My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Branicki in Bialystock from May 21-24 of this year. This is a lovely hotel with a boutique environment that is reminiscent of prior decades (even though it is in fact a modern structure.) Our room, a Superior King Bed, was nicely decorated, very clean, and spacious enough for our comfort. The staff was, without exception, very attentive and accommodating. And the onsite restaurant, The Orangery, was exceptionally good. Every morning, there was a complete and lavish breakfast buffet, and the dinners were well above typical hotel fare. The presentations were elegant and the choices were very tasty! My husband took advantage of the cigar bar one evening and enjoyed the clubby atmosphere in this special (and well-ventilated) room.
The highlight of our stay in Bialystock occurred on the third day of our visit when we met with the guide, Anna Krasnicka, who was recommended by the hotel desk. We contacted her about 3 weeks before we arrived in Poland to arrange for her services. She picked us up at the hotel in the morning and she drove us in her car to the rural areas around Bialystock where we had identified probable connections in our ancestry research. Anna was absolutely ideal as a guide! She was very fluent in English and had been a Polish History teacher in her past. We highly recommend her!! You can reach her through the hotel or directly at ankras77@gmail.com. And try her blog http://bialystoksubiektywnie.com/