The interest in Croatia’s southernmost hotspot, the fabulous Dubrovnik, doesn’t subside. The first four months of 2017 saw an increase of over 20% in both number of guests and overnight stays, and the peak season is only yet to come. With an established status of the country’s leading high-end destination, Dubrovnik is also the town with the most five-star properties, 14 out of 36 in the whole country.
The already flourishing five-star scene enjoyed a major upgrade over the past winter. From new capacities to complete make-overs, these developments strive to accommodate the peak season demand, leaving ample room for appealing price drops in the cooler days.
The completely new addition, Importanne group Royal Blue Hotel, snatches the front row by the sea on Lapad peninsula. With 81 deluxe rooms, 4 pools and rock platform beach, Royal Blue’s immortality feature is by far its adult-only rooftop pool and bar, which puts you face-to-face with the horizon. While their summer rate of EUR 360/night might make their earlier pre-opening package (two nights at EUR 135) seem surreal, the hotel plans for equally appealing treats in the upcoming winter.
Just down the street, the long-established hotel More, famous for its Cave bar, doubled its capacities by adding another wing with 40 rooms.
The iconic Excelsior, first in line by the old town, closed its doors for a couple of months to infuse the property with around EUR 70,000 per each of its 158 rooms. This century-old hotel partnered with Croatian studios BF and Franić Šekoranja, seeking to add a touch of contemporary to its trademark timeless elegance. Loved by celebrities from Elizabeth Taylor to Peter Dinklage, Excelsior keeps super busy even at EUR 600/night, but its standard rooms in January come at almost five times less via booking.com.
The petite Pucić Palace (19 rooms), the only five-star hotel within the city walls, opted to refresh not only its historic fabric and the restaurant, but also its brand. Having joined the new Croatian boutique hotel affiliation called Stories, hotel Pucić polished their tale by adding distinctly local attributes to all of their products and services. As the temperatures go down, their summer rates (singles at EUR 300/night) see a 30% decrease.
By Vesna Čelebić
