Art Hotel Like

Rooms and decor

Open the door to your room at Art Hotel Like and the name makes immediate sense — no two rooms are alike. Some have wallpaper printed with bold pop-art pictures, some run soft pastel blue and pink like a photographer's studio, some play black against gold for a moody classic look. Check into two rooms and you'll get two different themes. The first impression is of staying in an art gallery rather than a plain 3-star. The building is an old Austro-Hungarian one that keeps its high ceilings, parquet floors and tall wooden windows that open onto the full old-town scene. Beds are soft enough to sleep well on, the linens are spotless, and the bathroom is compact in the old-European way but comes with a rain shower, thick towels and the basics. Plenty of reviews agree you get more than you'd expect for the price, and because each room has its own character, many guests come back to try a new one on their next trip.

Food and amenities

The hotel itself is small — a little reception that reads like a gallery lobby, plus a morning coffee corner dressed with art and vintage pieces. Breakfast is a simple continental spread: fresh-baked bread, croissants, cheese, ham, fruit, juice, tea and coffee. There's no big chain-style buffet, but it's all fresh and good, and some reviews say it feels more like breakfast at a friend's place. Wi-Fi works quickly throughout the building, the air-con keeps things cool enough in summer, and the front desk is open 24 hours and will hold your bags before check-in or after check-out at no extra charge. What guests praise most is the staff — friendly, fluent in English, and the kind who'll hand you a real list of neighbourhood spots with menu picks rather than tearing off a brochure. It feels closer to a central B&B than a chain.

Location and getting there

The hotel sits on the Draskoviceva-Vlaska corner at the edge of Donji Grad, central enough to walk out in any direction. From the door, head west down Vlaska for about 7 minutes and you reach the start of Tkalciceva, Zagreb's liveliest pub-and-cafe street — evening to late night it's craft-beer bars, wine bars, fresh-baked burek and crowds spilling both sides. A few steps more brings you to Ban Jelacic Square and then Dolac Market, the morning market that feels like the heart of the city. For a view, walk up through Tkalciceva to the world's shortest funicular up to the upper town, Gornji Grad — under 15 minutes from the hotel. Getting around is easy because trams run right past: lines 1, 12, 13 and 17 stop at Kvaternik Square, about a 3-minute walk. From there it's roughly 10 minutes to Glavni Kolodvor station and an easy bus on to Franjo Tudman airport.

Things to know before booking

To be straight with you so there are no surprises at check-in: some rooms, especially the Standard, are fairly small, and two large suitcases may not fit comfortably. Two people travelling with a pair of 28-inch cases should consider upgrading to a Superior or Deluxe. The bathroom is compact in the old-European way too, with a shower that isn't large. The building is a multi-storey historic one where the lift is small or, in stretches, gives way to stairs — if your knees aren't great or you're pushing a stroller, ask for a lower-floor room when you book. Reviews also flag noise: rooms facing Vlaska street can catch trams and traffic in the early hours, so light sleepers should ask for an inner room facing the courtyard and pack earplugs. Breakfast is a simple continental one rather than a big buffet, which may feel plain if you expect a long chain menu. And there's no gym or spa, because this really is a small boutique — if you want full facilities, look elsewhere. But if the trip is about walking the old town and saving on the room, these trade-offs earn their price.

Our take

From reading the real reviews and going through the room designs, Art Hotel Like suits younger travellers, couples on a budget, backpackers who want a private room over a dorm, and design-minded guests who like photographing the room. Rooms start around $54 a night for a private room in central old-town Zagreb, a few minutes from Tkalciceva with trams passing the door, which is strong value here. The fact that every room is different adds some fun from the moment you book and makes the stay feel like somewhere with a personality, not identical boxes on every floor. The trade-offs are no gym or spa, some small rooms, and a historic building with lift and stair limits — anyone expecting full facilities, or travelling as a family with small kids, will be happier elsewhere. But if the heart of your trip is walking the old town all day, sipping a beer on Tkalciceva at night, then heading back to an art room unlike any other, we give it 8.5/10 as one of the best-value picks in Zagreb.