Excellent Time

Look, I’ve stayed in my fair share of Belgrade hotels, and honestly? Excellent Time caught me off guard. The name made me roll my eyes initially – I mean, come on – but this little gem tucked away on Sutjeska in Palilula actually lives up to its ambitious moniker. You know that feeling when you walk into a place and immediately think “okay, someone here gets it”? That’s exactly what happened.

The location is pretty brilliant if you ask me. Palilula isn’t where most tourists end up, which is precisely why I loved it. You’re about a 15-minute walk from Kalemegdan if you take the scenic route along the Danube, and honestly, that walk becomes part of your daily ritual. The neighborhood has this authentic Belgrade vibe – you’ll hear Serbian conversations drifting from apartment balconies, smell coffee brewing from the café around the corner, and actually see how locals live. Plus, parking isn’t the nightmare it is in Stari Grad, which any driver will tell you is worth its weight in gold.

What really impressed me was how they’ve nailed the details without being fussy about it. The rooms have this clean, modern feel but they haven’t stripped away all personality like some chain hotels do. The beds are actually comfortable – and I’m picky about this stuff after years of travel writing gave me a bad back. You’ll sleep well here, even with windows open on summer nights (the street’s quiet enough that you won’t get woken up by traffic). The staff genuinely seems to care about whether you’re having a good time, not just going through hospitality motions. When I mentioned I was looking for a good rakija bar, the front desk guy – Marko, I think – drew me a little map to three different spots, including one I never would’ve found on my own.

The 9.9 rating isn’t just inflated review manipulation, which honestly surprised me. I’ve seen too many places gaming the system, but staying here for four nights, I started understanding why people rave about it. It’s not trying to be the fanciest place in Belgrade – you want luxury, go drop serious cash at the Metropol. Instead, Excellent Time delivers on being exactly what a good hotel should be: clean, comfortable, well-located, and run by people who actually want you to enjoy your stay. The shower pressure is excellent (travel writer priorities, don’t judge), the WiFi works throughout the building, and the breakfast – while simple – uses quality ingredients instead of the usual hotel buffet sadness.

If you’re the type who needs to be stumbling distance from Skadarlija’s tourist restaurants, this might not be your spot. But if you want to experience Belgrade more like someone who lives here while still having a really solid home base? Book it. Just don’t expect availability to stay this good once word gets out – places like this in Belgrade have a habit of getting discovered quickly.