Balkan Tour: Review of 5 Hotels We Stayed In

Part of our travel experience during the Balkan tour was moving from one hotel to the next, depending on the city we visited. Initially, I thought checking in and out of hotels and packing our stuff over and over were tiring tasks but those we couldn’t do without. After moving for the third time, I began to enjoy “hotel hopping” and realized it’s another fun way to discover what Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina had to offer.

Choosing the right hotels nowadays, with so many promotions, deals and programs out there, can be downright overwhelming. It doesn’t help that most hotels have websites full of tantalizing photos and slick promotional copy that make you believe you’ll be bathed in luxury as soon as you step foot into the lobby. We’re glad Mulan Travel Service Corp. did it for our convenience. No worries, no hassle! In this post, I’m sharing the 5 hotels we stayed in. These are, I believe, the best and recommended as well, considering location, price, amenities, ambiance and local flavor.

Balkan Tour: Review of 5 Hotels We Stayed In

1. Sava Hotels & Resorts: Hotel Park in Bled

The Hotel Park is a four-star hotel located at the very center of Bled by the shore of Lake Bled in Slovenia. Its 217 rooms and suites make it the largest hotel in Bled. We liked staying here since there’s a good view of Lake Bled just across it. The calm water of the lake and the beautiful blue sky were the first things that we see from the balcony. The room had all the amenities that we needed: shower with hot water, hairdryer, satellite TV, direct phone line, wireless internet, safe and mini bar.

Downstairs, there’s a number of restaurants to dine in. We spent breakfast and dinner at the Park Restaurant and Cafe, the home of the original Bled cream cake, the popular dessert that Bled is renowned for far and wide. The Hotel Park also houses a Thai massage and relaxation center for wellness and a range of services for relaxation.

Cesta Svobode 15, 4260 Bled, Slovenia
+386 4 5791800

2. Hotel Jezero Plitvice 

Our tour guide mentioned that Hotel Jezero Plitvice may not have the most glamorous accommodation for tourists, but this three-star hotel is the central zone of Plitvice National Park. The hotel interior is modern, and its external contours are perfectly integrated with the surrounding nature. It disposes of 229 accommodation units of which 210 rooms, 8 suites on hotel lake side, 9 suites on hotel forest side and 2 suites for people with disability.

The rooms on the lake side are equipped with bathrooms with bath tubs, while the rooms on the forest side have shower cabins. Some of the rooms have communication doors. All rooms feature SAT TVs, a direct-line telephone, and modems for complimentary internet access.

Jezero Hotel also features an in-house restaurant, a lobby-bar-café bar, a gym, complimentary use of the whirlpool massage (max. capacity 15 persons), two Finnish saunas and a Turkish bath. Other amenities include a gym with four bowling tracks, a tennis court, a tennis wall and two outdoor table tennis courts.

HR 53231 Plitvicak Jezera Hrvatska – Europa
+385 (0)53 751500

3. Atrium Hotel Split 

Atrium Hotel is the only five-star hotel in Split, Croatia. Its upscale design is truly a good differentiation. The building’s marble and glass reflect the blue Mediterranean sky. This boutique hotel gives its guests a genuine feel for the location. It has grown on the foundations of ancient Split, just next to the location that the famous Roman emperor Diocletian chose as his summer house. The Aqueduct built in that era can be seen on the official exhibit site, at the underground premises of the hotel. The Diocletian’s Palace is only a fifteen-minute walking distance away. This means that Atrium Hotel is very close to the epicenter of all the events in Split.

Staying in Atrium Hotel will revive your Mediterranean passion. It gives visitors a quiet, relaxing environment reflective of the city itself. I loved that this hotel isn’t too choked with throngs of people and monotone rooms. It brings a heightened sense of design and décor. The room had a cozy feel, combining elements of style and elegance. Its modern facilities provided everything for a comfortable stay.

Ul. Domovinskog rata 49, 21000, Split, Hrvaska
+385 21 200000

4. Hotel Croatia Cavtat Luxury Resort 

Rising above a pine-forested peninsula overlooking unspoiled Cavtat Bay, Hotel Croatia Cavtat is the leading five-star resort and conference center in the South Adriatic. Just 8-km from Dubrovnik airport (10 minutes by taxi), this hotel has a stunning waterfront with easy access to the paradise-like treasures of the Adriatic coast. Must-visit medieval Dubrovnik across the bay is less than half an hour by car or a relaxed 45-minute boat ride away.

We were surprised to find two quiet private beaches nearby. From the balcony in our room, we could see spectacular views of the open sea. There’s also an outdoor pool shaded by pine trees, a spa, and excellent restaurants where we dined in buffet-style several times. Exclusive toiletries, direct dial telephone, bathrobes and slippers, flat screen TV, mini bar, safety deposit box, and free wi-fi were all available.

Frankopanska ul., 20210, Cavtat, Croatia
+385 20 300 300

5. Westin Hotel Zagreb (five-star)

Centrally located in the heart of Zagreb, Westin Zagreb Hotel is a five-star luxury hotel within a 10-minute walk of Marulic Square, Croatian National Theatre, Mimara Museum, Ethnographic Museum and Technical Museum. All 349 rooms are appointed with thoughtful touches like premium bedding, plush pillows, bathrobes, free wi-fi, mini bar, TV, and an in-room safe.

This hotel features a full-service spa, a casino, a restaurant, an indoor pool, a fitness center, and a bar/lounge. Treatment facilities feature Turkish steam bath and reflex massage. The gym looked excellent with modern equipment and fitness classes.

Ul. Izidora Krsnjavog 1, 10000, Zagreb, Hrvaska
+385 1 4892 000

 All photos were taken using Fujifilm XT2 + 14mm lens.

About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco

Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.