In a leafy location 4km uphill of central Košice, elegant Hotel Bankov instantly impresses. It's a faithful rebuild of a 19th-century hotel, though the vaunted luxury experience greatly depends on your room. From carpets to fittings, older rooms feel a little faded; for a higher price tag (around the €100 mark), rooms are polished and contemporary, with restful forest views.
The excellent restaurant serves upmarket European fare (pork with figs, oyster mushroom risotto) and the wellness centre (€15) has an elemental feel, thanks to saunas and treatment chambers lined with stone and wood.
A complimentary daily shuttle service whisks guests to and from town. Alternatively there's a bus stop outside the hotel; bus 14 travels down to the tram lines that link to the old town.