Iberostar Albatros Hotel

Myself, my wife and my daughter stayed here for two weeks at the beginning of September and have to say we were really disapointed. Before I begin I have to say that the pool and restaurant staff work really hard and do their best for you. I also cannot fault the maid who really did everything she could to clean the room around us, doing bits when we were out of the way and coming back if we were in the room. The pools were freezing, entertainment poor and the atmosphere is more like a prison than a hotel. Smoking is allowed in every part of the hotel and with no entertainment (if you can call it that) outside, you have little choice to either let your kids sit in a smokey environment or sit in your room! They do not even play music outside at night and so families really have little choice. We did ask at reception whether there was a possibility to put something on outside and they said no and asked us what was wrong with sitting in our room?!! They turned the air con off, saying that they only guranteed it during july and august, even though on some days the temp outside reached 29/30. The kids club was dirty and the toys were old and filthy. It was a real shame because the setting for the hotel was fantastic, right on the beach and only a 15 minute walk into cavtat itself. I can see why older people may have liked it but we went there because Iberostar boasted the the hotel was family friendly (they even refused to serve childs portions at lunch), we were bitterly disapointed. Dont let this review put you off Cavtat itself, because the town and harbour with its restaurants, bars and amazing yachts are definately a sight to behold.

Having read some of the reviews we went to the Albatros with mixed feelings. Yes the hotel was a bit larger & more touristy than we were used to & it needed freshening up in places, it was nevertheless, clean, had a lovely pool area & the views from our room where breath taking. Breakfast was lovely - plenty of choice, even if it did include sprouts one day. We'd booked half board for the week & ate dinner 3 times - it was OK with again plenty of choice. There are however plenty of reasonably priced restuarants nearby & in Cavtat centre - I'd recommend the Italian restarant on the walk into Cavtat - big enough Pizza to share, a greek salad, beer & glass of wine for under £10. Cavtat centre is beautiful - the yachts amazing. Watching the water polo was entertaining. Lovely walk around the peninsulars. Snorkelling was good off the rocks. Easy trip into Dubrovnik - did it twice once in on the bus which wasnt much quicker than the ferry - a nice view of Dubrovnik & you could see where the fires had caused damage. The entertainment team at the hotel tried very hard & we didnt find them pushy - a polite no was all it needed. many different nationalities at the hotel which is nice - you do have to get up early to get a sunbed though. All in all a very nice stay - Cavtat is lovely & we'd certainly recommend it & the hotel.

Iberostar Albatros is built on a really beautiful spot of the Bay of Tiha in Cavtat. The level of services and variety of food (we were on HB) was outstanding. We booked two rooms, both with sea view. We got them really - the only problem was, the rooms were far away from each other. But we do really love walking - so it was not a real problem. We had one room in building A (303) with view to the tennis fields, the sea and Dubrovnik. And had the other in building B (442) with view of the swimming pool and the sea. Both of our rooms were outstandingly silent (as no other floors were above us...) and beautiful, I think they were updated recently. The rooms had balcon , fridge, aircon and hairdrier as well. The room in builiding B had an especially large terrace, we spent almost every evening sitting there drinking some wine, chatting to each other and admiring the sea and the animation program down at the pool and the restaurant. One really downside was the lack of a little shop. The hotel has a shop inside, but it does not sell refreshing drinks, mineral water etc. As we were not on all incl. basis, we had to buy our drinks in the town, a really long walk until the hotel. Cavtat itself is an amazing little town. We rented a car and made excursions to Trsteno (botanic garden), Dubrovnik, Mlini, Srebreno and Montenegro. All of our excursions were great! We were in Dubrovnik 3 times during our one week stay. One time we went by car (it was horrible to find a free place), second time by bus (which stops at the door of the hotel), third time by boat (that stars from the waterfront of the hotel). Summarising: we were not disappointed with Iberostar chain!

I find the previous two reviews somewhat peculiar given my exeperience staying there last week Having stayed in many hotels in europe I can honestly say The Albatros is one of the best I have visited The location is superb and the views from the pool area and restaurant terrace are fantastic The rooms are very good and quite spacious The restaurant has many choices for breakfast and evening meal One slightly irritating thing being the staffs insistence on starting to clear up at 930 am despite the fact the breakfast is served until 10 We were often having to hunt for cutlery and crockery! I was pleasantly surprised with the entertainment in the evening The entertainment team were very friendly and cheerful and the shows put on were better than I had expected I never found them overbearing at all Occasionally they would ask if you were interested in joining in with something but a no thank you was fine They were a credit to the hotel I did notice a slight noise overnight from the air conditoning plant at the back of the hotel but closing the window onto the balcony overnight and using the air con to keep cool eliminated that completely Cavtat is a beautiful place and all in all I would thoroughly recommend the hotel and the place itself

We've just returned from 2 weeks at this hotel. Although the holiday was great, the scenery fantastic and the hotel probably one of the best in Cavtat, it rankles that we had to pay 4 star prices for what, in my opinion, should be a 3 star hotel. First impressions are a c 20ft high concrete wall daubed with graffiti opposite a totally unremarkable entrance to a dull reception area. The corridors to the rooms are dark and dismal and there are no light switches available to improve them. The noise when anybody in a nearby room has a shower or flushes the toilet are similar to the sounds of the planes arriving or leaving the nearby airport - No! Actually the showers and toilets are noisier. There were not enough chairs round the (superb) pool, there were not enough tables on the (superb) restaurant terrace (with a lovely view of the bay and sunset), there was not enough chocolate ice cream, there were not enough staff to cope with the all of the diners (those that were there worked their socks off and were lovely). The entertainers were 'in your face'. They joined you for meals, they came round every evening and personally invited you to the evening entertainment. They came round to pressure you into dancing or participating in whatever was going on. This will appeal to some. It caused us to avoid the hotel entertainment. All in all. I would recommend it if it were 3 star prices but it is difficult to do so at 4 star prices.

We stayed here in mid May 2007. The Hotel Albatros is nominally a 4 star hotel but I think that is more like a 3 star hotel. The furnishings are all a bit dated and the communal areas inside are very dark and miserable! Our room was not very large with a partial seaview, not really the’ superior room’ we had booked. Bathroom had been updated but it was impossible to take a shower without flooding the floor, the screens let water however careful you are Also be warned do not take a room on the B block side, the noise of the air conditioning plant is worse than the airport run way. The pool is fine, but really needs new cushions for the sun beds; those you can find are very old, dirty and even have holes in them. Also the umbrellas and shades are in a poor state of repair. There is a system of 100kuna deposit for a pool towel. The animation team work very hard to entertain guests and are very friendly; many of them speak several languages to a high standard. However after a few nights the evening show is a bit of a repetition! The buffet is much the same as in any hotel of this nature, it does not seem to run out but does tend to be similar each night. The one failing with the restaurant is the lack of cutlery, we always seemed to be on the hunt for an extras knife or spoon! The restaurant is quite crowded not really the place for a restful evening dinner. It is a very pleasant walk into Cavtat where there are many cafes and restaurants etc, also plenty of boat trips are available locally.

WE stayed in croatia for our very first trip abroad and we loved every minute of it and will go again. The hotel was fantastic have no faults atall. Highly recomened to everyone. Tina and Dave

The warm weather was with us and except for one rainy day we were able to swim in the sea across from the hotel. The food was varied and delicious. Long line-ups for the soup , but there was always enough and we could visit and gossip as we stood in line. Seafood of all sorts, beef, chicken, vegetarian. Great breakfasts. The hotel had 2 pools, one indoor. The staff offered water exercises in the morning and in the evening there were games and fun. We loved strolling into the town for a coffee at a seaside cafe; perhaps picking up a little something for lunch to eat on the balcony.

We stayed at the Ibersostar Albatross during October half term. The hotel was excellent certainly lived up to the reviews we read. The location is superb, directly opposite the pebbly beach. We had glorious weather (24 degress) which helped, but the pool area and terraces were lovely. There was also a large indoor pool and fitness centre. The hotel was quiet because of the time of year and the guests were a mixture of English and German. Even though it was quiet, there were plenty of staff and we found them to be friendly and helpful. But the beach sports (pedaloes etc) were not operating and some things like hotel's lunch restaurant was not open. But the snack bar was, so there was no problem. In addition there were a few eateries immediately next door to the hotel and these were good. The food was excellent, buffet style. Breakfast: full range of Enflish, plus cold meats and cheeses. In addition, there was a chef cooking pancakes to order. They also offered a wide range of pastries and meals for those with special diets. Evening meals were also excellent, with at least 4 hot meat dishes. They also did pizza and pasta (2-3 diiferent kinds each night), plus 3 different types of soup, a wide range of salds, as well as 2 chef who would fry whatever the dish of the day was. This varied from veal to burgers. They also offer chips and kids early suppers. There really was something for everyone. Animation: although we did not have children with us, we noted from the board that the childen's clubs were from ages 4 - 14, with the usual min-disco before the main evening entertainment. The rooms were a reasonable size with safe and mini bar. Don't bother to buy bottled water, drink it from the tap, as it is all sources from a natural spring. It tastes fine and the rep told us that the bottled water is ofter filled this way. But we drank it all the time and it was fine. If you want sun in the afternoon, try ask ing for block A - side sea view (pool view rooms) as the sun comes up over block B and hists these rooms in the afternoon. There is a boat that goes from opposite the hotel to Dubrovnik for £8 return. In addition there was a glass bottom boat and another operating an excursion around the local islands. Costs: Good value for money. Soft drinks were approximately 12Kuna (£1.20) and cocktails in the hotel 25 Kuna (£2.50). Tea and coffee 1 Kuna (£1.00). Toated sandwiches at the hotel 20 -25 Kuna (£2 -2.50). Meals out - main meal for 2 with drinks £20 -225. We walk at a fairly sedate pace, but really enjoyed walking into Cavtat. It took us about 20 - 25minutes. The brochures all say 800m - 10 minutes, but we took our time. There are some wonderful views on the way. Would definitely go again!!

Having found a last minute deal to this hotel with Holiday Options, I read the reviews for the hotel here and booked it straight away. So thank you to all those who wrote their reviews because we were not disappointed, in fact we had one of the best holidays we have ever had! I have to admit we had our concerns about it being dangerously close to the end of the season and places being closed. These fears were unfounded and the hotel was still full of staff and cleaners despite being very quiet. I would even go as far to recommend hotel Albatros as well as Cavtat at this time of year as you get all the benefits but without the crowds. I cannot fault the hotel for cleanliness, atmosphere, food, facilities or staff – all were excellent. We never stayed in the hotel in the evening and therefore know little of the entertainment. Similarly, we went out a lot during the day so never used any of the daytime activities put on by the hotel staff. From what we did see, they seemed well organised and the poolside ‘cocktail happy hour’ was certainly not to be missed! The dinners were excellent with masses of choice and all the mains cooked fresh in front of you – no stagnant foods sitting around in this buffet! Too much choice for me as I regularly returned to my seat with a bit of everything on my plate! The rooms were lovely, and I’d recommend requesting a room on ‘A’ side of building as this gets most of the sun through the day and benefits from the spectacular sunsets. I wouldn’t want to spoil people’s fun in experimenting with local restaurants or cafes, but a warning to wine connoisseurs out there – Croatia clearly has good wine growing potential, I fear though that it still lacks the finesse of creating the wine as it can taste quite intense. Careful when getting the cheaper wines as that can be quite abrupt!! Of the harbour front café bars, Zinos does good cold beer, Kamen Mali does pretty good wine (although 25kn a glass - £2.50) The café next door to Restaurant Cavtat on the harbour front (can’t remember the name) also does relatively good wine very cheap at just 12Kn (£1.20 a glass), Café Akora similarly does good cheap wine and beer. I am assured by my boyfriend that Croatia on the whole does good beer. Venturing further afield, there are plenty of lovely walks around the hotel for the more energetic (less energetic a stroll round the Rat peninsula is easy and lovely). Dubrovnik is a day out not to be missed and the ferry is a far more fun way to get there. There are boats that go from outside the front of the hotel regularly. A small warning if buying a return ticket, they then restrict you to going back on particular boats, therefore restricting your movements slightly in Dubrovnik – we got singles so we were free to return when we chose (Single £5, Return £8). Montenegro in my mind is certainly not to be missed, Cavtat is just 15mins from the boarder and once into Montenegro the scenery is fantastic, almost like fiord lands with calm sea bays and dramatic mountains! It is a bit of a long day out, but worth it. Similarly a bus trip to Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina is a very interesting and eye-opening trip with war damage still everywhere, well recommended day out! Warning - it can got hot (Average 40’C in summer) I could go on all day about Cavtat, the Hotel Albatros and Croatia – I would recommend it to anyone!