Lot Boutique Hotel by Hotels and Preference

Centrally located near Skanderbeg Square, the hotel provides spacious, clean, and luxurious rooms with friendly and attentive staff. However, no negative aspects were mentioned in the reviews.

I booked this hotel for my first and last night in Albania. Had I been booked for the first night only, I would have had all good things to say about this hotel. The location is great, there is plenty of restaurants nearby and all the main tourist sites are within easy walking distance, they offered an airport pick up service that cost 20 euro. The staff were friendly, the bedroom was spotless and the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was spacious. The breakfast was excellent. However at 8.30 am on the day of my second stay they contacted me to say they had no room available for me. While they did say they would help me find another hotel if I wanted, they should have already had an option sorted before contacting me. Thankfully, I was travelling with a group and they were able to help sort me out. But it left a bad impression of the hotel. I know things can go wrong but it is how it is handled then that shows the measure of a place. I would now not recommend booking this hotel.

Before picking Lot Boutique Hotel, I spent a lot of time researching, reading reviews on several different hotel platforms. I probably dedicated 3 hours until I finally made my pick. I wanted to stay in a good and safe location in downtown Tirana where I could enjoy a comfortable, spacious room and eat a good breakfast every morning before heading out into the hustle and bustle of downtown Tirana to photograph the Albanian capital. I also wanted to know if the hotel’s staff were helpful and friendly. It was my first time in Albania, so I knew I was going to need some local advice. I depend on the social interactions I have where I’m traveling and knowing that the team working at the hotel I stay at are not only good at what they do – but also have a positive attitude is important to me. My room (#402) was terrific with a large, comfy Queen sized bed, big windows with lots of light, and a nice city view. My room also had plenty of space to store my clothes and a desk where I could work from. The restaurant staff, in particular, the female head chef was so sweet and kind. Like the team at the reception and all the front doormen, they were always nice and welcoming. During my stay, I also had a few fabulous massages from the hotel's very professional Balinese therapist. Special mention to the security fellow named “Monday”. He was particularly helpful and kind. This young man went out of his way (on several occasions) to guide me to local restaurants, where to get a great shave and the best exchange office in the neighborhood. There are plenty of 3 and 4 star hotels in Tirana. But I doubt if any of them come close to the quality and positive experience I had at Lot Boutique Hotel. Not to mention that the location has so many good restaurants, cafés and ATMs nearby. Again, Lot Boutique Hotel is Highly recommendable. The portrait photos are of the hotel’s staff, whom I now consider as friends! By the way… Tirana should be on everybody’s travel list. Even if you’re not a photographer. It’s a great city to explore with a ton of history, a fantastic dining/café culture and a lot of soulful locals. It’s not a “fancy" city by any definition and the attractions aren’t exactly spectacular. But they are nonetheless very, very interesting, including the museums, two huge Cold War bunkers and the exhilarating gondola ride up the mountain just outside of town. Like in any great city, you’ll of course find plenty of restaurants, bars, and cafés to choose from. I found Albanians to be really kind. Perhaps a little shy to begin with but then amazingly friendly and generous. The hotel’s staff was no exception. They were phenomenally friendly and helpful when I needed suggestions of things to do and directions on how to get there. I was genuinely impressed.