Hotel Alexander, a 3-star hotel at Ul. Garbarska 18 in Krakow, sits within a five-minute walk of the Old Town and offers 54 rooms equipped with air conditioning and satellite TV (Thomas Cook). This review examines its location, room options, and guest feedback across major booking platforms to help you decide if it fits your visit.

Last checked: 2026-09-12

Distance to Old Town: 1,804 ft (approx. 550 m) · Walking distance to Main Square: Yes (within 10 min) · Room categories: Business, Standard, Premium · Breakfast: Available (mention in related searches)

By HotelRadar Editorial Team

Hotel Alexander at a glance

1 Location & Contact

• Ul. Garbarska 18, 31-131 Krakow, Poland

2 Room Inventory

• 54 rooms with air conditioning, satellite TV, private bathroom, and tea/coffee set

3 On-site Services

• 24-hour front desk and on-site parking available around the clock

4 Walk to Main Square

• Roughly 100 metres from Krakow Main Square – about one minute on foot

Attribute	Detail
Distance to Old Town	1,804 ft (approx. 550 m) – a 5-minute walk
Walking distance to Main Square	Yes (within 10 min)
Room categories	Business, Standard, Premium
Breakfast	Available (included in many rates)
Star rating	3-star (verified across multiple platforms)
Number of rooms	54
Check-in / check-out	From 14:00 / Untill 12:00
TripAdvisor rating	3.9 out of 5 (approx. 1,150 reviews)
Free WiFi	Yes – included in all room types

Hotel Alexander – Quick Specs

Full address	Ul. Garbarska 18, 31-131 Krakow, Poland
Phone	+48 12 422 96 60
Email (private)	alexander@alexhotel.pl
Room count	54
In-room amenities	Air conditioning, satellite TV, private bathroom, hairdryer, coffee/tea set
24-hour reception	Yes
Parking	On-site (subject to availability)
Check-in / Check-out	14:00 / 12:00

How far is Hotel Alexander from Krakow’s center?

Booking.com lists the hotel’s distance to Krakow’s Old Town at 1,804 feet (approx. 550 metres) – a walk most guests complete in 5 to 10 minutes. Package operators such as Thomas Cook even place it just 100 metres from the Main Square. The property sits on Garbarska Street, a quiet lane off the main tourist arteries, which means you get the convenience of a central location without the noise of the main squares.

Compared with other Old Town hotels, Hotel Alexander’s walk to the centre is on the shorter side. Many mid-range hotels lie on the perimeter of the Planty Park ring, adding 5–10 extra minutes to the journey. The bottom line: For first-time visitors who want to be steps from the Old Town but still enjoy a quiet night’s sleep, this distance is a clear advantage.

How close is Hotel Alexander to Wawel Castle?

Wawel Castle is about a 15-minute walk south-west of the hotel, according to guest reviews aggregated on Skyscanner. The route takes you through Planty Park, a green belt that surrounds the Old Town, making the walk pleasant on a good day. The castle complex – including the Royal Chambers and the Wawel Cathedral – is inside the Old Town’s pedestrian zone, so you avoid traffic entirely.

For context, Wawel Castle is roughly the same distance from the hotel as the Main Square, just in the opposite direction. The implication: If you are planning a half-day visit to the castle, you can comfortably walk from the hotel and return for lunch without needing public transport.

What is Hotel Alexander, Kraków known for?

The hotel distinguishes itself on three fronts: location, room categories, and consistent guest satisfaction. The official website frames it as a “boutique-style” property, though booking aggregators flag it as a solid 3-star. Room options split into Business, Standard, and Premium tiers, all with air conditioning and satellite TV.

On TripAdvisor, the hotel holds a rating of 3.9 out of 5 from approximately 1,150 reviews. Positive feedback routinely mentions the central yet quiet location and the friendliness of the reception staff. Negative notes tend to focus on breakfast variety and firm beds. A Polish portal, Hotele.eu, records that the hotel won the “Best Hotel of Poland” award in 2005 and 2006 – a detail that suggests earlier recognition for service quality, though the award’s current meaning is unclear.

Pros

• Very central – a short walk to Old Town and Main Square
• Free WiFi and air conditioning in all rooms
• 24-hour front desk and on-site parking
• Generally high cleanliness ratings across platforms

Cons

• Breakfast described as basic by some guests
• Rooms may feel small to some travellers
• Beds frequently described as firm
• No on-site restaurant for evening meals

The pattern: Guests consistently praise the location and staff but trade off on room size and bed comfort – a common compromise in Krakow’s 3-star market.

What price range to expect

Because rates fluctuate seasonally, we do not quote exact prices. Based on listings from KAYAK and Booking.com, Hotel Alexander generally sits in the mid-range band for Krakow 3-star properties. Pre-booked packages from UK tour operators (e.g., Thomas Cook) often include breakfast and flights, making it competitive for city-break shoppers. Budget travellers will find cheaper options further from the centre, while the hotel’s location allows it to hold a price premium over accommodation outside the Planty ring.

What are the best hotels in the Old Town of Kraków?

Krakow’s Old Town offers dozens of hotels, but four properties consistently appear in top-10 lists across review platforms. Below is a comparison that positions Hotel Alexander among its peers.

Hotel Name	Distance to Old Town	Room Standards	Unique Selling Point
Hotel Alexander	~100–550 m to centre	3 categories (Business, Standard, Premium)	Quiet street yet steps from Main Square
Hotel Columbus	~200 m from Main Square	Standard and Superior rooms	Restaurant and bar on site
Hotel Royal	~300 m from Main Square	Classic and Deluxe rooms	Historic building with original interiors
Hotel Pod Wawelem	~500 m from Wawel Castle	Standard and apartments	Views of Wawel and river location

Among these, Hotel Alexander offers the shortest walk to the Main Square and a quieter position. Hotel Columbus and Hotel Royal are closer to the main tourist bustle, while Hotel Pod Wawelem appeals if you prefer the Wawel side. Why this matters: Your choice depends on whether you prioritise peace (Alexander) or immediate doorstep activity (Columbus/Royal).

For visitors specifically seeking mid-range comfort within the Old Town, Hotel Alexander sits in a sweet spot: it lacks the restaurant and bar of Columbus but gains a quieter environment that many reviewers highlight as a key benefit after a day of sightseeing.

Location and getting there

Hotel Alexander is on Garbarska 18, a side street off the northern edge of the Old Town. Krakow’s Main Market Square is a 5–10 minute walk south; Wawel Castle is about 15 minutes south-west. The nearest tram stop (Plac Wszystkich Świętych) is a 3-minute walk, connecting to the main train station and the airport.

From Krakow John Paul II International Airport (KRK), a taxi takes roughly 20 minutes (Thomas Cook estimates 12 km distance). Alternatively, a train from the airport to Krakow Glówny station (20 minutes) plus a 10-minute walk or short tram ride brings you to the hotel. Uber and Bolt operate locally for around 60–80 PLN one way.

The trade-off: The walk to the airport train station is about 10 minutes from the hotel, which some guests prefer over taxi costs.