigious hotel, Grand Hotel Union Eurostars, is a favoured haunt of the rich and famous. The lavish Art Nouveau architecture lends it a presidential air right at the heart of one Mitteleuropa’s most attractive cities. Some rooms boast castle views, with a swimming pool on hand too.
Best Western Premier Hotel Slon
8/10
Ljubljana’s Best Western enjoys an enviable location near the old town, as well as valet parking and a sleek, modern look that ripples on through the contemporary street-side café to the stylish rooms. It’s the oldest hotel in the city too, dating back to 1552.
B&B Slamič
7/10
B&B Slamič is a small, family-run b&b in the centre of Ljubljana, offering a warm welcome and good-value rooms within easy walking distance of the railway station and the Slovenian capital’s vibrant and beautifully preserved old town.
Adora Hotel
7/10
This is a bijou, family-run hotel where the personal touch is paramount. All the furniture is designed by the family and the room rates are wallet-pleasing. It’s an ideal base for sightseeing within the old town, and also offers free parking.
Hotel Park Ljubljana
7/10
Hotel Park Ljubljana was once a rather drab 1960s apartment block and has been transformed into a smart modern hotel with a strong environmental commitment, just a short walk from Ljubljana’s old town centre. Being comfortable, welcoming and very good value, it makes an excellent base for exploring the Slovenian capital.
Austria Trend Hotel Ljubljana
7/10
Austria Trend – close to the ring road on a main artery into Ljubljana – offers easy access to the city and the surrounding area and the airport, as well as the chance to spot sports stars in its renowned and extensive fitness and sports facilities.
Central Hotel
7/10
The four-star Central Hotel is a modern springboard for exploring the chocolate-box-pretty Slovenian capital. It has views of the fairytale hilltop castle. a lively bar inspired by Frank Sinatra, and a sauna for warming up on snowy winter days.
Additional reviews by Rudolf Abraham, Jane Foster and Katie Monk.