Mina Hotel

When I read a review of Hotel Mina on a another web site I was almost put off booking,don’t be. Jelsa is a beautiful small town on the North of Hvar. It has a daily ferry in the low season and more in Summer.
It takes about 1.5 hours to reach Jelsa from Split. It is an easy trip though the catamaran can be a bit noisy and you can’t go on deck.
The harbour at Jelsa is picture postcard looking, the sea is wonderfully clear and even in the harbour you can see the fish.
Turn left when you get off the boat, Hotel Mina is about 10-15 minutes walk up hill along the coast. If you don’t want to walk there are taxis that meet the ferry.
If you walk along the coast road bear left and finally go up a small slope, you will see the steps leading up to hotel Mina. It has mini-golf, table tennis tables and tennis courts in front of you amongst pine trees, and a small outdoor pool. It being I think about 30 or so years old it does have a fair amount of concrete in the entrance area, but it is a product of its time and I don’t think it is unpleasant. From the top of the steps there is a lovely sea view. Here is a bar on the ground floor and you go up to the reception. The reception area is comfortable and I found the hotel staff friendly welcoming and helpful.
The rooms are a little on the small side, but the beds are comfortable. Some rooms have laminate flooring, ours new carpet. The rooms are simply furnished, and the dark wood does seem old fashioned now, but all rooms have balconies and I didn’t find the decor spoiled the stay.
I have to say the worst aspect was the food. Breakfast was good, fresh bread, spreads meat and cheese. Dinner on the other hand was not good. Billed as buffet style it looks and tastes a bit like canteen food. Yes you can serve yourself so you can take as much as you want but I didn’t find that the dishes naturally complimented one another. Perhaps it caters for the German market more. When we were there, there was a large party of German over 60s!!
The complaints about food and furnishings though have to be seen in light of the cost of the hotel. In April we paid around £16 per person for dinner, bed and breakfast.
Jelsa is a great place to go for a relaxing holiday, so long as you are not expecting the Ritz. Hotel Mina is an ideal setting, the views are stunning. Enjoy.