Liburna Hotel

Is it not a pity that a great Hotel with magnificent views,can be spoiled by one staff member.One male receptionist,was very unhelpfull when asked if he knew the telephone number of the Taxi Driver who was 15 minuites late to take me to the Hospital.He did reluctantly telephone him ,advised us that it was not his job to do this, and that the cost of the call had been at his own expence and that the taxi driver was not aware of the job, and was not to blame for the error.We were then interrorgated by him on the arrangements we had made suggesting that it was probably our fault. I did of course insist on refunding the cost of the call. John Webb

Plusses : best location in Korcula - overlooking the bay. Minusses : Old funiture in room. The bed is far too old and too soft. No aircontionning nor fan nor mosquito screens in the rooms. Our room was in the basement, ouverlooking the parking. Rude old lady at reception : no proper information about taxi. Restaurant : low food quality, service just satisfactory No beach nor beach furniture Summary : it is not a 3 stars hotel

After having escaped from a rat infested hotel on the other side of the island, coming here felt like coming to heaven. Yes, it's a little outdated in decor, but I can relax without wallowing in modern design. More importantly ,very helpful staff and clean nice room, we even had two balconies facing in opposite directions. Its got a perfect location and I do not often say that I want to go back to a place I've already have been to, but this is somewhere I could go back for a week in total relaxation. Its perfect location, quiet style and clean rooms and really nice old town with lots of romantic restaurants and a couple of fun bars on the wild side. The only thing I missed was the AC. As an extra bonus they actually offered brown/darker bread for breakfast and not just the white kind. The lady working in the pool bar was also very nice! I

We had very little choice in deciding to stay at the Hotel Liburna in Korcula – it was pretty much the only hotel available when we made a last minute booking the week before our departure in July 2006. We were pleasantly surprised however, to discover a hotel that despite being somewhat dated in terms of architecture, décor and general upkeep, was extremely well run and provided a very relaxed and enjoyable play to stay. You may have already noticed some of the images of the hotel dotted around the Internet. There only seems to be a few images and each and every one of them makes the hotel look somewhat old-fashioned and straight out of the 1970s. Well, I’m sorry to say that those photos are pretty accurate! The rooms, albeit spotlessly clean (the maids visit every day to change the sheets and towels and to mop the floor and tidy up), are bedecked with delightfully dark mahogany furniture and garishly orange curtains. There is however a surprisingly contemporary television set showcasing the numerous delights of German television, along with a well-stocked and comparatively cheap minibar. Given the relatively little time that we spent in the room however, it would be churlish to complain, and the deceptively attractive smoked glass mirror, in which we couldn’t stop admiring our “tans”, more than makes up for the dated décor! (TIP: Do not look at yourself in the huge bathroom mirror – it will only ruin your holiday!) Depending on the time of year that you visit, the lack of air-conditioning in the stuffy rooms may make sleeping somewhat uncomfortable, but a limited supply of portable fans is available at reception. For some reason, a vast majority of the hotels in Croatia offer only half-board or full-board (or even all-inclusive), and the half-board package we were obliged to take included breakfast and an evening meal. Breakfast takes the form of a gargantuan continental buffet, offering a variety of bread, cold meats, cheese, yoghurts, fruit and cakes. A heated alternative is also available however, in the form of rubbery hot dog sausages and mountains of scrambled egg. We frequently took this opportunity to “breakfast like a king” and fill ourselves up for the rest of the day! Unlike the evening meal, you are permitted to eat outside and enjoy the wonderful views from the terrace, whilst the waitresses parade the tables offering tea and coffee and unceremoniously clearing away clutter (any unwanted food is scraped into a big pile before your very eyes!). At dinner, you are required to sit at a given table for the duration of your stay (it makes it easier for the waitresses) and you are provided with a set menu from which to choose various culinary delights. The menu changes every evening and includes a wide variety of dishes, from local fish to American style chicken, along with a ubiquitous dollop of unspecified “vregetables”, and contrary to other reports, you no longer have to order your meal the evening before. Despite the “school dinners” appearance of most of the dishes, they were consistently tasty (thanks to the, again unspecified, “Dalmatian Sauce”) and the additional buffet salad ensured that we never went hungry! The special “Dalmatian Dinner” was certainly the highlight of the week, during which we were treated to the sight of the waitresses marching around the restaurant carrying flaming desserts to the tune of “When The Saints Go Marching In”! These crazy Croatians! Unfortunately, the kitchen staff spectacular is pretty much the extent of the evening entertainment available at the Hotel Liburna. A somewhat dreary violin concert and an enthusiastic but incredibly cheesy club-style folk band provided the ambience of a retirement home on two of the nights during our stay, with the remaining evenings completely lacking in any entertainment whatsoever. Consequently, the majority of guests ventured into the local town, where a much more entertaining evening was guaranteed. Although this was not a problem, considering that Korcula Town is only a short walk across the bay, it was disappointing to see such an excellent venue going largely unused. We were eternally grateful however that we had not booked into the next-door Park Hotel, where Black Lace’s “Agadoo” belted out most evenings, along with “The Hokey-Cokey” and other delightful party hits. The entertainment provided by the Hotel Liburna throughout the day is much more plentiful, with tennis courts, mini-golf, table-tennis and bowling facilities at your disposal (for a very small charge). Although the hotel’s water sports facilities were reported to be very good, offering courses in sailing and windsurfing, more sedate aqua-entertainment such as pedalos or canoes was sadly not on offer, with neighbouring hotels refusing to let us borrow/rent their own. The swimming pool at the Liburna was perfectly adequate, although the saltwater may not be to everyone’s taste, and the shingle beach/concrete jetty on the hotel’s doorstep was reasonable – if a little overcrowded at times, and yet again subject to the blaring music of the hotel next door! Overall, the Hotel Liburna is an excellent base from which to visit the island of Korcula. It is perfectly situated, offering good sized, well-maintained rooms, reasonable catering facilities, and a wide range of entertainment (at least during the day). The hotel is somewhat antiquated, but this is typical of many of Croatia’s hostelries due to the impact of the war. You can however guarantee a pleasant stay in a beautiful part of a country that is doing its very best to welcome and encourage new visitors to its shores.

Chose this Hotel because Hotel Korcula was full, it seemed like a brief stroll from town (which it is) and seemed situated for good views (which it does have). I arrived a day early for my two day stay and was pleasantly accomodated but only stayed the one night. They didn't have a water view room that night but indicated I would get my reserved room the next day. Unfortuantely unseasonable rain and darkness were to persist and I cut my trip to Croatia short. Functional and characteristically Croatian very clean but worn and charmless without gloriously sunny weather this place has nothing going for it and then only comes across as really bad value for the money. The little pool looked miserably uncared for, the slats of the ladder looking ratty but perhaps the weather was a big factor. Breakfast was OK. Dinner, the special Dalmation Dinner, was good, service pretty good, the Croatian band and singers entertaining enough and the table full of older Japanese tourist the highlight of the evening. Really in need of a complete facelift with light woods, cheery colorful fabrics, maybe bigger TVs might make a stay in the rain more tolerable.

Having stayed in hotel Liburna on 2 separate occasions, last been August 2005 I would strongly recommend Korcula and the Hotel Liburna as a destination for a relaxing holiday. The Hotel is located just 5 minutes walking distance from historic quaint little old town of Korcula, which has many small cobbled streets to be explored. Korcula been an Island is surrounded by shoreline of crystal clear clean swimming water, perfect for diving and water sports. The shoreline is rocky with pebbled beaches, to find sandy beaches you will have to travel to other locations on the Island. The hotel is clean and friendly with good views of sea and Korcula town. It also has an outdoor pool if that been your preference. From our first stay back in 2004 I found the food had improved. Breakfast was buffet style with wide selection of fruit, salads, cereals and hot food counter offering a wide range of meats. I would recommend the earlier you are up the better the variety. We found that it was relatively cheap to eat out in the evenings with a wide range of quality seafood restaurants to choose from. The hotel staff with their strong honest Croatian personality were very helpful, also most had good English. During the day you can explore the town , relax in the sea, or take one of many day trips by boat to larger cities such as Split or Dubrovnik. It definitely is the pearl of the Adriatic

Modern hotel with an excellent location overlooking the town of Korcula. The room was a good size although the bed was very soft. We had a good choice of food at breakfast and enjoyed our stay.

My two children 10,12 and myself thoughly enjoyed our time here but there was a distinct lack of other children which i appreciate will make it more attractive to some but for ourselves it meant that they never could really go off on their own and therfore spent most of their time badgering me to do things with them. The Hotel it self was a large imposing hotel with a small pebble beach and rock coastline but this was spread out over quite an area and therfore difficult to meet other people. the food was good, which was a pleasant surprise as my previous times in Croatia the food was horrendous. My only critisism is that the swimming area is not divided from the boating area at all, which never meant that i never felt that i could leave the children alone in the water, which is a shame because the water is crystal clear and ideal for snorkelling. During the time we were there the Taverna never opened. The Reception staff were very helpful and bar staff friendly, but people did not seem to stay in the hotel on an evening for a drink but migrated in to the town. The position was excellent with just a 5 min walk to the old town, which is stunningly beautiful, but touristy and expensive. If you think about going to the sword dancing in town then think again, or make sure you sit at the back, as during the time we were there three swords broke and foot long pieces of metal went flying into the audience one missed everone by about a foot, one hit someone on the shin and cut it, and the other hit someone on the shoulder! This is an serious accident waiting to happen. The Scuba diving team at Bon Repos(10 Min Walk) were excellent and gave my 12 year old a good first dive(12 Min age). However the Sailing/windsurfing place just outside the hotel was run by people who were only out to fleece you, and were totally incapable of running a business, so suspect they will not be there next year.

Returned yesterday from a stay in Hotel Liburna which we enjoyed. The hotel is in a great location, an easy and picturesque stroll along the harbour to the old town. We paid extra for a balcony and sea-view which was worth it for the lovely views. The hotel is a bit dated 70s style but well-maintained and the room was ok. The staff were very friendly and very helpful compared to the previous hotel we stayed in in Dubrovnik. There was a nice pool area and beach right in front of the hotel. The sea was clean and my husband enjoyed hours snorkelling. Watersports and boat hire were available right next to the hotel. There was musical entertainment a few nights. The resort was lovely and we'd like to return and would chose the same hotel again for it's location. I'm surprised at the previous review's comment on soundproofing - the hotel was full and there was no noise from other rooms at all.

Unfortunately, we arrived in Korcula late and were unable to arrange to stay in one of the many apartments to rent around this island that were recommended by guidebooks. The only hotel that was open at this time of year was the enormous monolith, the Hotel Liburna. Their rates were outrageous for the rooms and season (clearly taking advantage of their seasonal monopoly.) Rooms were industrial in feel and in no way soundproof. We lost power in the morning.