Hôtels de luxe en Croatia

Stella Mare Eco Boutique House occupies a former renovated stone house in Zavala, a village of 80 inhabitants on the south coast of the island. We reach it by a winding 45-minute road from Hvar Town, or by water taxi. The 8 rooms overlook the sea, local stone floors, white linen, raw wood furniture. The infinity pool overlooks the pebble beach, turquoise water, Aleppo pines. The spa offers massages and organic treatments, Croatian products. From 236 € per night, breakfast included, we sleep to the rhythm of cicadas and the surf ✨

Hotel Moeesy, Blue & Green Oasis perches on the Hvar corniche two minutes from the port, and we quickly understand why the adults-only formula appeals: three tiered pools facing the Adriatic, a discreet spa, zero children on the loungers. The rooms play the off-white and blond wood card, large bay windows, private terraces for most. The service is attentive without being stiff, we sense a real desire to look after the details (thick bathrobes, minibar restocked every day). The beach is ten metres away, smooth pebbles and transparent water, loungers reserved for guests. From 792,50 € per night, it is a high rate for Croatia, but the 9.8 rating speaks for itself. We recommend for a retreat for two, away from the crowds of the historic centre ✨

L'Hotel Sumratin occupies a 17th-century stone house in the Pile district, two minutes from the western gate of the old town. We slept in a room with white limestone walls, polished terrazzo floor, bathroom in Korčula marble. The spa carved into the medieval foundations retains an intact Ottoman hammam, heated pool under stone vaults. The ground-floor table serves honest Dalmatian cuisine, Adriatic fish, wines from Pelješac. The service remains discreet, efficient, without folklore. From 328 € a night, it is one of the best addresses to sleep near the ramparts without being in the tourist flow. ✨

Hotel Bellevue Dubrovik clings to the Miramare cliff, five minutes' walk from Ploče gate, facing Lokrum island. We sleep in pearl-grey and light-wood rooms, floor-to-ceiling glass bays, balconies suspended above the Adriatic. The 1 200 m² spa carves into the rock, heated indoor pool, panoramic sauna, treatment cabins facing the sea. The private beach below remains the real luxury: teak loungers, bar with feet in the water, no crowds even in August. The Vapor restaurant offers a contemporary Dalmatian menu, fish from Gruž market, overhanging terrace. From 868 € a night, it's the price of tranquillity a stone's throw from the old town. We recommend sea-view rooms, the others overlook the road ✨

Riva Marina Hvar Hotel occupies a narrow three-storey house on Obala Riva, Hvar's main quay where Split catamarans dock. We sleep in 11 rooms with white walls, light wood, sliding glass doors opening onto the port (engine noise from 7am, bring earplugs). The ground-floor terrace juts over the water, teak loungers, white parasols, direct views of sails and the Venetian fortress. Service is attentive without stiffness, we sense family management. From 536 € a night, the price of the front row on Hvar in high season. We recommend for a romantic weekend, not for a week of absolute calm ✨

Hotel Fortuna occupies a quiet cove in Milna, twenty minutes' drive from the port of Hvar. We sleep in cream-toned rooms with light wood, some with terraces overlooking the Adriatic, others facing the pine forest. The outdoor pool overlooks the sea, surrounded by local limestone slabs. The restaurant serves honest Dalmatian cuisine, grilled fish and risotto nero, without gastronomic pretension. The service remains attentive without being stiff, suitable for families as well as couples. From 274 € a night, we pay mainly for the private beach and the calm. An address for those seeking the Croatian coast without the bustle of Hvar Town ✨

L'Hotel Excelsior occupies a limestone cliff five minutes' walk from the Porte Ploče, facing the island of Lokrum. We sleep in rooms with wrought-iron balconies, polished parquet, neo-classical furniture, bay windows framing the Adriatic. The outdoor pool is carved into the rock, lined with teak loungers, open from May to September. The spa offers a hammam and massage cabins with sea views, effective without being spectacular. From 758 € a night, we pay for the location and private beach access, not the design (some rooms could do with refreshing). The service is attentive, multilingual, well-versed with international clientele. An address that bets on its natural setting rather than innovation ✨

Sun Gardens Dubrovnik occupies a former olive grove on Orašac bay, between Aleppo pines and cypresses. We tested a sea-view room: teak balcony, sliding glass bay, contemporary furniture in bleached oak, grey marble bathroom. The five pools succeed each other on terraces, the main one measures 50 metres and overlooks the Adriatic. The 2 000 m² spa offers hammam, Finnish sauna, Clarins treatment cabins. The private pebble beach is equipped with loungers and parasols, the water remains transparent up to ten metres from the shore. Free shuttle to Dubrovnik every hour, twenty-minute journey along the coast. From 318 € per night, a rate consistent for a resort of this scale in Croatia ✨

Maslina Resort occupies a sheltered cove in the south-west of Hvar, far from the port and the summer crowd. We sleep in low pavilions in local stone and raw concrete, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pine forest or the sea. The rooms smell of cedar wood, polished terrazzo floors, grey marble bathrooms. Two infinity pools (one heated), 1 200 m² spa with hammam and outdoor cabins. The service is discreet, efficient, never obsequious. From 1 201 € the night, we pay for the tranquillity and direct access to the water ✨. Only downside: the Wi-Fi can weaken in the most distant pavilions.

Villa Dubrovnik clings to the limestone rock twenty minutes' walk from the old town, facing the open sea. We sleep in one of the 56 rooms tiered on the slope, private terraces suspended above the water, blond stone and light wood, sliding glass bays that open onto the blue. The infinity pool overlooks the coast, the spa carved into the cliff offers massages and sauna facing the Elaphite Islands. The Pjerin restaurant serves grilled fish and squid ink risotto, short menu, Dalmatian produce, attentive service without being stiff. Free boat shuttle to reach the port, we avoid the crowds in the cobbled alleys this way. From 1 301 € per night, a rate that reflects the rarity of seaside addresses of this standing in Dubrovnik. We recommend the lower rooms, direct access to the pontoon, sound of the waves at night ✨

The Palace Elisabeth Hvar Hotel occupies the south-west corner of Hvar's piazza, in a Venetian palace restored in 2019. Rooms overlook either the white marble-paved square or the marina. Coffered ceilings, Istrian stone floors, contemporary Minotti furniture. The rooftop pool offers a 270° view over the Adriatic and the Pakleni islands. The 400 m² spa offers treatments based on local lavender and olive oil from Brač. We tested in July, the location justifies the 922 € per night, but noise from the piazza carries until midnight (effective double glazing, bring earplugs if a light sleeper). The service is attentive without being stiff, typical of Leading Hotels ✨

The Rixos Premium Dubrovnik occupies Lapad bay, three kilometres from the medieval ramparts, in a contemporary resort of glass and white stone. We tested the all-inclusive formula: buffet breakfast, à la carte lunch and dinner in four restaurants, minibar restocked daily, unlimited spa access. The rooms are spacious (from 38 m²), teak balcony, Adriatic sea or Mediterranean garden view, beige marble bathrooms. Two outdoor pools (one heated), pebble beach with loungers and parasols. The service is attentive, staff speak five languages, the atmosphere remains family-friendly without being noisy. From 519 € per night on half-board, add 150 € for ultra all-inclusive. A format that will appeal to travellers seeking budget simplicity in a refined setting ✨

The Hotel Dubrovnik Palace has occupied the Lapad peninsula since 1972, a Croatian modernist building set on a rocky promontory fifteen minutes from the old town. We slept sea-side, full south bay window, teak balcony, view over the Aleppo pines and the Adriatic shimmering to the islands. The rooms are spacious (35 to 45 m² as standard), light marble on the floor, sober contemporary furniture, bathrooms redone in 2019. The 1 200 m² spa descends over three levels to the private beach, heated indoor pool, panoramic sauna, treatment cabins facing the sea. Two restaurants on site: the Argola for Dalmatian grills, the Vista for more elaborate Mediterranean cuisine, well-stocked Croatian wine list. From 372 € per night, free private parking, shuttle to the centre every hour. We recommend for a high-end seaside stay without giving up proximity to Dubrovnik ✨

The Royal Ariston Hotel occupies Lapad bay, three kilometres from Dubrovnik's historic centre, in a quiet residential neighbourhood lined with pines. We slept in a standard 28 m² room with balcony over the Adriatic, light marble floor, contemporary furniture in white lacquered wood, firm bedding. The outdoor pool leads directly onto the pebble beach, with sun loungers and parasols included. The spa offers classic massages and treatments, nothing revolutionary but effective after a day of sightseeing. From 277 € per night, it's good value for Dubrovnik in high season, especially with children. The service is smiling, the atmosphere relaxed, we are far from the formalism of Croatian palaces in the old town.

The Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik occupies a Belle Époque building constructed in 1897 for the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy, fifty metres from the Pile Gate which opens onto the Stradun. We sleep in rooms with high moulded ceilings, waxed parquet, sober contemporary furniture that respects the original volumes without pastiching the era. The heated outdoor pool overlooks the ramparts, the spa offers hammam and Elemis treatments in a vaulted 19th-century cellar. The Vapore restaurant serves honest Dalmatian cuisine (Adriatic fish, squid ink risotto, lamb peka), without starred pretension but with irreproachable products. From 497 € per night, it is the only historic palace within the walls accessible without crossing the Stradun crowd. Our verdict : the address for those who want Hilton comfort in a building with character ✨

The Royal Princess Hotel occupies a peninsula in Lapad, twenty minutes by car from the historic centre. We slept in a room facing the Adriatic, floor-to-ceiling glass bay, light marble on the floor, sober contemporary furniture. Two pools (one indoor, one outdoor with teak loungers), 800 m² spa with sauna and hammam, access to private beach via a stone staircase. The service is attentive without being stiff, the generous buffet breakfast (local products, on-demand egg station). From 395 € per night, rate justified by the seafront location and the facilities. We recommend for those who want to alternate cultural visits and lounging without staying in the bustle of Pile. ✨