Looking to read a detailed Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës resort review before booking your next trip to the Albanian Riviera? You’ve come to the right place!
A true Mediterranean retreat, the first Movenpick Albania is a luxury hotel that sits perched over the soft sands of Lalëz Bay.
The postcard-perfect beach resort is located in one of the most exclusive areas of the Adriatic coast. Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës is conveniently located a short 40 minute drive from both Durrës and Tirana.
I spent 3 nights at the chic Movenpick Albania. This Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës review features info on the resorts accommodation options, spa services, restaurant menus, and unique on-site amenities.
Book A Luxurious Holiday at Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës in Albania
Mövenpick Hotels is a Swiss hotel management company owned by Accor, who also own Fairmont. It operates over 80 properties, including hotels, resorts, and Nile cruises.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts traces its roots back to Mövenpick Group, which was founded by Ueli Prager in 1948 when he opened his first restaurant in Zurich.
The name was apparently inspired by the feeding action of a gull (in German, a Möwe) and how its simple movements reflected the restaurant’s theme of food served as quickly as possible. Today, the Mövenpick experience, wherever you are in the world, is synonymous with Swiss timeliness and luxury.
Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës is located on the central western coast of Albania, a 40 minute drive from the capital, Tirana and nearby port city of Durrës.
The well-appointed 80-room hotel is part of a dynamic residential village in Lalëz Bay, which is built in harmony amongst residential villas and chic apartments.
Nature surrounds the 5-star hotel, from a forest of pretty pine trees overlooking the al fresco patio to tropical palm trees that sway as you skip into the beach club.
Movenpick Albania on Lalëz Bay features 80 rooms and suites. The contemporary living space features clean white walls, bright and colourful art and suites with oversized balconies.
The popular Albanian resort boasts 2 pools, trendy beach club, state-of-the-art fitness centre, full-service spa and 3 unique restaurant concepts.
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Movenpick Albania Hotel Review Highlights
In recent years the Albanian Riviera has become one of the trendiest beach destinations in all of Europe.
Each summer tan fans flock to the sandy beaches in Albania thanks to the affordable prices, which are a steal of a deal compared to neighbouring Italy and Greece.
Before booking your trip here are a list of highlights that make Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës stand out from the rest.
- Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës is the first Movenpick property to open in Albania. It is also one of the first international luxury hotel brands to launch in this once closed off Balkan country.
- The resort is located on one of the most exclusive beaches in Albania. Wealthy trendsetters in Tirana and Durres spend the summers here on holiday as it’s only a 40 minute drive, a popular weekend getaway for locals.
- The property is integrated into a residential village so you’ll find lots of locals at the beach and pool who stay at villas and apartments dotted throughout the property.
- The resort is ideal for romantic couples but also accommodates families with children. The pool has a playground and beach offers plenty of fun for kids.
- Service is top drawer, from friendly beach attendants to attentive spa therapists and knowledgable English-speaking restaurant waiters and bartenders.
- From the hotels lobby the pool is a 5 minute walk and the beach is a 10 minute walk. If you are traveling with someone who has a physical disability or uses a wheelchair please be aware the outdoor pool and beach are approximately 300 metres away.
- The resorts high season runs June to September. We visited in the middle of May during the shoulder season when the pool was closed for annual maintenance and beach furniture was just starting to be set up. We suggest contacting the hotel directly if you’re planning to visit in shoulder or low season to confirm what amenities are available during your stay.
Movenpick Albania Durres Hotel Accommodation
The most important question you have to ask yourself when reading an Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës review is, “what type of accommodation would I like to book for my holiday?”
All of the premium guest rooms and suites at the Movenpick Albania feature modern furnishings, complimentary bath amenities, white marble bathrooms, glass walled rain showers, flat screen LCD TV, tea and coffee corner, minibar, hair dryer, comfy robe, house slippers and the finest pure linen towels.
Room categories at Movenpick Durres can be selected by view (courtyard, forest or terrace) as well as size (room, suite, triple or quad). We spent 3 nights in a luxurious 450 sq ft suite outfitted with a work station, living room, open concept bedroom and spacious bathroom.
The suites jaw-dropping oversized patio would be best described as a private terrace. Balconies offer views overlooking the forest and main restaurants patio below. The al fresco space is outfitted with a 2 loungers, 4 comfy patio chairs and a outdoor dining table that can accomodate 6 guests.
Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës Spa
Looking to enjoy a moment of rest and relaxation on your visit to Movenpick Hotel Lalez Durres? Take the elevator down to Movenpick Albania’s basement and you’ll discover an oasis of wellness.
The onsite gym, fitness centre and aerobics room features a mix of high quality workout equipment and free weights, perfect for those looking to keep fit on holiday. Guests can also lounge on Thai hammocks, lounge chairs or plush sofas that sit around the heated indoor pool.
Skip into the SPA Centre and you’ll be greeted by the hotels beauty centre, offering hair styling, waxing, manicures, pedicures, and facials.
If you’re looking to indulge in a relaxing massage there are two treatment rooms at the spa. The largest space is outfitted with two tables, perfect for a romantic couples massage. The massage menu offers everything from classic Swedish deep tissue to foot reflexology and hot stone treatments.
After each spa experience guests are encouraged to enjoy a meditation inside the sauna, steam room, salt room or relaxation room.
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Movenpick Albania Hotel Restaurants
No Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës resort review is complete until you’ve had an opportunity to wag your finger down each of the hotel’s marvellous menus.
The Movenpick Albania offers guests several restaurant concepts, from fancy fine dining to casual outdoor summer barbecues. Award winning Chef Kerem Yahya manages all of the menus at the resort, inflecting flavours from his home country of Turkey in many of the dishes.
Guests at the hotel enjoy a complimentary breakfast buffet each morning at the main restaurant.
Lunch and dinner can be enjoyed via a continental menu at the main restaurant, barbecue fare at Aqua or pizza, pasta and salads at the beach bar. All restaurants features an onsite cocktail bar features local Albanian wines, craft cocktails and ice cold beer.
Breakfast Buffet
The signature restaurant at the hotel is simply called the Movenpick Restaurant.
The restaurant entrance is located a few steps from the lobby bar. It can also be accessed through its sprawling outdoor patio, which offers views over a pretty pine forest.
The interior is rich with contemporary architectural details, fuzzy upholstered chairs, gleaming hardwood floors, ski-high columns and floor to ceiling windows.
The daily breakfast buffet is separated into 3 sections: tea, juice and coffee bar, hot food and cold plates.
Stroll through the hot buffet and you’ll find a variety of eggs, sausage, bacon, fried potatoes, and roasted tomatoes. Chef Yahya also offers a rotating selection of popular Turkish brunch dishes to delight the senses.
The sprawling cold table features both sweet and savouries. A selection of cheeses, charcuterie, olives, fresh salads as well as cakes, pastries, yogurt, fresh fruit and bread toasting corner.
Movenpick Restaurant
Return to the Movenpick Restaurant at lunch or dinner and you’ll find a lengthy menu that is bound to satisfy each and every guest.
The extensive international menu features a variety of soups and salads, traditional Albanian recipes, pretty pastas, gourmet burgers, creamy risottos, fresh grilled seafood, perfectly cooked steaks and even a few Swiss dishes offering a nod to Movenpick’s culinary history.
Guests can enjoy a fancy feast under romantic lighting in the main dining room or sit in the sun on the outdoor patio, a perfect perch to people watch.
Servers suggest wine, beer and cocktail pairings for the dishes you order but if you’re feeling a relaxed beach holiday vibe an Aperol Spritz always does the trick!
Aqua Pool & Restaurant
Aqua is the resorts popular outdoor pool, which also features a stylish 2-floor restaurant complete with rooftop and balconies with a view.
Guests can be spotted all day reading books and tanning in the sun on comfy blue lounge chairs that huddle around the meandering swimming pool.
Wag your finger down the Aqua Restaurant menu and you’ll find Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with a focus on seafood and meat. Highlights include a halloumi salad, seafood linguine, porcini risotto, as well as a variety of steak cuts, chicken and fresh seafood ordered by the kilo then cooked to your liking on the grill.
On weekends the resort hires local musicians to play live music during popular barbecue nights in the summer.
Elements Beach Bar
Our favourite restaurant concept at Mövenpick Hotel Lalëz Durrës is Elements Beach Bar.
The trendy beach bar is decorated in an eye-catching Boho style featuring rustic wooden floors, breezy wall free indoor dining, and thick nautical rope, that snakes across the sky.
The kitchen at Elements Beach Bar focuses on serving up exactly what you crave on a sun-soaked beach holiday. As upbeat house music drifts through the air with the splash of nearby waves, pretty couples twirl shrimp dotted pasta, devour stringy cheesy slices of pizza, and fork through healthy salads.
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