Originally coming all the way from Canada, we were in the nearby city, Cluj-Napoca, for a week, and found out about this resort at Iulius Mall. The reception was quick to book us in, despite us calling late and last minute, and despite them being almost fully booked for (Orthodox) Easter Weekend. Zorica from reception was incredibly kind, and booked us in for a one night stay and a subsequent massage on that same day.
On the day we arrived, we heard that there was a mixup in our booking, however, Tudor from reception made it his first priority to solve our inconvenience as soon as possible, and managed to fix everything even before the set check in time at 2pm. He and the other staff welcomed us like family and made us feel like old friends rather than new guests/clients. Tudor also described in great detail where everything was and where to go to enjoy the best activities the resort had to offer (even now, while it is undergoing construction in certain areas). An important detail to note about the construction is that while in other places construction noise would damage the entire experience at a resort like this, we did not hear one single unpleasant noise. In contrast, both throughout the day and late at night, all you can hear outside and around the resort is the peaceful sounds of nature and the chirping of birds. We even forgot there was construction going on because of how peaceful the resort is.
The architecture of the resort is stunning, both in the building and outside (especially the bathrooms!), and the level of cleanliness and amazing accompanying fragrance was superior to other places we've seen in Romania so far! The many windows illuminate a beautiful surrounding view that encases the warmth of the resort while also benefiting from a dreamy setting.
Out of the activities we took part in, the spa was good, the saline room was relaxing and quiet (we would recommend bringing a towel or two to be comfortable on the lounge chairs; we forgot to ask, but didn't mind), our nature walk to see the deer and the farm animals was adorable, and the horseback riding (and Emi the young instructor/guide explained everything about the horses in such a friendly way) was an experience straight out of a dream. The massage room could be improved with more ambience in the room through soft music to mask the sound of the pool room next door, but the need to improve this depends largely on the price (the massage was incredibly cheap from a Canadian perspective: 80 RON for 1hr = $24 CAD), atmosphere, and focus of the resort/hotel (which is outdoor activities in Wonderland's case). Once again, the resort's hospitality shined through as Sorin and Mihai (the staff in charge of the spa, pool, and saline room answered all of our questions and once again treated us like family whenever we needed anything, and continually represented the Romanian hospitality of paying attention to you and acknowledging you at every moment.
From a Canadian mindset and experience, hydration is very important after a massage, and so with this thought in mind, because we didn't notice any water or tea offered around the spa, we asked Alex from reception (who later in the evening was also incredibly hospitable in going out of his way to prepare a snack we had brought that needed to be warmed up) where we could get some cups of hot water for tea, and he directed us to Alina in the dining room. She ended up giving us an entire thermos with boiled water, rather than just cups! Bogdan at the reception cafe also served us in such a friendly way and put together wonderful drinks!
The following experiences at breakfast and lunch, thanks to Ionuț and Florin, the supervisors at the dining room in the resort, were the highlight of our stay. Their words and actions are difficult to explain in English terms, because the kindness in their words and tone (in Romanian) are not translatable into English. Their professionalism excelled in the fact that they could pinpoint exactly when we needed their help or attention, so much so that it was almost like they could read our minds. In our experience, in other hotels in North America, around check out time, you would have to be done with your stay and check out. At that point, you are expected to leave the resort. However, Ionuț and Florin went even more above and beyond in hospitality even after we checked out, and made our last moments on the premises perfect!
By the time we had to leave, we almost didn't want to anymore. The only reason we put 4 stars instead of 5 is because certain small details could be added or improved, and we know it will be improved once the construction is finished. When coming to Wonderland, while the activities are wonderful and beautiful, we encourage others to focus on how hospitable and friendly the entire staff is, and we promise you won't leave underwhelmed or disappointed. I wish we could have these kind of people and atmosphere in Canada!
