Iberostar Albatros Hotel, Cavtat, Croatia
Hotel Information
Hotel Class:
Hotel Description:
Enjoying a delightful seafront location just 800 metres from the town of Cavtat, the Iberostar Albatros hotel offers an abundance of facilities, including 9 tennis courts and 2 swimming pools. The beautiful pebble beach in front of the hotel has a nice grill restaurant and an aperitif bar. The hotel was fully renovated for the Summer 2003 season - Balkan Holidays loading...
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Iberostar Albatros Hotel Reviews
" I have just returned after 6 nights... "
Submitted By: Mrs P Bairstow
I have just returned after 6 nights at the Albatros Hotel in Cavtat with my 9 year old son. I booked the hotel by the Iberostar website and the flights from Manchester with Thomsonfly.
I chose Cavtat as our arrival into Dubrovnik Airport was fairly late and Cavtat is very near the airport - about 5 km away. The taxi cost 150 Kuna on the outward journey which was rather steep given the distance involved.
On the return the hotel booked a taxi which they guaranteed would cost 100 Kuna. The hotel would have also booked me a taxi for the outward journey - you just need to supply your flight number when booking and if I go there again this is what I will do.
On arrival the receptionist knew exactly who I was before I had chance to open my mouth and remembered my e-mail query about the evening meal on the first night - my late arrival meant that I would have to have a cold meal, which I did not want.
The Albatros only offers half board terms and could not provide a lunch in lieu as the restaurant does not open at midday. Instead they said I could have a packed lunch on another day which I was satisfied with.
The reception staff are very helpful and well informed. It is also good to see local bus timetables and weather forecasts prominently displayed in the reception area.
The hotel is large with good sized outdoor swimming pool and paddling pool. Sunbeds in a shaded area round the pool are welcome. There is also a reasonable size indoor pool which is not open in the summer months but would provide a good facility when it becomes too cool to swim outside.
The beach towel system is good - you leave a returnable deposit of £10 or 100 Kuna per towel with reception and get a towel card which you exchange for a clean towel at the pool whenever you require one. At the end of the stay, you return the card to reception.
Our room, A330, was quiet and of a reasonable size with balcony overlooking the pool and outdoor entertainment area, (much appreciated by my son), as well as the sea. We found the room comfortable and very clean. Welcome features included air conditioning, a fridge, and a safe.
The buffet service for breakfast and dinner operated well although queues sometimes developed for omelettes and pancakes at breakfast - the person making them at times was run off her feet! More vegetarian choice would be appreciated although it was welcome to see soya spaghetti bolognaise one night and to be fair there was always one vegetarian dish.
Star Friends, the small entertainment team, worked hard. Their linguistic abilities are particularly impressive - English, French, German, Spanish, and Russian - the hotel caters for many different nationalities.
The hotel is across a very minor road from a pebble beach. Boat services operate to Dubrovnik from the beach as well as trips to off shore islands. Unfortunately we had to abandon a fish picnic trip to the Elafiti Islands at Koloceps after my son was seasick 4 times after a rather rough sail - it would have been unfair to him and to other passengers to carry on so we returned on the Jadrolinija ferry to Dubrovnik then bus back to Cavtat, (both cheap).
Cavtat town centre is about 15 minutes walk away along a shady narrow one way road, (no pavement), with a good ice cream shop on the way, (5 Kuna - about 50p - for an ice cream). The town is very pretty with pleasant walks, an interesting harbour area, (complete with expensive yachts and cruisers), bus station, restaurants and cafes and a small supermarket. The location is very scenic with mountains behind.
The bus service to Dubrovnik, 12 Kuna single, is cheap and efficient and runs once or twice an hour. My only complaint is that there is no bus between 8 am and 9 am - one at 8.30 am would have been useful - also in Dubrovnik it terminated at the old, largely abandoned bus station, (now a bus park), rather than going a little further onto the main ferry terminal at Gruz and the new bus station just beyond which would have made day trips further afield easier.
Dubrovnik itself is wonderful and has an efficient city bus service, (8 Kuna a ticket if you purchase it in a kiosk, 10 Kuna if you buy from the driver). I also used the bus to go south from Cavtat, to Molunat - a very scenic journey - but the service is not very frequent.
I would have liked to visit Kotor in Montenegro but unfortunately the bus from Dubrovnik does not stop on the main road above Cavtat so it would have meant going backwards to Dubrovnik first and I was not prepared to subject my son, (not a great bus passenger), to this.
Overall I would recommend both the Albatros Hotel and Cavtat and would be happy to return.
I chose Cavtat as our arrival into Dubrovnik Airport was fairly late and Cavtat is very near the airport - about 5 km away. The taxi cost 150 Kuna on the outward journey which was rather steep given the distance involved.
On the return the hotel booked a taxi which they guaranteed would cost 100 Kuna. The hotel would have also booked me a taxi for the outward journey - you just need to supply your flight number when booking and if I go there again this is what I will do.
On arrival the receptionist knew exactly who I was before I had chance to open my mouth and remembered my e-mail query about the evening meal on the first night - my late arrival meant that I would have to have a cold meal, which I did not want.
The Albatros only offers half board terms and could not provide a lunch in lieu as the restaurant does not open at midday. Instead they said I could have a packed lunch on another day which I was satisfied with.
The reception staff are very helpful and well informed. It is also good to see local bus timetables and weather forecasts prominently displayed in the reception area.
The hotel is large with good sized outdoor swimming pool and paddling pool. Sunbeds in a shaded area round the pool are welcome. There is also a reasonable size indoor pool which is not open in the summer months but would provide a good facility when it becomes too cool to swim outside.
The beach towel system is good - you leave a returnable deposit of £10 or 100 Kuna per towel with reception and get a towel card which you exchange for a clean towel at the pool whenever you require one. At the end of the stay, you return the card to reception.
Our room, A330, was quiet and of a reasonable size with balcony overlooking the pool and outdoor entertainment area, (much appreciated by my son), as well as the sea. We found the room comfortable and very clean. Welcome features included air conditioning, a fridge, and a safe.
The buffet service for breakfast and dinner operated well although queues sometimes developed for omelettes and pancakes at breakfast - the person making them at times was run off her feet! More vegetarian choice would be appreciated although it was welcome to see soya spaghetti bolognaise one night and to be fair there was always one vegetarian dish.
Star Friends, the small entertainment team, worked hard. Their linguistic abilities are particularly impressive - English, French, German, Spanish, and Russian - the hotel caters for many different nationalities.
The hotel is across a very minor road from a pebble beach. Boat services operate to Dubrovnik from the beach as well as trips to off shore islands. Unfortunately we had to abandon a fish picnic trip to the Elafiti Islands at Koloceps after my son was seasick 4 times after a rather rough sail - it would have been unfair to him and to other passengers to carry on so we returned on the Jadrolinija ferry to Dubrovnik then bus back to Cavtat, (both cheap).
Cavtat town centre is about 15 minutes walk away along a shady narrow one way road, (no pavement), with a good ice cream shop on the way, (5 Kuna - about 50p - for an ice cream). The town is very pretty with pleasant walks, an interesting harbour area, (complete with expensive yachts and cruisers), bus station, restaurants and cafes and a small supermarket. The location is very scenic with mountains behind.
The bus service to Dubrovnik, 12 Kuna single, is cheap and efficient and runs once or twice an hour. My only complaint is that there is no bus between 8 am and 9 am - one at 8.30 am would have been useful - also in Dubrovnik it terminated at the old, largely abandoned bus station, (now a bus park), rather than going a little further onto the main ferry terminal at Gruz and the new bus station just beyond which would have made day trips further afield easier.
Dubrovnik itself is wonderful and has an efficient city bus service, (8 Kuna a ticket if you purchase it in a kiosk, 10 Kuna if you buy from the driver). I also used the bus to go south from Cavtat, to Molunat - a very scenic journey - but the service is not very frequent.
I would have liked to visit Kotor in Montenegro but unfortunately the bus from Dubrovnik does not stop on the main road above Cavtat so it would have meant going backwards to Dubrovnik first and I was not prepared to subject my son, (not a great bus passenger), to this.
Overall I would recommend both the Albatros Hotel and Cavtat and would be happy to return.
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2007
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" This was our third trip to the area... "
Submitted By: Mrs S Powell
This was our third trip to the area and second visit to Hotel Croatia. We had been the previous year on a full board basis but having not been that impressed with the food we opted for bed and breakfast in 2006.
The breakfast area was much better this time- more intimate, allowing you to sit where you want (unlike the main restaurant where you are assigned a group table) and the quality of the food was better, we also ate in the taverna restaurant which was very nice.
The hotel itself is lovely, the rooms are good but not fantastic (as you would expect from a 5 star) we paid for a sea view room which is worth the extra. The weather was fantastic during our stay and the bathing area had been improved. The pool is not the biggest and does get busy but there are bathing platforms on both sides of the hotel.
Cavtat its self is fairly quiet with good food and views of the harbour, Dubrovnik is easy to reach by boat or bus which are both easily caught in Cavtat (make sure you pick up the current Croatia guide book from reception as this shows all the bus routes!)
Don't be afraid to try out the excursions on your own, we had paid for a whole day island cruise the previous year and found the best beach was left until last and you only had an hour there, this time we caught an early boat to Dubrovnik and then got another to the island - spent all day there and it cost less! I would recommend Croatia to anyone, it is beautiful, full of history and you can do as much or as little as you like. We will be returning soon!
The breakfast area was much better this time- more intimate, allowing you to sit where you want (unlike the main restaurant where you are assigned a group table) and the quality of the food was better, we also ate in the taverna restaurant which was very nice.
The hotel itself is lovely, the rooms are good but not fantastic (as you would expect from a 5 star) we paid for a sea view room which is worth the extra. The weather was fantastic during our stay and the bathing area had been improved. The pool is not the biggest and does get busy but there are bathing platforms on both sides of the hotel.
Cavtat its self is fairly quiet with good food and views of the harbour, Dubrovnik is easy to reach by boat or bus which are both easily caught in Cavtat (make sure you pick up the current Croatia guide book from reception as this shows all the bus routes!)
Don't be afraid to try out the excursions on your own, we had paid for a whole day island cruise the previous year and found the best beach was left until last and you only had an hour there, this time we caught an early boat to Dubrovnik and then got another to the island - spent all day there and it cost less! I would recommend Croatia to anyone, it is beautiful, full of history and you can do as much or as little as you like. We will be returning soon!
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Holiday Options
" We have just got back from a lovely... "
Submitted By: Ms Ann Rose
We have just got back from a lovely fortnight away in Cavtat. The resort is small but perfectly formed and welcomes visitors of all nationalities.
We stayed at the Albatros, which is a good 4 star hotel. It has good-sized rooms, with adequate air conditioning and a great maid service. Beds are bigger than king-size and very comfy!
The food is good quality international buffet style, but it became a little dull towards the end of the two weeks. There is always plenty and it is always hot - have your wits about in the buffet as not everyone queues like the British!
The pool is lovely and quite a relief from the heat. It is kept clean and tidy by very thorough pool men. Our only comment is that the guttering cover around the pool could do with replacing - keep an eye on little feet when running around the pool.
The sun beds were plentiful if you got up at 7am. By 7.45 all beds under the canopied shades (very useful) were bagged, and the rest had gone by nine. We ended up using the philosophy if you can't beat them; join them when we wanted sun beds. There were mattresses and towels provided and umbrellas if you needed them.
The staff in the hotel were very friendly and extremely efficient. Don't be put off if they seem a little abrupt to begin with - they're not at all, but as they are having to translate to English for us sometimes forget the pleasantries. Jadranka (pronounced Yadranka) on the Aperitif bar works like a Trojan and was very friendly - loved my Mojitos, made with mint from her garden! The staff seem to have individual roles, e.g. the table clearers won't take your drink order, but will send you a wine waiter.
Tap water is absolutely fine and having a fridge in the room really helped as we filled two sports bottles and chilled them overnight. Don't use the mini bar facility - head to the local mini market, just into main Cavtat. We found the hotel wine prices quite high, and the bottles in the shop £7 or £8 cheaper.
The water taxi to Dubrovnik is excellent - £8 return each (80 Kuna). Very efficient, and a lovely way to travel. Dubrovnik itself is significantly more expensive than Cavtat (add £1 for a pint). Beautiful old city, have your walking shoes on and something to cover your shoulders if it is hot. We walked the walls, which was hot but worth it! It cost £5 each. Lots of steps all round the Old Town so not suitable for the less able traveller, Cavtat however is good.
Eating out in Cavtat can be as expensive or as cheap as you like. Beer was £1.50 a pint; unfortunately soft drinks are quite pricey at about £1.30 a bottle. Domizana, just next to the hotel does excellent food, we ate there a couple of times in the evening - fish and meat beautiful. A three-course meal with beer and wine was £45. At lunch they do excellent pizzas from £2.50 each (small ones are actually quite large). There are plenty of pizza and pasta places in the marina/harbour in Cavtat.
The walk from the hotel to Cavtat is pleasant, shaded and on the level. There is a very nice ice-cream place on the way and a couple of restaurants. You are walking on a one-way road (unless you're a scooter), and there is a white line that we called the fair game line! Stay on the correct side of it!
The harbour side is fab. We saw lots of expensive yachts (to the tune of £100 000 to charter for a week!) It is lovely to watch the world go by and dream of owning one of them. Our favourite cafe was Zino's, where the service was always friendly and the beer cold! Locals (included the Port Authority bloke) have their morning, lunchtime and evening coffee there, so it must be okay! The loo's are spotless which is always a bonus! There are plenty of other places to eat and drink, but the owners don't pounce on you as you pass.
We did a jeep safari from the hotel - great fun and a fabulous meal. You even get to drive!!
Overall, we had a great time. You can do as much or as little as you like. We have come back relaxed and we would love to go back.
We stayed at the Albatros, which is a good 4 star hotel. It has good-sized rooms, with adequate air conditioning and a great maid service. Beds are bigger than king-size and very comfy!
The food is good quality international buffet style, but it became a little dull towards the end of the two weeks. There is always plenty and it is always hot - have your wits about in the buffet as not everyone queues like the British!
The pool is lovely and quite a relief from the heat. It is kept clean and tidy by very thorough pool men. Our only comment is that the guttering cover around the pool could do with replacing - keep an eye on little feet when running around the pool.
The sun beds were plentiful if you got up at 7am. By 7.45 all beds under the canopied shades (very useful) were bagged, and the rest had gone by nine. We ended up using the philosophy if you can't beat them; join them when we wanted sun beds. There were mattresses and towels provided and umbrellas if you needed them.
The staff in the hotel were very friendly and extremely efficient. Don't be put off if they seem a little abrupt to begin with - they're not at all, but as they are having to translate to English for us sometimes forget the pleasantries. Jadranka (pronounced Yadranka) on the Aperitif bar works like a Trojan and was very friendly - loved my Mojitos, made with mint from her garden! The staff seem to have individual roles, e.g. the table clearers won't take your drink order, but will send you a wine waiter.
Tap water is absolutely fine and having a fridge in the room really helped as we filled two sports bottles and chilled them overnight. Don't use the mini bar facility - head to the local mini market, just into main Cavtat. We found the hotel wine prices quite high, and the bottles in the shop £7 or £8 cheaper.
The water taxi to Dubrovnik is excellent - £8 return each (80 Kuna). Very efficient, and a lovely way to travel. Dubrovnik itself is significantly more expensive than Cavtat (add £1 for a pint). Beautiful old city, have your walking shoes on and something to cover your shoulders if it is hot. We walked the walls, which was hot but worth it! It cost £5 each. Lots of steps all round the Old Town so not suitable for the less able traveller, Cavtat however is good.
Eating out in Cavtat can be as expensive or as cheap as you like. Beer was £1.50 a pint; unfortunately soft drinks are quite pricey at about £1.30 a bottle. Domizana, just next to the hotel does excellent food, we ate there a couple of times in the evening - fish and meat beautiful. A three-course meal with beer and wine was £45. At lunch they do excellent pizzas from £2.50 each (small ones are actually quite large). There are plenty of pizza and pasta places in the marina/harbour in Cavtat.
The walk from the hotel to Cavtat is pleasant, shaded and on the level. There is a very nice ice-cream place on the way and a couple of restaurants. You are walking on a one-way road (unless you're a scooter), and there is a white line that we called the fair game line! Stay on the correct side of it!
The harbour side is fab. We saw lots of expensive yachts (to the tune of £100 000 to charter for a week!) It is lovely to watch the world go by and dream of owning one of them. Our favourite cafe was Zino's, where the service was always friendly and the beer cold! Locals (included the Port Authority bloke) have their morning, lunchtime and evening coffee there, so it must be okay! The loo's are spotless which is always a bonus! There are plenty of other places to eat and drink, but the owners don't pounce on you as you pass.
We did a jeep safari from the hotel - great fun and a fabulous meal. You even get to drive!!
Overall, we had a great time. You can do as much or as little as you like. We have come back relaxed and we would love to go back.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Cosmos
" We spent 2 weeks at the beginning of... "
Submitted By: Selebian
We spent 2 weeks at the beginning of June at the Iberostar Albatros in Cavtat and I will try and give readers some up to date info for 2006. Firstly, anyone who wants to go to this hotel please look at doing it yourself. We booked the hotel direct with www.iberostar.com for 1000 for 2 of us. The flights I booked with www.ba.com from Manchester for 307 for 2 of us. The previous week the price had been 211 but the hotel prices were not on line at the time. The only downside was that I had to pay for everything in January when booking. Holiday Options and Balkan Holidays both wanted around 1765 for the same deal so I saved over ?450!!!! I then arranged taxi transfers with taxiservicedubrovnik.com. The service he provided was great, his driver met us at the airport with our name on a card. He was in touch throughout the holiday regarding the return transfer which he did personally. The cost was 80HK each way.
The flights with BA were great - leather seats, 31in seat pitch, ok breakfast but only a cheese roll on the return, no in-flight entertainment but it’s only a short flight. You can check-in online 24 hours beforehand so you can book yourself the extra legroom seats near exits with a bit of luck. Apparently the first 9 rows also have 34 inches legroom but I can’t vouch for that.
Dubrovnik airport is small and well organised. We landed at 11am and were in the hotel foyer by 11.30! The Albatross is as good as everyone says, (see www.holidays-uncovered.co.uk) massive beds and great food. I had asked for a top floor room as near to the sea as possible. We were in A427 which faced the pool and the sunsets! Marvellous. The bathrooms have a heated towel rail and hairdryer. You get a safe, satellite TV, air-con and mini-bar (empty) but store your own drinks all at no extra cost.
You can pay a 100HK deposit for a pool towel card and then get a clean pool towel whenever you like. You get your full deposit back at the end. The sunbeds are mega. They are strong and plenty big enough for my 6ft 3in husband. You also get free mattresses. If you want to swim in the sea you can walk across onto the beach, have a swim and still come back to your sunbed.
It was my husband’s birthday whilst we were away and I asked at reception if they would put him a fruit basket in the room. I offered to pay but this was done free of charge. They also brought him a small birthday cake at dinner.
Between 4 and 5pm it is happy hour and cocktails are 20HK. Free aperitifs are served on Thursday when it is Dalmatian night. The snack bar is very reasonable with a mixed sandwich or toasties being 15HK and Coke 14HK. The tap water is safe to drink - we did with no ill effects. There is a little shop in the foyer selling gifts, sweets, beach goods etc.
I must also mention the Star Friends who are brilliant. They work really hard and not many people were joining in really. Mainly the clients were elderly when we were there and many different nationalities. No chavs. The Star Friends are really good linguists and try really hard. Maya has such an infectious giggle, she was great.
There is all the info you need in the foyer regarding buses to Dubrovnik etc. You have to walk to the village for the public bus No 10 which is 12HK each way. If you look where you are going you can get off the bus just as you are entering Dubrovnik and going down a hill. You can then cross the road and walk down to the Old Town (Stari Grad) through the old narrow streets. It takes 5-10 minutes and all downhill. Saves you having to go to the bus terminus and get a connection. We did this twice and caught a water taxi back (50HK), (80HK return). Buses and boats run frequently. There is also a tourist bus service from the Hotel at 09.15 and 11.15 I think (20HK) which returns at 15.00 but we never tried this.
It now costs 50Hk to walk the walls. Several of the museums and monasteries also charged this.
Cavtat (Savtat) is about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. The road has just been resurfaced (as it has around the Rat peninsula) and the white line has been repainted. Traffic is allowed in only one direction. There are several little bars/shops/ice-cream parlours on the way. Pizzeria Kabaleros is one of the first. I reckon you could get a 2-course meal for 2 there with wine for 20HK but we only had lunch there. We ate at Restaurant Dalmacija twice and Galija once. Really nice food and everything for 330HK - 350HK. Same price to have dinner in Dubrovnik. If you like seafood and wine you will think you’ve died and gone to heaven. There are several restaurants, bars and tourist shops in Cavtat. There is a mini-market, post-office, 2 banks and 4 ATMs which were easy to use but one thing we noted was that they don’t give you your card back until after the money so don’t leave it! We found 2 public phones in the village. Get a 50Hk telephone card from a tobacconists shop and you can just phone straight through to home and get quite a long call. There are some beautiful old buildings in the village and a lovely bay where you can watch the yachts. The cheapest and friendliest bar we found was about half way round, called Zino's. A large draught beer was 12HK, 18HK for a small bottle of wine and free nibbles. At other places large beer was anything from 12 - 17HK. There are a lot of pizzerias in Croatia, with small pizzas starting at about 30HK. Ice-creams are about 10Hk for 2 big dollops.
We booked a boat trip through the Balkan Hols rep although there are plenty of places advertising boat trips. I wanted to make sure it was a big boat. We paid 340HK each but it was worth every penny. It was the Captain’s Choice trip on a replica galleon, the Tirena. There were only 11 of us on the trip (all British) and it rained most of the day but we had a fantastic time. The food was great and plenty of free wine with lunch. We were also entertained by Dalmatian musicians. The Croatians running this trip were fantastic. In general we found the Croatians to be a very morose race. They did not smile much and if you tried to say 'please’ or 'thank you' in Croatian there was no response at all.
We hired a car from Rubikon Car Hire which was in the Hotel. The chap speaks really good English but seems obsessed that you have a Nissan Almera. Maybe that’s all he’s got. Anyway we paid ?188 for 4 days but this was including everything and the extra insurance you need if you are going to Montenegro. He wanted cash so we had to go to the bank to get it (he said we could pay when we returned the car!) You have to keep the headlights on all the time in Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia. Ours had inadvertently been turned off and we were pulled over by the police in Kotor. There’s loads of police about. He wanted 50 and when my husband said we hadn’t got it (we’d only taken '30) after a while he came down and accepted '20 and put it in his back pocket (no ticket). Apparently this is quite a common occurrence and they always try to get more money out of you. Montenegro is lovely, loads of old towns, Budva is really well set up for tourists. Sveti Stefan is good as well. With us going early in the season there was no queuing to get through the customs for Montenegro or Bosnia. If you do not want to drive all the way around the Bay of Kotor there is a ferry which fits about 25 cars on and costs ?3.50.
We had a drive up to Mostar as well - lovely scenery -took about 2? Hours. It was a bit spooky with a lot of bombed and abandoned buildings. The old Town is extremely commercialised. They have their own currency but they will accept euros and I think Kuna.
We also drove along the Peljesac peninsula and left the car in Orebic - another 2 ? hour drive - and caught the passenger ferry to Korcula. This was a lovely little Old Town but smaller than Dubrovnik.
Plat and Mlini, the next 2 villages to Cavtat didn’t have a lot to offer. There are no signposts anywhere to tell you where to get down to the sea. You just have to guess. The petrol was about 89p a litre. The Croatian drivers are mad. If you keep to the speed limits there is nothing to worry about. We have been on a lot worse roads in Greece but it does take a long time to get anywhere. It’s worth it though. What a super holiday!
The flights with BA were great - leather seats, 31in seat pitch, ok breakfast but only a cheese roll on the return, no in-flight entertainment but it’s only a short flight. You can check-in online 24 hours beforehand so you can book yourself the extra legroom seats near exits with a bit of luck. Apparently the first 9 rows also have 34 inches legroom but I can’t vouch for that.
Dubrovnik airport is small and well organised. We landed at 11am and were in the hotel foyer by 11.30! The Albatross is as good as everyone says, (see www.holidays-uncovered.co.uk) massive beds and great food. I had asked for a top floor room as near to the sea as possible. We were in A427 which faced the pool and the sunsets! Marvellous. The bathrooms have a heated towel rail and hairdryer. You get a safe, satellite TV, air-con and mini-bar (empty) but store your own drinks all at no extra cost.
You can pay a 100HK deposit for a pool towel card and then get a clean pool towel whenever you like. You get your full deposit back at the end. The sunbeds are mega. They are strong and plenty big enough for my 6ft 3in husband. You also get free mattresses. If you want to swim in the sea you can walk across onto the beach, have a swim and still come back to your sunbed.
It was my husband’s birthday whilst we were away and I asked at reception if they would put him a fruit basket in the room. I offered to pay but this was done free of charge. They also brought him a small birthday cake at dinner.
Between 4 and 5pm it is happy hour and cocktails are 20HK. Free aperitifs are served on Thursday when it is Dalmatian night. The snack bar is very reasonable with a mixed sandwich or toasties being 15HK and Coke 14HK. The tap water is safe to drink - we did with no ill effects. There is a little shop in the foyer selling gifts, sweets, beach goods etc.
I must also mention the Star Friends who are brilliant. They work really hard and not many people were joining in really. Mainly the clients were elderly when we were there and many different nationalities. No chavs. The Star Friends are really good linguists and try really hard. Maya has such an infectious giggle, she was great.
There is all the info you need in the foyer regarding buses to Dubrovnik etc. You have to walk to the village for the public bus No 10 which is 12HK each way. If you look where you are going you can get off the bus just as you are entering Dubrovnik and going down a hill. You can then cross the road and walk down to the Old Town (Stari Grad) through the old narrow streets. It takes 5-10 minutes and all downhill. Saves you having to go to the bus terminus and get a connection. We did this twice and caught a water taxi back (50HK), (80HK return). Buses and boats run frequently. There is also a tourist bus service from the Hotel at 09.15 and 11.15 I think (20HK) which returns at 15.00 but we never tried this.
It now costs 50Hk to walk the walls. Several of the museums and monasteries also charged this.
Cavtat (Savtat) is about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. The road has just been resurfaced (as it has around the Rat peninsula) and the white line has been repainted. Traffic is allowed in only one direction. There are several little bars/shops/ice-cream parlours on the way. Pizzeria Kabaleros is one of the first. I reckon you could get a 2-course meal for 2 there with wine for 20HK but we only had lunch there. We ate at Restaurant Dalmacija twice and Galija once. Really nice food and everything for 330HK - 350HK. Same price to have dinner in Dubrovnik. If you like seafood and wine you will think you’ve died and gone to heaven. There are several restaurants, bars and tourist shops in Cavtat. There is a mini-market, post-office, 2 banks and 4 ATMs which were easy to use but one thing we noted was that they don’t give you your card back until after the money so don’t leave it! We found 2 public phones in the village. Get a 50Hk telephone card from a tobacconists shop and you can just phone straight through to home and get quite a long call. There are some beautiful old buildings in the village and a lovely bay where you can watch the yachts. The cheapest and friendliest bar we found was about half way round, called Zino's. A large draught beer was 12HK, 18HK for a small bottle of wine and free nibbles. At other places large beer was anything from 12 - 17HK. There are a lot of pizzerias in Croatia, with small pizzas starting at about 30HK. Ice-creams are about 10Hk for 2 big dollops.
We booked a boat trip through the Balkan Hols rep although there are plenty of places advertising boat trips. I wanted to make sure it was a big boat. We paid 340HK each but it was worth every penny. It was the Captain’s Choice trip on a replica galleon, the Tirena. There were only 11 of us on the trip (all British) and it rained most of the day but we had a fantastic time. The food was great and plenty of free wine with lunch. We were also entertained by Dalmatian musicians. The Croatians running this trip were fantastic. In general we found the Croatians to be a very morose race. They did not smile much and if you tried to say 'please’ or 'thank you' in Croatian there was no response at all.
We hired a car from Rubikon Car Hire which was in the Hotel. The chap speaks really good English but seems obsessed that you have a Nissan Almera. Maybe that’s all he’s got. Anyway we paid ?188 for 4 days but this was including everything and the extra insurance you need if you are going to Montenegro. He wanted cash so we had to go to the bank to get it (he said we could pay when we returned the car!) You have to keep the headlights on all the time in Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia. Ours had inadvertently been turned off and we were pulled over by the police in Kotor. There’s loads of police about. He wanted 50 and when my husband said we hadn’t got it (we’d only taken '30) after a while he came down and accepted '20 and put it in his back pocket (no ticket). Apparently this is quite a common occurrence and they always try to get more money out of you. Montenegro is lovely, loads of old towns, Budva is really well set up for tourists. Sveti Stefan is good as well. With us going early in the season there was no queuing to get through the customs for Montenegro or Bosnia. If you do not want to drive all the way around the Bay of Kotor there is a ferry which fits about 25 cars on and costs ?3.50.
We had a drive up to Mostar as well - lovely scenery -took about 2? Hours. It was a bit spooky with a lot of bombed and abandoned buildings. The old Town is extremely commercialised. They have their own currency but they will accept euros and I think Kuna.
We also drove along the Peljesac peninsula and left the car in Orebic - another 2 ? hour drive - and caught the passenger ferry to Korcula. This was a lovely little Old Town but smaller than Dubrovnik.
Plat and Mlini, the next 2 villages to Cavtat didn’t have a lot to offer. There are no signposts anywhere to tell you where to get down to the sea. You just have to guess. The petrol was about 89p a litre. The Croatian drivers are mad. If you keep to the speed limits there is nothing to worry about. We have been on a lot worse roads in Greece but it does take a long time to get anywhere. It’s worth it though. What a super holiday!
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Just returned from a wonderful... "
Submitted By: Mr I Dunsmore
Just returned from a wonderful holiday.
Hotel was lovely and very clean towels changed every day. Only two points I would make the balcony was small and the drinks at the all-inclusive bar were served in plastic cups all the time. I agree during the day, but in the evening it would have been nice to have a proper glass.
The view from the hotel was wonderful and would recommend you pay the extra for a sea view with balcony as quite a lot of the rooms do not have a balcony.
Out and about was lovely and very safe, the walk into Cavtat took about 15 minutes and the harbour was very nice.
If you want to treat yourself eating out was cheap around £20
for a lovely meal and drinks for two people (Would recommend the fish of the day).
We had a great time and hope to go back sometime.
Hotel was lovely and very clean towels changed every day. Only two points I would make the balcony was small and the drinks at the all-inclusive bar were served in plastic cups all the time. I agree during the day, but in the evening it would have been nice to have a proper glass.
The view from the hotel was wonderful and would recommend you pay the extra for a sea view with balcony as quite a lot of the rooms do not have a balcony.
Out and about was lovely and very safe, the walk into Cavtat took about 15 minutes and the harbour was very nice.
If you want to treat yourself eating out was cheap around £20
for a lovely meal and drinks for two people (Would recommend the fish of the day).
We had a great time and hope to go back sometime.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2005
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Balkan Holidays
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We have no small children but entertainment was there for young and ol, including a disco (lolly and pop) from 2030 till 2100 it was good to see the kids so happy.
A local bus calls at the hotel every day except Sunday for Dubrovnik at 0915 and returns at 1500. Boats operate from outside the rear of the hotel for trips to the islands in a regular patern.
A fantastis two weeks with friendly people with big hearts.
Advice: Peble beach but not a problem, afantastic break all round
Activities: In Cavtat there are plenty to choose from and all offering sea food as well as local menus