Choosing a hotel close to the Tirana International Airport – also known as the Mother Teresa Airport or the Rinas Airport – is a good idea if you want to spend just a few days in Albania’s capital or if you’re just there waiting for a connecting flight.
Although commonly referred to as “Tirana International Airport,” it is actually located in the Albanian village of Rinas which is some 20 – 25 minutes away from Tirana itself. Therefore, you have to decide before arriving if you want a hotel that’s close to the city center or if proximity to the airport itself is your top priority.
If it’s the latter that you choose, we have some great things to share with you today: the best hotels close to the Tirana International Airport are listed below, including budget options and slightly more expensive ones for more extravagant and luxuriant stays.
In the end, have in mind that Albania is a really cheap country – so even for the luxury options you will only pay a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere in the world. In other words, great deals abound here!
No matter which of our recommended hotels you choose, you will be extremely satisfied with the quality of service and the overall value for the money. We’re only recommending hotels that have high standards by Western terms, offering high quality rooms and great, friendly staff.
Plus, you will be close to the Mother Teresa airport in Albania and just a taxi ride away from the capital if you want to visit it as well during your stay.
But let’s not waste any time and let’s check out the best hotels close to the Airport in Tirana below!
Note that we’re listing them from the cheapest to the most expensive, but since prices change and discounts might apply on specific dates, some might become even cheaper than the others, so it’s always a good idea to check them all out in order to make sure that you don’t miss on a special deal!
We have all the details for each hotel below, but if you don’t want to read that, you can check them out directly by clicking the links below:
- Hotel Verzaci
- Hotel Vila Zeus
- Hotel Airport Tirana
- Best Western Premier Ark Hotel
- Bonus: Albanopolis Hotel (in Tirana)
Now let’s find out more details about each of these best hotels near the Tirana International Airport!
Hotel Verzaci
The first on our list is one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) hotels you can find near the Tirana International Airport. But despite the low price, it offers really good services, while the rooms are comfortable and clean.
As a result, it has a “very good” rating on Booking.com – 8.3 out of 10 at the moment of writing, which is a pretty good and shows that we’re not the only ones claiming that you’re getting top quality here for low prices.
One of the biggest advantages of this hotel is that it’s truly within walking distance to the airport. It’s just a few hundred meters away, so you can easily get to it in 5 minutes on foot.
You can actually see the planes from some of the common areas and maybe some of the rooms too (as pictured above). The hotel also offers an airport shuttle service at no extra charge, so you can always go for that if you have a lot of luggage or you don’t want to do the walking.
This is a 3 star hotel, so you shouldn’t expect anything spectacular when it comes to the rooms. However, they are in a decent shape and clean, offering comfortable beds. The pillows are a bit small compared to what I’m used and a bit mushy, but definitely not a deal breaker!
Since it’s so close to the airport, there is a bit of noise coming to the rooms – which are not 100% soundproof, but you can still sleep like a baby unless you’re a very light sleeper. Just in case, bring some ear plugs if you decide to stay at this hotel as it’s better to be safe than sorry!
The staff is very friendly and they speak English really well. You also get breakfast included in the price, which serves its purpose well. Although it’s nothing really Instagram-worthy, it does keep you well fed and you will surely find something good to eat there. For the price you’re paying, you couldn’t expect more, really – but you will still be satisfied.
All in all, this is a decent hotel if you’re on a budget. Some of the rooms might have a problem here or there, but overall you will feel welcome, you will be well fed and you’ll get a good night’s sleep. And this is what matters at the end of the day (or the start of the day if you prefer it!).
Hotel Vila Zeus
Also situated very close to the Rinas airport, this is a small 4 star hotel, but still really cheap. Ah, the advantages of traveling to Eastern Europe and the Balkans!
The rooms are large and in a very good condition, at least at the moment of writing this review. The beds are large and the mattress is comfortable, while the pillows are really good too.
The only thing I don’t really like is the choice of wall decorations in some of the rooms which are a bit too bright for my taste. But that doesn’t apply to all the rooms and it’s just a matter of taste – so you might like it.
The staff here speaks good English and they are friendly and helpful. There is a pool in the vicinity, but it’s small and unspectacular. The surrounding area is not spectacular either, actually, with nothing interesting nearby as it’s situated in a developing part of the Rinas village.
But since the hotel itself was recently renovated (it was a 3-star hotel before that), everything is brand new and in pristine condition. There’s also an airport shuttle available which is recommended to take despite the proximity to the airport – you can get to the hotel on foot without a problem, but the nearby streets aren’t too pedestrian-friendly.
All in all, this hotel offers good value for the money thanks to its strong WiFi internet and a good breakfast. The pool you can use when the weather is nice is a bonus too. It’s also situated in a very quiet area so you will definitely wake up well rested each day.
Hotel Airport Tirana
Just like its name suggests, this hotel is also just a stone’s throw away from the airport: you can see the terminal and the planes from many of the hotel’s rooms, which I find very relaxing. This also means that it’s within walking distance to the airport, but the hotel offers a free airport shuttle anyway so you can always pick that if you want.
It is a bit more expensive than the previous two recommendations, but it also offers a lot more in terms of quality and is probably more suitable for a longer stay. This is a real 4-star hotel with highly skilled and friendly staff, lots of things to enjoy while staying here and great rooms.
The food is also extremely good – the breakfast is included in the price and it’s delicious, offering a lot of options and I am sure that after eating there once, you won’t look for other food options during your stay. Yummy!
Actually, the hotel is highly appreciated in the area: according to Trip Advisor, it’s the 6th best hotel in Tirana based on traveler ratings and the best rated hotel close to the International Airport.
On Booking.com, it has an amazing rating as well: 9.3 out of 10, which really confirms that we’re talking about a perfect hotel for your stay, no matter if it’s just a night or more.
But if you spend more nights here, you get to experience it at its full value: there’s a pool on the premise and an astonishing garden with a beautiful water fountain that makes spending time there a real joy. You can have drink or enjoy some great food – you will absolutely love it!
Of course, the rooms are awesome too. Large rooms with large beds and great mattresses – you will love resting or just spending time there. All the furniture in the room looks good and the design is simple, yet it works great.
The furniture itself looks a bit cheap – Ikea style – but it doesn’t really matter in the end because everything is extremely comfortable, clean and great.
All in all, this is an amazing choice and my favorite on this list! You get the full 4-star treatment and a great hotel that does nothing wrong. And everything while keeping the price relatively low and offering a ton of value for your money.
Best Western Premier Ark Hotel
The final hotel on our list is basically just across the street from the airport. It gives the Hotel Airport Tirana above a run for the #1 spot and I believe that no matter which one you choose, you will be extremely satisfied. It’s good to have more options!
The rooms are flawless and beautiful. The bathroom is actually huge and it could well be turned into a room by itself. This hotel really offers some of the biggest bathrooms I’ve seen and you’ll love that!
Even though it’s so close to the airport, it’s still very quiet and you should have no problems getting a great night’s sleep thanks to its soundproofed rooms.
There’s also an outside pool that’s very similar in size to the one offered by Hotel Airport Tirana – but this one is situated near the parking lot, so I’m not as happy about its location. It’s true that the areas are separated by some nicely trimmed bushes, but I would’ve still preferred it to be somewhere else.
This is just a minor problem though, one that might not even count in many cases. But what really impresses at Best Western Premier Ark is the food. The breakfast itself (which is included in the price) is absolutely delicious and the presentation of the food is a bonus. Yes, you’ll be treated well here!
As I said, I consider these last two hotels to be very similar and they’re just a stone throw’s away – from each other and from the airport too.
If I were to pick, I’d choose Hotel Airport Tirana over this one mostly because of the pool area and beautiful yard, but that only matters during the hot summer days… so in the end, you can pick any of these two and you’ll be extremely satisfied!
Bonus: Albanopolis Hotel
I’m offering a fifth recommendation here: a really, really good hotel with brilliant ratings and top rooms, but one that is situated in Tirana itself. This means that it’s not that close to the Rinas Airport, but the hotel offers a free airport shuttle service, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
This also means that if you want to be in Albania’s capital itself, this is your best bet in terms of easy of getting to the airport – and also in terms of value for the money.
The Albanopolis hotel was until recently rated at 3 stars, but I see that now it was upgraded to 4. This also means that the rooms probably got a makeover with new furniture and freshly renovated, meaning that it’s in better shape than ever.
And since you are in Tirana itself, you also have a lot of things to do outside, from visiting the nearby Skanderbeg Square or popular attractions like the National Theater or the National Arts Gallery. Plus, of course, the plethora of shops and restaurants nearby.
All in all, if you don’t really need to be in the immediate vicinity of the airport itself, but have a free shuttle to it (the airport is some 16 kilometers away) to keep things simple, hotel Albanopolis is a perfect choice!
These would be our recommended hotels near the Rinas Airport aka the Tirana International Airport. I am sure that, no matter which one you pick, you will really enjoy your time there and you’ll be 100% satisfied with the choice you’ve made. It can’t be otherwise when you’re choosing from a list of the best hotels in the area!