Bohinj Eco Hotel, Slovenia

First impressions

Bohinj Eco Hotel is a 102-room property built in 2010 on the site of an already-existing Aqua Park. Chalet in style, it has plenty of wood and windows showing off views of the Julian Alps which were shrouded in mist on the day of our arrival. Three quarters of the rooms have balconies to sit on and wait for the mist to clear, revealing glorious snow-capped mountains (a highly recommended past-time).

The hotel itself has a bright, open-plan restaurant with an outdoor area for sunny dining; a bar with cosy fireplace; extensive conference facilities; a bowling alley; a cinema; a water park and a wellness area.

The Julian Alps are a playground for nature-lovers and adrenaline junkies alike, with skiing, hiking, watersports, ice skating, snow shoeing, golf, fly fishing and trips to Lake Bled organised by the hotel – just ask at reception.

What’s on offer?

Push K on the lift in the bright reception area for the Aqua Park with its curved indoor pool, swan neck fountains, two raised hot tubs and slides (of which there are two) which loop outside making the hotel look a little like The Pompidou Centre.



There’s also – rather unusually – a climbing wall rising above the water and a large outdoor pool with plenty of seating which opens in the high season (end June to September).

Lockers, changing rooms and showers are typical of a multi-use space such as this, which happily attracts families in their droves.

Follow the signs beyond the lockers to the Wellness area which has its own Salt Room, saunas and small area for treatments. Leaving our flip-flops outside, but still in our robes, we entered for our pre-booked 40-minute salt session, taking a seat on wooden chairs and admiring the wall lights as they changed from blue to green and yellow to purple.

The walls are entirely coated in salt particles; crystals on the floor make it look like sand (buckets and kids help keep kids entertained). We loved digging out feet into the salt and letting the abrasive substance soothe our soles.

For more exclusive spa-ing, guests can book a private session at Panoramic Wellness, a pool and thermal area with a view (hence the name) on the hotel’s fourth floor. Here, clever design – and a lot of windows – makes the most of the mountainous views; swim to the edge, rest your arms on the side and gaze out in wonder.

The sun creates dapples on the water making it a delight to swim leisurely lengths. Relax on one of several rattan loungers after or nip around the corner and help yourself to herbal teas, water and fruit.



The wellness area also has two small Finnish saunas with wooden layered seating accommodating around six people a piece, and a super-hot steam room with pearly mosaic tiled seating; 10 minutes in her and our post-flight sniffles vanished.

From here, you’ll saunter past two petite treatment rooms to a relaxation room with loungers, magazines and books. Sunny day? Open the door at the end to grab a lounger outside – a gushing river runs below.

Unlike UK spa-ing – where pools are thermal areas are, with the best will in the world, shared with other spa goers – having this area to ourselves for a dedicated three-hour slot felt very special indeed, particularly when huge glasses of Gin & Tonic surprisingly appeared to enjoy poolside.

Tell us about your treatments

Our treatments took place in Alpine Wellness, a quaint space designed to look like a typical Slovenian Village; treatment rooms resemble little houses, with colourful walls and terracotta sloping roofs.



We tried a Herb Poultice Massage (75mins, £73).

My therapist, Karin, met me at the tiny reception desk and took me to the treatment room on the left where she asked me to disrobe and lie down on the treatment bed, lying face down.

Karin began the massage with warm oils which she moved around my lower back before adding the herb poultice which was nicely hot, if a little too warm in the first instance. Once this cooled, Karin used it to massage my upper back, neck and shoulders before moving onto my arms and legs.



She then asked me to turnover so that she could do the same on my front, concentrating on my arms and legs before finishing with a relaxing foot massage.

I left the treatment room feeling more Zen than when I entered. My spa partner loved her Hot Chocolate Massage (75mins, £59) which began with a body scrub and shower and ended with a massage using chocolate scented oils. Good enough to eat? She certainly thought so.

The treatment menu at Bohinj Eco Hotel features a range of massages, facials and scrubs.

Food facts

The snack bar at the Aqua Park provides sustenance to swimmers and slide thrill-seekers in the form of hot and cold soft drinks, chips, hot dogs and sandwiches, which can be enjoyed in a large room overlooking the main pool.

The hotel’s huge restaurant  - Restaurant 2864 - is where hotel guests go for buffet breakfasts and dinners, with a huge variety of hot and cold dishes on offer during each sitting. Cheerful wait staff keep coffee cups and wine glasses nicely topped up in the mornings and evenings.



Having missed dinner on the day of our arrival, we were treated to a four-course set al la carte menu which began with a trio of mini starters: smoked trout with caviar beads, local cheese with beetroot and local meats with mini crackers. Our leek soup to follow was hearty and delicious, as was our chicken dish which reminded me a little of a typical roast dinner with lashings of gravy and baby carrots.

The chocolate tart with asparagus ice cream and elderflower mouse to end the meal was a real showstopper.

We loved / we didn’t love

We loved

Having the entire bowling alley – complete with barman and bar– to ourselves for an hour one evening; let the games begin….



The views: come rain or shine, you can’t beat seeing those mountains at every turn.

Our private pool and thermal session on the 4^th floor was an experience to remember.

We didn’t love

Our room was on the basic side with dated décor and no coffee-making facilities – thank goodness for our balcony overlooking those Alps.

Who do you think would like it?

Families will love the water park - with its large slides, indoor and outdoor pools and restaurant serving snacks; the cinema and bowling alley come into their own in the evening.

Eco-lovers: with its ‘waste goes to water’ policy and Elec-trik City motion sensor lights, the hotel’s eco credentials are pretty impressive (having the lights randomly go off at 2am when you’re sat on the toilet is only funny when regaled the next morning, however).

Skiers and snowboarders: the hotel has its own ski closest for ski boots and poles - after a day on the slopes, grab a drink from the bar and relax on a sofa by the fire.



One night at Bohinj Eco Hotel starts at £145 per person based on two sharing including breakfast, full use of the Aqua Park and access to Panoramic Wellness.