The brand new five-star mountain resort Swissôtel Damian Jasná only opened its doors in December 2024. It was immediately clear to me that my family and I would be looking here as soon as possible - full of anticipation of what Swiss luxury in the heart of the Low Tatras in Slovakia has to offer.

Booking a stay

As soon as the hotel appeared in the traditional promotion of Accor's ALL loyalty program for newly opened hotels, I didn't hesitate to choose the earliest suitable date for us, which falls in the second half of May.

On the website all.accor.com I'm booking a room type Swiss Advantage King Room special viewwhich is also the cheapest option available for our family (2 adults and 2 children). Thanks to the platinum membership, I expect to upgrade upon arrival.

The room rate, including meals, is 302 eur per night, with the promotion that I will receive 4 times more loyalty points, resulting in a 22.5% discount on the price of the stay.

View rates for Swissotel Damian Jasná

For maximum convenience I also opt for half board, which ended up being the stumbling block of the whole stay.

The location is second to none

Swissôtel Damian Jasná is located in the Demänovská dolina , right next to the Vrbický pleso. If you're travelling with your family, you'll be delighted by the many play features around the lake.

A few minutes' drive before the hotel, you will pass the Cave of Freedom and the Ice Cave. The main access is from Liptovský Mikuláš, which is 10 minutes away, and you will find, for example, the largest water park in Slovakia, which is part of the Tatralandia complex.

If you are travelling in winter, you will enjoy direct access to the cable cars and ski slopes. In summer, there are several hiking trails leading around the hotel.

Swissôtel Damian Jasna is perfectly located in terms of transport and hiking.

It took us about 6 and a half hours to get here from Prague, including breaks.

Arrival at the hotel

The road leading to the hotel winds through dense forests, and as soon as it splits, you get a fabulous view of the Swissotel and the Low Tatras, with the main landmark of the Chopok Mountains, which rises 2,024 metres above sea level.

In our case, similar views did not take place until the following days as it was cloudy and raining on the day of arrival.

The following days were much better and with each return from the trip the hotel and the scenery put a smile on our faces.

Unfortunately, what followed was a moment you don't expect at a five star resort.

The driveway to the lobby was blocked without a single sign and we suddenly didn't know what to do.

I parked in front of the tapes preventing cars from passing through to the front door of the hotel and ran over to the front desk in the rain, where I was told to ring the bell at the garage and park there.

No one helps us with our luggage and valet parking, they don't seem to know that here either...

The blocked lobby remains continuously throughout our stay due to the filming of a reality show, even though the filmmakers are in other areas most of the time.

Parking

There are two levels of underground parking, which is suitable for larger cars and SUVs. We were pleased to see the double parking, which can comfortably accommodate a bike rack.

What disappoints, on the other hand, is the fact that parking is paid.

Considering that you can't get to this hotel except by your own car, I would have expected the service to be included in the room rate already. A day of parking for hotel guests costs 15 eur.

Check-in

Upon arrival at the hotel, one can't help but notice the tasteful lobby, which stretches from the reception area through the children's play area to a cozy space with pools, two fireplaces and a glass wall overlooking Chopok.

You'll count three children's play areas throughout the hotel, this being the most modest, but with an extensive children's library.

The receptionist checks in quite briskly and is done in a few moments - scanned documents, communication of the most important information regarding breakfast or the pool. I would have expected more comprehensive information, at least on the services the hotel offers. But with impatient kids on our necks, this quick check-in actually suits us...

(Not) recognizing platinum status

As a big fan and loyal Accor traveler, I missed any mention of status and possible benefits. I'll have to inquire about the upgrade, but thankfully it's been confirmed and we have a room 2 categories up.

In fact, we received a room 3 categories better, where instead of the original room Swiss Advantage King Room special view we're getting a suite Swiss Executive Apartment. It is about three times as expensive.

We are staying on the 5th floor. Above us is only the sixth floor. The seventh floor is the penthouse and the eighth floor, marked with an asterisk, is the spa, fitness center, pools and Skybar.

Room - suite with a view

Access to your room is through a cozy hallway with thick carpets and paintings on the walls.

Swiss Executive Apartment Below number 520, you'll find the end of the hallway, which will record a larger layout as well as panoramic views of the surrounding area.

Immediately on entering the apartment there is a small wardrobe with safe, followed by the living room with kitchenette and through the hallway we reach the children's room, bedroom and two bathrooms with separate toilets.

The kids are burning with impatience, but I still manage to take a few pictures of the neat and fragrant room.

The living room will provide the perfect space for relaxing and working. The couch is a sofa bed, which over time causes the seating area to loosen up and one constantly has to put it back.

The dining table is set with a Welcome Gift. Quite disappointing for a Swissotel - instead of a bowl of fruit, local produce or pastry creations, there is only a glass of milk with chocolate chip cookies and a bottle of prosecco waiting for us.

The kitchen is partially equipped. Induction hob, coffee machine, kettle, sink, one smaller cooking pot, glasses, cups, plates and cutlery.

The smaller fridge includes a minibar, which in our case is included in the price. However, replenishment is sporadic and for example the milk for coffee was not replenished even once.

The children's room offers a bunk bed and a desk.

The two bathrooms are a nice feature for families - and what's more, neither looked like the one next door. One with a walk-in shower, the other with a bathtub. The perfect combination depending on the mood or age of the kids.

A handy heating ladder is welcome for drying swimsuits or wet clothes.

Each bathroom is equipped with a basic hygiene kit, hairdryers and Swissotel's signature Pürovel scented Swiss cosmetics.

The bedroom catches the eye at first glance - a spacious built-in wardrobe, TV and king-size bed flanked on two sides by glass walls. It is these that offer panoramic views and waking up with a poster-worthy view - mountains, forests and tranquility.

The bedroom includes a spacious terrace including chairs.

But views don't guarantee a good night's sleep, and this is where the hotel management should hold its nose. The bed is a bit hard for me, which I could still manage, but the pillows... They were more decorative. Empty pillowcases that disappeared as soon as I put my head down and the neck support was there. The fact that there were two per person didn't help.

Fortunately, everything was sorted out first thing in the morning at reception. I asked for denser pillows and they were replaced within the day.

The hotel also offers a pillow menu with a choice of five different types.

What we further miss here is a perfectly ordinary iron and board. I see this as a standard in five-star hotels, which I find lacking here.

The lights going out is also a nightmare. Too much effort to be unique has overtaken the intuitive controls, so turning off all the lights in the suite before bed is an intellectual conundrum. The hotel hears this criticism a lot from reviews and preferred to add instructions for controlling the lights to the hotel brochure...

Overall, the room size is an above-standard 80 square meters and the impression we are left with is a positive one.

Wi-fi

The internet connection is stable throughout the hotel, including the rooms. Again, I miss the private network option for Accor members here. The hotel seems to have gone the route of not rewarding loyal travelers.

Phenomenal breakfast

My wife and I simply cannot imagine a hotel stay without breakfast.

Plus, with memories of our stay at Singapore's Swissotel running through our minds, our bellies are full of anticipation and our taste buds on high alert.

The buffet breakfast is served every day from 7am to 10am and until 11am on weekends.

Upon entering the restaurant, you will be immediately impressed by the pompous space that offers ample seating, views of the surrounding mountains and most importantly, tranquility.

The space is structured in such a way that the noise does not spread throughout the restaurant, plus the individual nooks and crannies are separated from the rest of the restaurant and other guests, which logically we like to take advantage of with the kids every time.

The breakfast area also includes a bar where you can order more than just coffee. As a coffee snob, I avoid vending machines on principle and here at Swissotel I am served by baristas. They can handle everything from a flat white to a soy cappuccino.

There is also an A la carte menu and although there is a charge, I have to try the eggs benedict for 4 eur at least once. The pastries were unnecessarily overly sweet, but otherwise definitely among the better ones I've had at hotel breakfasts.

The buffet itself is then arranged in one long line, which is neat, but not ideal when the hotel is fully booked. The selection is great, though: fresh fruit, vegetables, salami, ham, cheese, various mueslis, savoury and sweet pastries, gluten-free stations, eggs in several ways, grilled and pickled vegetables and, for a sweet spot, waffles, flapjacks, cakes and puddings.

The ingredients are fresh and of high quality.

The scrambled eggs surprised with their texture, but the bacon deserved more care and more crunch. What I missed most were the local flavours - the breakfasts were excellent, but could easily have smelled and tasted more of Slovakia.

Virtually everything on offer here can be found in Singapore, Zurich or anywhere else in the world.

On the other hand, there was no shortage of delicious Bircher muesli and proper aged Swiss cheeses.

The breakfast easily met all our expectations.

Average lunches and dinners

As I had chosen half board when booking our stay, we had daily dinners which were originally going to be in the same restaurant as breakfast.

Apparently due to the off season and management's unwillingness to push for 100% performance, we were diverted from the buffet restaurant to the Snowbeer sports bar. Here the A la carte menu is served.

At first everything seemed fine, except that we are here for 4 nights and the menu is always the same. It is the same not only during dinner but also during the day for a possible lunch. And although the menu may seem varied, by the third day it is annoying.

I logically added half board for the purpose of buffet dinners and for the kids, when it is better not to wait for service and immediately grab them something to eat after being tired all day.

Fortunately the hotel was empty and the kitchen and staff were always available to us. Except on the last day, when more guests descended on the hotel and we had to wait 1 hour for our main courses in a half empty restaurant.

Here, unfortunately, the five star standard of the Swissotel falls far short of expectations.

The dishes are of a quality where they don't offend taste-wise, but at the same time they don't have the slightest chance to impress. It almost seemed like the chefs decided to make up for quality with quantity.

Had I known this in advance, I certainly would not have paid extra for half board.

We took honest photos of the food offerings as we went along. They look exactly as they taste. They're good, but not excellent.

If we had to single out dishes to try, for us it would be the ceasar salad and logically the bryndza gnocchi.

We were also very surprised by the pizza from the oven and, on the contrary, disappointed by the hamburger, even though the size would fill an elephant.

Services at the hotel

The Swissotel Damián will undoubtedly offer a huge range of services for both adults and especially for children.

The swimming pool with panoramic views

Whether on rainy, summer or winter days, the rooftop pool at Swissotel is something that will shoot your stay up a notch.

The pool, as well as the fitness centre and wellness area, is located on the 8th and highest floor of the hotel.

Guests are advised to arrive straight in their hotel robes, but lockers are available where applicable.

The pool area is open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and consists of three pools: family, classic and outdoor. The family pool will also offer a stainless steel slide.

The zone also includes a family sauna with a temperature between 60 and 80 °C, so you can visit it in your swimsuit.

The most intense experience, however, is obtained when you swim into the outdoor part of the pool.

Whether the cold drops are dripping on my head or the sun is shining on it, the views are phenomenal. The pool is accessible even in the winter months thanks to the 36°C heating. These experiences are guaranteed to stick in the memory.

The whole area is oversized again and even so, during the last day when guests started to flock to the hotel for a weekend stay, we have free sunbeds and a feeling of privacy.

Fitness centre, spa and Skybar

On the same floor as the pool, you can use the extensive fitness centre or relax in the spa, which is open from 3pm and children are not allowed.

The SkyBar located next to the reception is, in my opinion, an untapped opportunity. It is more of a bar in the fitness centre offering protein bars, salads and proteins.

That said, the view is phenomenal and very easily in the evening, the SkyBar could be an elegant place to enjoy a cocktail at sunset.

The SkyBar menu is also available on the loungers by the pool.

Cinema with on-demand screening

We must also highlight the excellent cinema room, where we visited with the kids after a busy day, but fatigue forced us to leave the screening early as the staff of the neighbouring Snowbar would have had to wake us up.

Although there is an officially listed schedule for the evening showings, we were offered to drop by any time during the day and they would show us a movie or anything else we wanted.

Kids' Corner (three)

If the weather doesn't favour you and you don't want to come up with an elaborate programme in Liptovský Mikuláš, simply pop into the children's corner with the kids. There are even three of them.

The main and largest one should be during the season with a program and animators, but we had to settle for a huge space where we were always completely alone.

The kids certainly couldn't complain about the choice of toys and each visit was a time when we could still enjoy our morning coffee after breakfast.

The second smallest corner is part of the lobby, see the check-in section.

The last, third, children's corner is in the Snowbeer restaurant area. This one is our saving grace, as we can indulge in waiting for dinner in at least a little peace.

Fairy tales, Legos, railroads... the kids didn't want to leave.

Bowling, pool, chess,...

There's certainly no shortage of entertainment at the Swissotel. There are two bowling alleys, which are charged at 15 eur per hour.

You can also use the table football and darts for free. These activities are again part of the Snowbeer restaurant.

Above the hotel reception is another gaming area with pool tables and tables for playing cards or chess.

Barbershop, cigar lounge, wine bar and shops

Any resort in the Low Tatras might envy this unassuming hotel...

In the hotel lobby you can not only enjoy a coffee with a stunning seating area, but you can also use the services of a hairdresser, shop for sportswear, toys, cosmetics and souvenirs or enjoy a glass of wine from the local wine shop or something harder with a cigar.

Café

An intense experience is then had over a cup of coffee, a Pavlovap dessert and a gloomy view of Chopok in the local café, which is part of the lobby. Two fireplaces in the early evening and winter months complete the romantic mood to perfection.

This certainly won't be the end of the list of services and restaurants in the coming months, but thanks to our stay in the off-season, upcoming restaurants were still unopened, as were some areas in the shopping area unfinished.

In conclusion - was it worth it?

I feel a little guilty about setting my expectations too high, which then distorted the impression of an otherwise exceptional stay at the five-star Swissotel Damian Jasná.

But at the price of a standard room 300 eur per night, I think it's justified to insist on a top standard without compromise.

The Swissotel has brought luxury to the Low Tatras and will leave you with an experience you will want to continue to tell. However, if you have experience of this brand in other parts of the world as we do, some of the little things will simply not put you to sleep and leave you slightly disillusioned with the final result.

I have not the slightest doubt that we will be back in the years to come. Whether for snow, summer hiking or just a romantic getaway.