Krakow was tipped to become one of the hottest short-break destinations for UK travellers shortly before the pandemic, when one of Poland’s largest and oldest cities was firmly on the tourist map. Since then, COVID and the war in Ukraine has put a dent in demand from the UK, but local company Laris Hotels Group hosted a group of British travel agents to show them that the city is totally safe and very much open for business.
For Louise Rush of Once in a Lifetime Holidays the trip exceeded expectations. “Not only is Krakow open, it feels very safe, very clean and is absolutely buzzing with tourists,” she said, adding: “Krakow has risen from zero to hero in my book.”
Stephanie Rae of Travel Counsellors agreed that Krakow was ‘vibrant’. “The city felt a very safe place to be in all districts and I loved all the lovely cafes and bars watching the world go by,” she said.
“I also enjoyed the Krakow Royal Castle visit, with the amazing views of the city, we just needed a little longer, I would say three or four nights would be perfect.”
Agents on the fam, organised by UK agency Galaxi, were also impressed by Laris Hotels. “They were amazing and to a very high standard, in great locations and all offering a wonderful service, which was so nice to see after the past few years,” added Stephanie.
Included in the Laris portfolio are five three- to four-star hotels and four aparthotels, all of which are located in two key areas of Krakow – the Old Town and Kazimierz.
Stephanie was particularly wowed by the choice of cuisine in the hotels, from local dumplings and other traditional Polish dishes to international fayre.
“I was so impressed with these hotels all of which offered a different style which would suit all guests and I will be doing some new offers and bookings to get people out to Krakow,” added Stephanie.
Lloyd Ingram of TravelBank Holidays says he’s already getting enquiries about trips after posting about Krakow on TikTok. “Having never visited the city, but booked city breaks for our customers, it was a great opportunity to learn all about the hotels, including MR67 and The Spatz hotel & Plaza Boutique,” he said.
“These were all very well located and a short walk to a lot of the top tourist attractions and it was great to be able to explore and experience the city and its culture over an action-packed couple of days.”
