"La Busu" in Bran, we liked the people and the place

This is not the first time I have written about a hostel. If you remember, when I went through Târgu Mureș we were impressed by the hosts of a hostel there. This time it happened to us on Expowood fair in Brasov. We decided not to stay in Brasov but to go more towards the mountains, towards peace and fresh air. As the Prahova Valley is not famous for its quietness we went in search of the Bran pension. And that's how we ended up in La Busu. No, it's not Busuioc, from the weather, but another...Busuioc - Cristian Busuioc - a very nice gentleman who has a guesthouse in Bran.

I'll tell you from the outset that it's primarily about people. If you go to the website you may not understand why we chose to go there. In reality everything looks better than it is presented there. To be honest the first thing that attracted us was the location (away from the road) and the price. For a 3 daisy guesthouse in the Bran area, quite close to the castle, the price was very good.

The green lawn and the shower that works

The two may seem unrelated, but they both show that the locals are domestic. But first things first. After talking to Cristian and high-fiving over the phone, at the end of the fair day (18.00) we left for Bran. We had made our reservation quite late that day and the man told us that we could only eat there from the next day. We stopped on the way to get some cronuts and some beer (we had eaten quite late at the fair, so it wasn't a question of hunger), so we arrived after 19.

What immediately caught our eye was the green lawn in the yard. It was clearly well manicured. A beautiful and manicured place and although it wasn't very big, it had everything you needed to have a good time: photo gallery for eating, large and small swings, children's playground, hammock, flowering trees.

The staff - 2 people who help the Busuioc family with the housework - were waiting for us and we checked in. The room was clean, generous, decorated in neutral colors. What was pleasantly eye-catching was the fact that everything was working very well and looked as if it had just come into use. However, we found out that the guest house had been opened 4 years ago and that the owner is the one who wants everything to run smoothly, taking care of problems immediately when they arise. And he does the repairs himself.

We weren't late the first evening - we were pretty tired - so we didn't meet the owners that evening. The next day, after waking up with my eyes on the mountain and watching the sunrise from bed on the ridge, we left for the fair still without meeting them. I did, however, speak to Cristian on the phone to tell him what we wanted for dinner and what time we would arrive.

Meeting the owners

And so, in the evening around 7, we arrived at the hostel and met the Busuioc family. As we entered the hostel Cristina (because they are Cristina and Cristian 🙂 ) greeted us all smiles and asked us how long we wanted to eat (it was pastram with mămăliguță and it had to be warm). We said in a quarter of an hour we were ready and we kept our word.

When we came out the table was set and waiting for us. We were asked if we'd like a glass of country wine, but we would have preferred something stronger. And so, on the house, we were given a glass of "pălincă" and a glass of "afinată" to choose which we liked best. Then tongues loosened and we started to talk. It was a very pleasant evening with warm and welcoming people.

After lunch he showed us the guesthouse composed of ground floor, first floor and attic. Upstairs and attic are apartments, very suitable for families with children, single rooms are on the ground floor. Each room has its own style without being busy, using neutral colors.

The loft area doesn't stand on your head, it's quite high. There are hidden places in the rooms or hallways, but near the windows, where you can admire the view or read in peace. And everywhere the master's hand is "visible", everything works and is in good condition.

We then talked about the upkeep of the courtyard, about how beautiful summer evenings are spent with guests in the courtyard. They take out the beer can, put on good music and sometimes lower the screen made of a sheet of laminated chipboard and show movies. Cartoons for the kids until 7 pm, then it's on to movies for the parents.

He told us that on the nights of the big matches, people would gather in the street to watch them. We listened to him and saw the passion for a job well done, the pleasure of seeing people enjoying themselves with him.

Man sanctifies the place

Looking around I realized that it is the people who make the guesthouse different, different. Their desire for everything to be well maintained and to look its best. The joy they share with those who cross their threshold.

I don't want you to think this is about people accepting anything to win. That is not the case at all. Quite the contrary, in fact. It's clear that you can't make them compromise principles for the sake of money. What they both appreciate is people and the way they understand how to behave in a place that they passionately made and love.

We were sorry we didn't take pictures of the hosts. We took the photos for the sake of the place, then we thought it was worth showing it to you. But we'll definitely come back, so there will be more opportunities to take photos together.

Photos are property of Revista din Lemn