Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Accommodation’ Category

Way back when, there was only the Hotel Neptun, a perfectly acceptable three-star hotel on Dubrovnik’s Babin Kuk peninsula. With its calm surroundings and rooms with sea views it had always been a favourite. Then, with the dawning of the new millennium it seemed ready for an upgrade. And so it was done. Now there’s the four-star Hotel Neptun and the five-star Hotel Ariston, Importanne Suites and Villa Elita, all part of the Importanne Resort.

A recent stay in the  Importanne Suites revealed accommodation ready to take a top spot on the global luxury hotel scene. These spacious suites are lodged in their own building, discreetly bordered by stone walkways and Mediterranean greenery. As the resort reception area is in Hotel Neptun, walking into the Importanne suites is like entering a private home with plush rugs and comfortable sofas. It was thoughtful to place a row of umbrellas downstairs just in case the weather turned.

The suites are composed of two rooms: a bedroom and a living room with a small kitchenette area should you want to prepare champagne and canapes. The decor was soothing but cheerfully modern. Each room had its own bathroom which would be convenient both for couples and for those entertaining business guests. I liked that there was free internet access; so many hotels charge for it. Plus there was a flat-screen TV and telephone in each room–again perfect for those combining business and pleasure.

Perhaps the best part was the immense balcony facing south. The view over the Adriatic was unforgettable, particularly with the sun setting on the right.

Sunset from the Importanne Suites

The breakfast buffet (shared with the Importanne Resort) was copious and delicious with freshly-baked pastries, meat, eggs, cheese and lots of fresh fruit. Afterwards, there’s lolling by the swimming pool, plunging into the Adriatic, taking a peaceful seaside stroll to Lapad or hopping on a bus for a quick ride to the Old Town. It was the full resort experience and I loved it.

See more about the Importanne Resort.

For my forthcoming trip to Split, I decided to base myself in the Veli Varos neighbourhood. I don’t know it as well as I’d like; it’s close to Marjan hill; it’s a slice of Old Split and slightly removed from the more touristy parts of Split.

Alas, finding suitable accommodation was more difficult than I thought, especially after not following my own advice to use a reputable agency. The agencies I usually trust–hostelbookers and booking.com–for once didn’t seem to have anything quite right so I went further afield and chose Apartment Marjan from splitapartments.net. What a mistake.

The owner of the apartment, Mijo Dujmovic, confirmed my stay on September 25, after several email exchanges. Much to my surprise, Mr. Dujmovic, notified me today that the apartment was actually not free at all. So sorry. Too bad. Could it be that he simply got a better price for it?

This is why I always recommend booking through an agency. It’s actually no more expensive and you have back-up in case of any trouble. Owners that choose not to work with agencies usually “go rogue” because they want to hold on to every last euro and not part with a commission. Does this sound like the type of person you want to entrust with your vacation?

Next time I will follow my own advice and book private accommodation online.