Review: Hotel Verte, Warsaw, Autograph Collection

Being the first stop on my Europe 2023 trip, I wanted to start things off strong. Staying in a luxury hotel in the heart of old town Warsaw seemed like the right way to do that. Especially given that we’d be coming off a red-eye flight through the evening, a smoothly operating hotel that could provide excellent service and restful sleep was important.

The Hotel Verte, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, fit the bill perfectly for what we were looking for. 

Read on to see how I booked this property for free, got upgraded to a suite, and how my overall experience turned out. 

Booking & Check-in

I booked this property using a combination of one nearly expired 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate and 22,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. With a cash rate of $200-300 CAD (depending on demand), this presents modest but not outstanding value. But with free night certificates to burn this wasn’t of great concern to me. I also applied two Nightly Upgrade Awards to the booking, requesting the Storico Suite, which was granted 5 days in advance. 

We arrived at the hotel quite early (around 11:00 AM) for check-in. The reception was located off to the right of the main palace.

At check-in we were offered the welcome gift of 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or a $10 resort credit. I opted for the points. We were also told that complimentary breakfast would be provided, but there were no vouchers required.

Even though we were quite early, the room was all ready for us. Shortly after we got to the room, I realized we had actually been given a Storico Junior Suite and not the full Storico suite. I chatted with the hotel about this briefly and they gave me an excuse about how our Suite was not a junior suite, and was “much bigger than the junior suite”. 

However, I can tell from the photos and the description this was not the case. The Storico suite is 500 sq ft, which our suite was certainly not. Regardless, I decided not to make a fuss seeing as it was still quite a nice room and we weren’t even paying a full rate (points + redemption). 

Location 

The Hotel Verte is located at Podwale 3/5, 00-252 Warszawa, in the heart of Warsaw’s Old Town, which is a historic district that dates back to the 13th century. The hotel is situated on a charming street that is lined with colorful buildings, restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops.

The Podwale district is known for its picturesque charm, and the Hotel Verte is no exception. The building itself is a restored 19th-century tenement house that has been renovated into a boutique hotel with a modern interior while retaining many of its original features.

Guests staying at the Hotel Verte at Podwale can easily explore the Old Town’s nearby attractions, such as the Royal Castle, the Market Square, and St. John’s Archcathedral. The hotel is also within walking distance to the Vistula River, where visitors can enjoy a stroll along the waterfront promenade or take a boat tour.

Overall, the Hotel Verte at Podwale is situated in a prime old town location for guests who want to experience the historic charm of Warsaw’s Old Town while enjoying the modern comforts of a luxury autograph collection hotel.

Parking

Although we didn’t require it for our stay, the hotel has on-site private parking for a fee of 200 PLN (~50 USD) daily. This is rather expensive, especially considering the relative costs of other goods and services in Poland. There appear to be several other public parking lots located nearby including a free parking lot a few blocks away.

There was also an electric car charging station available.

Room – Storico Junior Suite, 1 King

On the way to our room we admired the decor of the property, consistently displaying modern elegance and regality.

The Storico Junior Suite had a unique layout. It was set up as one spacious room with the bed in the center, while the bathroom area was located directly behind the bed. The bathroom had no separating doors, so you could walk around the room in a complete circle.

The whole room kept the elegant 18th century theme of the rest of the hotel, including the white columns and furniture.

The lighting fixtures weren’t dimmable which would have been appreciated at times, but they sure did look unique. 

Our room was situated directly above the reception and had a nice view of the fountain and parking area outside. 

Immediately upon entering the room, there was a concealed closet with ample storage space for clothes, jackets, and other personal items. 

At the two corners of the room were a desk and chair, with television above, meanwhile the other side had two lounging chairs and a small table.

The coffee (Nespresso) and tea selection was high quality.

Beneath the desk was the mini-fridge, which was actually reasonably priced for a hotel of this caliber (or any hotel for that matter). At 20 PLN, I indulged in a beer from the fridge on two different occasions.

Last but not least is the bathroom amenities, which were modern and spacious. The vanity was against the wall across from the massive shower and toilet.

While these facilities were fantastic and the glass doors created a modern, clean feel, this also meant for a lack of privacy that should be noted. 

Walking in on your significant other taking a shower would be one thing. Walking in on them on the toilet is another…

Restaurants & Bars

Lobby Bar

The hotel had a small lobby bar located on the ground floor between the reception area and the other dining areas – KUK and the Pawilon breakfast dining room.

I did not indulge in a beverage at this bar so can’t comment on the quality, but if it’s like everything else we experienced at this property, it should be top-notch. 

Pawilon – Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Complimentary Breakfast

Pawilon, or ‘Pavillion’ was the highlight of my experience at Hotel Verte Warsaw. It was easily one of the best Marriott Bonvoy breakfasts I’ve had thanks to my Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status. 

Pawilon as implied by the name, is a large pavilion style room with elegant seating and tall glass walls with plenty of natural light. 

Breakfast was served from 6:30 AM to 11:00 AM and was a combination of an a la carte menu of hot items with a small buffet spread of cold/dry items.

Over the course of our two breakfasts, I made sure to try the majority of the hot breakfast items, including the Isabel Crepe, Crab Benedict, Warsaw sausage, and smoked ham. 

Everything I tried was of excellent quality, with my favorite definitely being the crab benedict.

The coffee was also of spectacular quality.

While we didn’t get the opportunity, I was told that breakfast is sometimes also served out on the front terrace, which would also be a very special experience for guests.

Overall, the impeccable breakfast experience really set the stage for our days in Warsaw and for the rest of our trip. 

KUK Restaurant by Maciej Majewski

The Hotel Verte had a fine dining experience available at the KUK restaurant.  The cuisine is described as Neo-Bistro style dishes, and are crafted by Chef Maciej Majewski. 

Reservations are required at KUK, which is open for both lunch and dinner.

We unfortunately didn’t find time to dine here during our stay or even order any room service, but I’m sure the experience would be in line with the rest of Hotel Verte’s quality and class.

Facilities

The other property amenities included the spa, swimming pool, and fitness center, all located on the lower level -2 of the property.

There were also conference/ meeting rooms and boardrooms available on lower level -1.

Gym

The gym facility was on the lower level in a room separated from the rest of the hotel. The equipment was all brand new and of high quality. I especially liked that the machines had holders for your towel and phone.

Like most hotel gyms, the Verte gym was minimal, with a few treadmills, ellipticals, machines, exercise balls, and a small set of dumbbells. 

The natural lighting filtering down from the grating above these rooms was a really nice touch and set it apart from many other hotel gyms I’ve had the chance to use. 

Spa & Pool

The swimming pool and spa were both in construction but not yet open to the public. Check on this page to see if they have opened yet.

Conclusion

At the Hotel Verte, Warsaw, Autograph Collection, I had a phenomenal stay to kick off my Europe trip in Warsaw. I loved the property’s 18th century palace-like vibe, particularly because it was designed in a way that felt classic but still modern, not old or dated.

Highlights at this exceptional hotel included its prime old town location, luxury feel, and delectable breakfast experience at Pawilon. Unfortunately, the pool is still unfinished, but once renovations are complete I’m sure that will be just one more thing done right by the Hotel Verte.