Made it!

Too easy! I just wandered to the bus station, asked at the information window, and was told that I could take the bus that was going to Poprad, Slovakia as it stopped in Starý Smokevec. I had to wait about 45 minutes until the bus left, but I ran into a Finnish guy that I had met at the hostel so we chilled out until the bus came.

There was no changing buses or anything, we just stopped at the border crossing and a guy came on to check our passports. As I was the only person from outside the EU, he had to take my passport back into the office to stamp it, then we were off again. No fun for people from the EU - they don´t get stamps for travelling within the EU.

Unlike Zakopane, which had a carnival-like atmosphere (street performers, tons of tacky souvenir stands, roller coaster simulators, people dressed in mascot costumes, etc.), Starý Smokovec seems like a typical mountain town (like Jasper) with ski shops, a few restaurants, a few hotels. Nothing outlandish or tacky about it.

I got a bit of information on hiking from the tourist information centre so I should be able to figure something out to do tomorrow.

As for a bed for the night... I think I have that sorted as well. A couple of women approached me as I got off the bus and we managed to communicate enough for me to figure out roughly where the place is, negotiate the price, and me to tell them that I am staying one night. I have to meet them back at the bus stop in an hour.