Croatia 2008: where to stay

Our comprehensive guide to the most reliable operators and the best places to stay in Croatia, from small family-run affairs to city hotels and villas.


Hotel holidays

The main tour operators tend to concentrate on the Istrian peninsula and the Dubrovnik riviera.

Croatia has few sandy beaches, so most hotels have created beaches on concrete jetties, using imported sand, and built swimming platforms out over the rocky foreshore.

A good guide to inspected smaller hotels and b&bs is Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: Croatia (www.sawdays.co.uk).

Our selection

Bond Tours (01372 745300, www.bondtours.com) Tailor-made holidays all over Croatia, including the national parks. Good choice of upmarket and characterful accommodation on the rivieras and 10 islands.

Holiday Options (0844 477 0452, www.holidayoptions.co.uk) The biggest operator to Croatia with a wide selection of hotels countrywide, from small family-run affairs to five-star resort hotels.

Has the best range of flights from regional airports and can arrange two-centre holidays. Also features island-hopping itineraries, apartment rentals in Dubrovnik, Cavtat and Hvar, and coach tours.

Other options

Balkan Holidays (0845 130 1114, www.balkanholidays.co.uk) Keenly priced packages to three- five-star hotels on the coast and islands of Korcula, Bol and Hvar. Good-value Dalmatian cruise on 300-passenger ship from Venice, coach tours and tailor-made short breaks.

Cosmos (0871 423 8560, www.cosmos.co.uk) Features hotels in the Dubrovnik riviera and Istria with flights from Gatwick and Manchester. There are flexi-stays (minimum three nights) for short breaks or a multi-centre holiday. The company’s online accommodation booking service, www.somewhere2stay.com, has further options.

Croatia Choice (02380 254287, www.croatiachoice.com) Small boutique hotels in all coastal areas plus villas and apartments.

Croatia for Travellers (020 7226 4460, www.croatiafortravellers.co.uk) Island-hopping fly-drives a speciality.

Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, www.croatianaffair.com) A new programme of boutique hotels, both coast and country, with flexible stays to create a touring itinerary.

Hidden Croatia (0800 021 7771, www.hiddencroatia.com) Three- to five-star resort hotels in Istria, the Makarska and Dubrovnik rivieras plus the main islands.

Indus Tours (020 8901 7320, www.industours.co.uk) Mid-market hotels in Istria and around Dubrovnik.

Med Hotels (0871 472 5256, www.medhotels.com) Large resort hotels in Istria.

Thomas Cook (08450 772288, www.thomascook.com) Focuses on Istria and the Makarska riviera including Bol on the island of Brac, which has a lovely beach of small white pebbles.