Fortuna Hotel

We stayed the first week in July 2007- the journey was a dream from Birmingham, don't worry about the organisation with luggage, it is a bit scary that your cases come off the coach at Porec and disappear into a van but trust us they do arrive on the island at the hotel within 20 minutes or so...Like everyone else on this site we were a bit disappointed with the initial appearance, it really does need a coat of paint and some new carpets in the corridors. However - like others we were delighted with the cleanliness of the hotel and surroundings. The island itself is small but the pine wood is a welcome respite from the heat and the scent is wonderful! There are some of the biggest rabbits we have ever seen hopping around and a few small lizards but no other wildlife or insects to bother you! As noted by others the food is exceptional - we don't normally go for half board but we could not fault the choices at both breakfast and dinner. Dinner is a short session from just 1900 to 2100 which is a bit early - watch out for the obsessives standing by the dining room doors at 1850... As a veggie I am often hard to please but there was usually some veggie type choice (fritatta, pasta) and always a very good selection of salad and vegetables. The help yourself wine, beer and soft drinks are a real plus. The only complaint I would have is that for some unknown reason the staff will not allow you to fill a small water bottle with water to take out. I guess its so that you buy the overpriced bottled water from the bars. The half hourly ferry to Porec is reliable and easy to use and Porec itself is charming (if a little battlescarred in places). Word of warning - watch out for some of the streets, they are marble effect with quite deep channels in places and can be slippery! Leather soled sandals are not a good choice of footwear for your trips to Porec centre! There is not much to purchase, the usual "tourist" bits (made in China and available in just about every European location!), Amber and "fake" perfumes are everywhere. For a week of getting away from it all in a clean, peaceful and hassle free environment we can't recommend it enough! The average profile seems to be more mature couples, there is nothing for kids and no real nightlife to speak of. Porec boasts a couple of casinos and a nightclub but most of the entertainment seems to be hotel based. On that note - the "entertainment" at Fortuna is' at best,dire and at worst, embarrasing. Bingo in 4 languages is as painful as its gets! Our advice is to buy a bottle of wine on the mainland and enjoy it on your balcony overlooking the sea.... Value for money and one of the most relaxing holidays we ever had. Enjoy!

We have recently returned from our trip to Istria (22nd May) and the wonderful Hotel Fortuna in Porec. As previous members have remarked the Hotel does need a coat of paint to the outside , the bedrooms a little updating, but , dont be put off by that . The cleanliness (everywhere sparkles) the friendliness of the staff, the pool , the beautiful dining areas are a joy to behold. For Breakfast, a vast array of food to start the day. Dinner at night was buffet-style, lots of variety, and good quality food, excellent. Pour your own wine or beer, couldn't be better! The Hotel's surroundings were magnificent and the short ferry ride to the mainland was every 1/2 hour, not that you would need to spend much time there, the Island was so relaxing, time just flew by. When we finished our 5 night stay we were reluctant to leave. We spent 3 nights in Rovinj in a 4 star hotel , surroundings lovely, but the food way below the standard of Fortuna. Go to Fortuna you will not regret it. We will return for a much longer stay. " The K's from Ireland"

I've recently returned from my fifth visit to the Fortuna after a gap of a few years. It never disappoints me. Yes, the hotel does need a lick of paint on the outside, but inside everything is fresh and clean. The staff were just as wonderful as before and it was nice to see some "old" faces. The food is so plentiful and tasty although there did seem to be pork every night but fish, pizza and pasta dishes were available. New additions were a bonus since I last visited. Somewhere to hang your laundry on the balcony and the free wine and beer with dinner were much appreciated. Having woken in the night dying of thirst in Dubrovnik last year and braving the tap water and surviving we decided be brave again in Porec. It was a great saving on bottled water with absolutely no ill effects. One note of caution. One of the ferry boatmen waits for no one. He decided that we couldn't board and he was going one night, even though we'd been standing by the boat entrance for 10 minutes and he knew it. This resulted in a very annoying 45 minute late night wait (while needing the loo) to get back to the hotel. I shall certainly be staying at the Fortuna again, the sooner the better.

I have to confess that upon my ferry approach to the hotel I thought oh dear, a little shabby. I was however very pleased that the need of a paint job to the exterior was not a reflection of the overall standard of the hotel. The hotel, whilst a little dated, is managed and maintained to a very high standard. I had a room to the rear which overlooked trees and a steep grass bank, although not the best of views, this got the afternoon sun and was very peaceful to sit on the balcony and read a book after a busy day doing nothing! The down side is you will be woken early by the birds! The staff were very efficient, the buffets were very nice and even included drinks and coffees after. The bathrooms looked as if they had been modernised recently and were very nice. The only downside to the rooms is that there are no ceiling fans or air con, I did however hire a fan for my room at £2 per day - well worth the money as temperatures were over 30c daily. To the front of the hotel is a really nice "beach" I used this rather than the hotel pool to get the breeze from the sea and the views of the sea and town of Porec were lovely from here. I had a wonderful stay, the weather was better than I was expecting and the as the season is yet to get into full swing, the resort was not too crowded - great time to come. Wonderful relaxing holiday and hotel.

The hotel was brilliant, a bit old but wonderfully clean. Staff very pleasant and helpful. Food very good, stayed half board, this included free drinks at evening meal also!!! Valter the manager ran a tight ship and made sure things were all very clean and correct, no stale food and plenty of it. in fact all in all you have to question if this is really a 3 star hotel, we have stayed in 5 star accomodation that isn't half as good. Stayed in May and had a lovely sea facing room well worth the little extra. Loved the free Ferry boat that allowed you to 'escape' the island but really you didn't need to, everything available at the Fortuna. Have a nice stroll around the island, good for snorkelling crystal clear waters. So if you are thinking of booking this hotel then I would strongly recommend it. Don't think of escaping off the island but escape to the island Hotel Fortuna.

Have just returned, having spent a fabulous week here. Not only was the weather really hot and sunny every day, but the location was absolutely superb. On your own pine wooded Island, using a ferryboat to get there (runs every 30 mins-free). The hotel was lovely, an early 20th century Edwardian build but in need of some tlc outside, like a coat of paint, but once inside your room, all that was forgotten. I have never seen so much wardrobe space in a room before, and a nicely tiled and clean bathroom. The bed I had was short in length, made for a person 5ft 4" and under, or a child, luckily I am only 5ft 2". The hotel was only half full, and the villas, appartments etc at Castle Isabella, next door, had not opened for the season, so it was not very busy, plenty of room in the pool and on the sun terraces, but Thomson Holidays (UK) also use this hotel, so I imagine it could get very busy in the summer, as could Porec (pronounced porredge). Did not appear to be many facilites for young families, although there was a small playroom on the 1st floor, and a small childrens pool outside. Although the main age group last week tended to be 60 and over, including myself. I was staying on a b&b basis, but after trying the buffet meal the first night, and comparing prices in the town, stayed for every dinner, at the equivalent of £4.50 and eat as much as you like, with wine or beer included, you cannot go wrong. The meals were very varied, and extremely nice. I did put on weight.. One complaint, the peacock woke me early every morning with his noisy calls to his mate, as I was sleeping at the rear overlooking the pine woods, but his displaying was so wonderful I forgave him. Several people on the front said it was noisy, as they overlooked the harbour, the ferry boat started up outside at 7am and run half hourly until midnight. There was also a couple of discos in the town, on the harbour front, and the noise from these carried across the water quite loudly at times, until the early hours. I had also noticed it a few times when sitting on the terrace or out walking of an evening. But all that aside, location staff, food, everything was really fab. I would certainly go again, thats for sure. If flying by Ryanaire, contact the hotel direct, they will lay on a courtesy car to collect and return you to the airport, 45 minutes away, free of charge. Be aware, the bus to/from Pula only runs every 2 hours. Most places, although served by the buses, are not as regular as we are used to in England. The lady in the bus station does speak limited English. Always ask for a return ticket, its cheaper. One thing I never expected though, Croatia is so green, and seems sparsley populated, so few towns or villages, but lots of woods, forests and fields, and red earth - just like Devon and Cornwall.

We had a great holiday in Porec at the beginning of May. We had not booked the sea view room but were given one anyway and then because we had the wheelchair the management upgraded us to a triple room with separate living room so we really lucked out. :) Access to the island on the normal boat 'Riviera' with chair is no problem, a small step up or down depending on tide but on the weekend they used a smaller boat 'Regata' which was much of a challenge - several steps down into the boat. The ramp up to the hotel is quite steep but manageable as it the path around the island (easiest anti-clockwise). On the mainland Porec is easy to get around and the path to Zelena Laguna is accessible all the way (8+ km) but we couldn't get on to the boat back. In the hotel the only problem was that we needed to remove the foot rests from the chair to get in the lift. Hotel staff are friendly and helpful.

My hubby and I stayed at the Fortuna in August 06. After a stressful year we needed a relaxing holiday, though sadly this wasn't delivered. We loved Croatia but would never stay here again. I'm surprised the reviews are so good and noise isn't really mentioned. We were sold the holiday as a 4* by a well known holiday company though I feel this was a very generous rating indead, more like a 2*! The staff were lovely and the hotel was clean so can't complain there, but the noise was horrific. A nightclub was situated somewhere across the water, (not actually in the main town) this would bombard us with noise from 10pm until 5am. We tried to get moved into another room but couldn't get moved for nearly a week. Then to make matters worse there was a festival for two days (yearly apparently) which produced the loudest noise I have ever heard! We lost 2 nights sleep from this. Where ever you slept in the hotel you couldn't avoid the noise! We complained to the tour operator after the hotel but were fobbed off and ignored. In my opinion, Croatia is a lovely place. If your a heavy sleeper then by all mean try Porec but if you are a light sleeper never stay here particularly in the summer and avoid the last week in August like the plague. Just wish we'd been warned because the severe lack of sleep ruined what should have been a great holiday. Regards Alison Barber

Dated and slightly shabby BUT so what when you are well looked after by some of the friendlest and helpful staff at any hotel we have stayed. If you accept that this is a 3star hotel in what was the eastern block then you will have a great time in this beautiful town where there is everything you want for a week. We were there in early October when the sun shone every day and had great walks along the coast; 2 good days out - one by boat with 2 stops £12 inc lunch and wine/beer and a day trip to Pula by bus £8 return from the bus station where the ticket office is very helpful (return tickets seem to be cheaper than 2 singles) The food at the hotel is exceptional, good choices and lots of content and they never seem to run out; a salad buffet which shames almost everywhere in the UK (Hilton, Marriott and Holiday Inn all 4 star) and the food mostly left in its natural state not smoothered in dressing and the nightmare of mayonaisse,so not too much opportunity for food poisioning!! The ferry from the island is free to guests and run 2/3 per hour from early morning until midnight and takes about 10 mins max.

We stayed at the Hotel Fortuna at the beginning of Oct 2006. Quite simply we loved every minute of it. The boat service to the hotel is prompt and takes about 2 minutes from one side to the other. The hotel staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble. We wanted to play mini golf but the course had been closed so Borris, the duty receptionist got on the phone to the leisure manager who wasn't on the island and made him come and get us some clubs and balls. The view from our room was beautiful and even though it was October we enjoyed a whole week of Sun and it was plenty warm enough to sun bathe. The food was the best bit however. There was enough variety to have something different every day, as much of it as you wanted and it was of good quality. The hotel itself was maybe a little dated, but was always spotlessly clean. We took 2 trips from the hotel. 1 was up the coast on one of the many boats that leaves Porec which was great value, a whole day two stops and lunch included for 12 pounds each. The other was organised by the operator and went to the Plitvice lakes, beware, this is over 4 hours each way on the bus, but was well worth it when we got there. Overall, we'd go again and if you've never been to Croatia I'd recommend it and this hotel.