Himarë · Vlorë County · Albania
Ten arches wide, three storeys high, and the whole bay underneath.
An aparthotel on the slope above Himarë, with two pools cut into the terrace, a bar under a canopy, and rooms and apartments that open through arched loggias onto the water below.
It is above the town, and that is the whole point.
The SH8 climbs out of Himarë and the hotel sits on the shoulder of it, high enough that the bay, the headland and the roofs of the town all sit below the pool deck. Spille Beach is 1.4 kilometres away — about sixteen minutes down through the town, and the same walk back up.
What is below you
- Pasticeri Delight1.2 km
- Chimara1.3 km
- Taverna Lefteri1.3 km
- Spille Beach1.4 km
- Maracit Beach1.6 km
- Prinos Beach1.9 km
- Potam Beach2.4 km
- Livadhi Beach2.6 km
Parking on site is free and needs no reservation, which is what makes the beaches further along the coast easy.
Getting hereOne long pool, one shallow one, and a bar at the end of the deck.
The infinity pool runs the length of the terrace with a shallow end and the sea on the horizon past its lip. The children's pool sits beside it. Both are free, both are seasonal, and loungers and umbrellas stand on the flagstones around them.
The front of the building is ten arches wide, and two of its three storeys are arcaded.
Round-headed arches on brick-banded piers over the lower two floors, square piers and a flat entablature on the third, wrought-iron rails behind all of them, a pantile roof over the lot and a timber penthouse standing on the ridge. Most units open through one of those openings.
The drawing above is that front counted off the hotel’s own photograph of it: ten arches, the two arcaded tiers, the storey of square piers above them, the roof, and the box on top. It is the same shape as the climb — the higher up the building a unit sits, the more of the bay it sees.
- Arches across the front10
- Arcaded tiers2
- Storey above themSquare piers
- On the ridgeThe penthouse
Two triples, a duplex and the penthouse.
Three of the four can be cooked in, which is what the aparthotel in the name is doing there. All four have air conditioning, a television and a private bathroom with a shower, free toiletries and a hairdryer.
01
Classic Triple Room
The larger of the two triples, and the one with a kitchen you can cook in. Air conditioning, a private bathroom, and an arched balcony over the deck.
- Beds1 single bed and 1 double bed
- KitchenYes
02
Triple Room
The same two beds without a kitchen. Air conditioning, a private bathroom with a shower and a hairdryer, and a balcony.
- Beds1 single bed and 1 double bed
- KitchenNo
03
Duplex Apartment
A pine stair inside the unit climbs to a mezzanine under the boarded roof, with two more beds on it. A kitchenette, a fridge, a private bathroom and air conditioning below.
- Beds2 single beds, 1 double bed and 1 sofa bed
- KitchenYes
04
Penthouse Apartment
The timber box on the ridge of the roof: two separate bedrooms, one bathroom, a sitting room and a kitchen under a pitched boarded ceiling, and a terrace off the end of it.
- Beds2 double beds and 1 sofa bed
- KitchenYes
Everything on the hill, and the things to know before you come up it.
On the property
- Two outdoor swimming pools, free to use
- An infinity pool with a shallow end
- A children's plunge pool
- A pool bar
- Loungers and umbrellas at the pool
- Free Wi-Fi in the rooms
- Free parking on site, no reservation needed
- Air conditioning
- Heating
- A 24-hour front desk
- Express check-in and check-out
- A garden and a terrace
- A pool table
- Family rooms
- Non-smoking rooms and a designated smoking area
- Private bathrooms with a shower, free toiletries and a hairdryer
- Hypoallergenic rooms
- An invoice on request
- Greek, English and Albanian spoken
Worth knowing
- Cards are not accepted. The hotel takes cash.
- Both pools are seasonal.
- Check-in is a five-hour window, from 15:00 to 20:00, and check-out runs from 09:00 to 10:00.
- The hotel stands on the slope above the town, so every walk down to the water is a walk back up.
- Wi-Fi is the lowest-scoring of the seven categories guests rate, at 6.7 out of 10.
- Pets are welcome on request, at no extra charge.
Guests score it 8.7 out of 10.
Booking.com calls that fabulous. The seven categories it rates separately run from 6.7 to 9.4 — staff at the top of the range, Wi-Fi at the bottom of it, and the location in between because of the hill.
8.7
out of 10 · Fabulous
- Staff9.4
- Comfort9.0
- Cleanliness8.9
- Value for money8.9
- Facilities8.6
- Location8.0
- Free WiFi6.7
The things people ask before they book.
Where is Apart Hotel Alex?
It stands on the SH8, the Riviera coast road, on the hillside above Himarë in Vlorë County, southern Albania. The full address is SH8, 9425 Himarë. Spille Beach is 1.4 kilometres away, about a sixteen-minute walk down through the town — and the same walk back up.
Does Apart Hotel Alex have a swimming pool?
It has two, both free to use and both seasonal: a long infinity pool with a shallow end that looks out over the bay, and a small children's plunge pool beside it. Loungers and umbrellas stand on the flagstone deck around them, and there is a pool bar under a canopy at the far end.
How far is Apart Hotel Alex from the beach?
Spille Beach is the closest at 1.4 kilometres, roughly a sixteen-minute walk downhill. Maracit is 1.6 kilometres, Prinos 1.9, Potam 2.4 and Livadhi 2.6. All five sit along the same stretch of coast below the hotel, and a car makes the further ones easy.
Can I pay by card at Apart Hotel Alex?
No. The hotel takes cash, so bring what the stay will cost. This is the single most useful thing to know before arriving, because the machines are all down in Himarë town — closer than the beach, but still a walk back up the hill. An invoice is provided on request.
Do the rooms at Apart Hotel Alex have kitchens?
Three of the four types do. The Classic Triple Room and the Penthouse Apartment have a kitchen and the Duplex Apartment a kitchenette; the Triple Room has neither. Every unit has air conditioning, a television and a private bathroom with a shower, free toiletries and a hairdryer.
Is there parking at Apart Hotel Alex?
Yes. Parking on site is free and no reservation is needed. The hotel sits directly on the SH8 above Himarë, and a car is the easiest way to reach the beaches further along the coast — Prinos, Potam and Livadhi are all within three kilometres.
What are the check-in and check-out times?
Check-in runs from 15:00 to 20:00 and check-out from 09:00 to 10:00. The front desk is staffed around the clock and there is express check-in and check-out, but an arrival outside that window is worth arranging with the hotel first.
What do guests score Apart Hotel Alex?
Guests on Booking.com score it 8.7 out of 10, which the platform calls Fabulous. Of the seven categories rated separately, staff scores highest at 9.4, followed by comfort at 9.0; Wi-Fi scores lowest at 6.7 and location 8.0, which is the hill between the hotel and the town.