Having previously visited Dubrovnik and fallen in love with Croatia, I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to revisit for a weekend break.
I attended an industry lunch event at Balmoral last year hosted by the superb representation company, Mason Rose, which included a presentation on Adriatic Luxury Hotels.
We had really enjoyed their Bellevue Hotel on the previous trip, and amazingly I was the lucky winner of complimentary nights at another five-star property in the portfolio, the Dubrovnik Palace.
The hotel is situated on the Lapad Peninsula, about ten minutes outside the Old Town, allowing us to see a different side of the city.
We had taken an early flight direct from Edinburgh and were greeted by a lovely taxi driver who took us directly to the hotel. He also offered us a deal for the return taxi, a few days later. Within seconds I had confirmation through my WhatsApp and one less thing to remember!
Croatia will never disappoint in its views and sunsets, and I went full into 'Hotel Inspector' mode to hopefully do justice to the initial view when entering the hotel reception.
It got better still when we were upgraded to an Executive Suite, a spacious room with a contemporary interior design and a private balcony with spectacular views out to the Adriatic. Let me show you around...
The Dubrovnik Palace boasts two outdoor pools plus a third indoor one and an impressive spa. It has direct access to a quiet and peaceful beach plus a PADI diving centre, tennis court and a leafy jogging path and walking routes through the picturesque woods that rise up Petka Hill behind the hotel.
Service is excellent and the hotel is a great choice for those wanting to combine cultural sightseeing with relaxation. And did I mention the breakfast view? Just wow!
The bus stop to the city is situated right outside the hotel so it couldn’t be easier to get in and out, though with Lapad home to several hotels and beach restaurants, we much preferred its tranquillity to the very busy Walled City.
Sunset Beach is a delightful walk with several choices to stop for a spot of lunch or a refreshing drink along the way.
We had visited Cavtat and taken a boat trip to the islands previously so decided to book a day trip to Montenegro.
This turned out to be very special, quite different to Dubrovnik. Andrew, our tour guide, was quite the character, keeping us entertained whilst visiting the lovely towns of Perast, Kotor and Budva. For inside info and a thoroughly engaging tour – he is certainly your man!
Our Dubrovnik and Montenegro highlights and “must-sees” included:
Sunset in Lapad
Cave Bar More
The Walled City itself
Boat trip over to ‘Lady of the Rock’, Perast
The Old Town of Kotor
And a few interesting facts and observations:
The driving is crazy. We were told no one bothers with the speed limit – not even the police. You “go with the flow’ or get a honk!
Try to avoid peak season as it does get very busy.
Dubrovnik is a hot film location having featured in Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Robin Hood.
Obama and Trump are both building in Montenegro.
Croatian engineer Slavoljub Eduard Penkala invented a mechanical pencil, called the Penkala in 1906. Today we call it a “pen.”
I would undoubtedly recommend Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Palace for an authentic short break experience and visiting Montenegro was an unexpected highlight.
Please get in touch for more information and to discuss checking it out.
