In April 2023, my partner and I went on a trip around the world to celebrate his 60th birthday. Ljubljana, Slovenia was the first stop on our journey, and we selected Zlata Ladjica Boutique Hotel as our temporary home. Simply put, we could not have chosen a better place to stay. The city is beautiful, compact and not overrun with tourists. The Slovenian people are amazing. Zlata Ladjica is a small hotel housed in a historic building in a sensational location in the city center adjacent to the river and a lovely plaza. Each room in the hotel is unique. After doing some online research, we chose room #24 - The City Quay. In the European tradition, the room itself was not particularly large, but the layout was was efficient, the bathroom was very spacious, the furnishings were beyond tasteful and respectful of the environment, the bed (linens included) was incredibly comfortable and the view from our private terrace was both charming and magnificent. The on site bar and restaurant, with seating both inside and out, balanced the modern with the historic. They were both intimate and comfortable, with a wide array of options and an obvious bent towards local ingredients. But it is the personnel at Zlata Ladjica that truly set this hotel apart from the rest. In a word, they were wonderful. Clearly the staff have a natural inclination toward courtesy, pro-activity and customer service, and they provide a brand of service that is personal and friendly, but also poised and refined. The hotel is located in a section of the city in which cars are not permitted. From the moment we exited our taxi from the airport and staff members met us to escort us to the hotel, we felt well cared for. Vito, Tim, Nate (Nejc), Jernej, Urska and Gregor all deserve special recognition for bending over backwards to make sure that we felt welcome and that our every question was answered. These are the type of people that, in my wildest dreams, would staff every hotel in the world. Gregor, the concierge, was particularly amazing. He went above an beyond, both leading up to our stay and during our visit, to assist me in planning a very special birthday for my partner in Ljubljana. Not only did he help me select a wonderful restaurant for a birthday dinner (Julija), but he also, quite literally, walked me to his favorite bakery in town and consulted with the owner to help me coordinate a very special, custom birthday cake to follow our dinner. He even coordinated surprise fresh flowers, chocolates and a lovely, personal birthday wish in the room. Gregor was also instrumental in helping us sort through tour options that took us to Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj. Zlata Ladjica is a wonderful place to stay. I cannot recommend it highly enough. While certainly not the least expensive place to stay in Ljubljana, it is worth every penny!