Hotel Astarea I und II

Lovely hotel, fantastic views. Pools are small but perfect for families with little children, get there early or you won’t get a space. We went to the beach almost everyday, sun loungers 10€ each and umbrella 8€. We didn’t mind paying for this each day as enjoyed being on the beach. The beach is pebbles so might want to bring water shoes however we got some for 15€ each from the small shop on the sea front. Breakfast buffet has a great selection and caters for everyone. The restaurants on the beach front were amazing, lovely food and reasonably priced. There was a lovely atmosphere and they had a band playing on some of the nights which was lovely. The staff were all friendly and work in some of the restaurants on the sea front and as well as the hotel. Once you had met some of them they would check in with you to see how you were getting on even if they were not serving you. I want to mention George in particular, he was friendly, had a great personality, happy to chat with us when we saw him, on our last day and he came to wish us well and we said goodbye to him. George and the rest of the staff are an asset to the hotel and make your stay enjoyable. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful views, great atmosphere and if you’re looking for a relaxing romantic holiday this is the place to be.

We recently returned from a 10 night stay at the Astarea hotel, which we all really enjoyed. We were greeted by a very friendly gentleman on the front desk on our arrival, who checked us in and answered all our questions. The hotel is situated in a beautiful location, with stunning views of tall mountains to the rear, and equally nice views of the coastline in the front. It is really well looked after, clean, well staffed and well managed. All the staff we met during our holiday were helpful and friendly. The bar in the hotel has a lovely view out over the pool and to the coast, with comfortable seating. It was rarely busy as the bars and restaurants at the beach are more popular, but we thought it was great. The waiting area also has comfortable seating and is well air conditioned, so was a nice location to catch up with our holiday rep. Most evenings, we would have a stroll around the headland to Srebreno Beach and have a couple of drinks on the way there or on our way back. The buildings are beautiful and historic in the area with quaint side streets and interesting settings. Mlini Harbour was hosting a Water polo tournament on one of the weekends we were there and this was really interesting to watch. Rooms: We stayed in an interconnecting family room. Our two rooms, although small, were perfectly adequate for our stay. With teenage children, it was great having our two separate spaces - especially our own bathrooms and this worked really well for us. Historically, the kids have had to make do with sofa beds and strange sleeping arrangements, so to have their own proper beds was a real upgrade! Our bed (made from two singles joined) was nice and firm, and I have to say, one of the best beds I've ever had on a holiday - an excellent night's sleep. We didn't hear much noise from adjacent rooms, so not sure if we were just lucky but no issues like other reviewers. The chairs and on the balcony have little slots in them for drying clothes which were very handy. The rooms were cleaned every day and the maids did excellent work. One day, we ran out of hand soap, so I reported this through the housekeeping option on the app they provide. It was replaced literally within 5 minutes - incredible service! The air conditioning in the rooms was perfect, I rarely had to adjust the controls. Safes: Each room is provided with a safe. The only issue we experienced was that both the safes in our interconnecting rooms were closed on arrival and you can't reset the code for the safe unless you can get to the green button on the inside! This was quickly resolved by a visit to reception, however, one of our safes was temperamental and didn't always open. We had to return to reception later in the holiday to have the other safe in our children's room opened, which worked fine. It would be a better experience if all the safes are ready and open on arrival by default, but it really wasn't too much of a problem. Buffet: The buffet is certainly smaller than we're used to and for the first couple of days our kids were struggling to find anything they wanted to eat. At the end of our second meal, we finally discovered the 'kids food' area which is tucked away to the rear of the restaurant where there is pizza, chicken nuggets, fries etc. This isn't very well advertised to be honest, I feel like they should position this closer to the main buffet or at least put up some signage to direct people! Not sure why it has to be such a secret? My wife and I enjoyed the salads and daily options of the main buffet however, which worked for us. Some of the desserts were nice and had good flavour (Jaffa cake!), although others were less flavoursome and the offerings were fairly repetitive. The melon provided alongside was delicious. The coffee at breakfast was drinkable, the nectarines were delicious and there was plenty of choice. The marmalade for toast was great! Pool: The pool is nice although small for the number of guests. We preferred the sea to be honest, although you'll need some swim shoes! The usual battle is on with sunbed reservations, which just has to be done, ideally before 9am. Someone even stole one of our sun umbrellas whilst we were swimming in the sea... couldn't believe it! On the first day, we were too late, so had to pay 40 euros for 4 sunbeds on the beach. Once you've been burnt, you have to get with the routine. Shops: We braved the hill up to the road above the hotel once to get to the local Studenac supermarket. There's not much there, but it provided snacks for lunch etc. There's a bakery next door. The road is very busy and there is not very many safe places to cross it, so less than ideal with children. There are also steps at the back of the hotel which we returned on. Probably better to buy provisions when out and about visiting other places. Experiences: We went to Cavtat for the day which is a beautiful village. Very easy to get to using an Uber. There's a lovely walk around the promontory there and we had a relatively cheap lunch at a bakery in the centre. Treat yourself to an ice cream from House Of Ice Cream - great price and delicious! We also did an Elaphiti Island cruise which was great - lovely views of the coastline all with a cooling breeze. And of course Dubrovnik which is a must visit! All in all we had a great holiday in Croatia, really relaxing, fun and beautiful. Thank you!

Location is great - close enough to Dubrovnik but a little quieter and more relaxed, also right on the pebble beach. Rooms clean - we had adjoining rooms, which were small and no clothes storage for two people. Shower pressure is good, though the floor becomes very wet even with shower door closed. Bath robes are included which is a nice touch. Beware of rooms which have no direct lift access - you will need to haul your cases up or down flights of stairs yourself as no assistance is offered or given. It is very hilly and a pebble beach which may put people off. Service was awful from reception staff, I found them rude and unhelpful. Food was the worst I've ever experienced particularly for a hotel of this size - there was no choice, it wasn't hot and it was very repetitive. Even breakfast was just luke warm, though had selection of cold meats, cheeses and breads, with some fruit. Restaurants around the hotel are good quality, though more expensive. Pool area was busy and there were no loungers after 10am, sometimes earlier. Pool staff were helpful in finding an umbrella. Toilets at the pool are very wet and while they tried, they were not cleaned often enough resulting in you standing in wet floors over your flip flops. You have to pay 20euros for towel deposit, which you can only pay by card and get back at the end of your stay - they may be hoping guests forget that. The indoor pool is a great size and quiet. It also had sunbeds but no shade. Facilities for children included a pool, fuze ball and table tennis tables with a games room for older children which was well used by teenagers. Tips - buy bug spray if you're prone to bites - lots of people had large marks from being bitten. Also, if wind is expected, do not use the balcony to dry clothes as many ended up in the hotel grounds.

This is a lovely hotel. We stayed here as a couple for 5 nights in August. Upon arrival we were met by the friendly hotel staff at reception who directed us to our room (in the annex building), and given information on restaurant opening times etc. The room is small but fine, clean room, clean bathroom, lovely shower. No drinks in fridge but not a big deal. Cleaners replaced towels every day and left rooms looking lovely. It is an ideal location for exploring Dubrovnik and nearby areas. We spent a day in Dubrovnik old town( £7-8 each way in a uber) and also booked a day trip to Bosnia (Kravica Waterfalls and the city of Mostar) via GetYourGuide. Plenty of little shops and restaurants nearby, we particularly enjoyed the oleander bistro, basilica pizzeria and flamingo restaurant up on the main road. 10 minute drive away is a Lidl, were we went for snacky bits and drinks to fill our fridge. We were booked as half board (breakfast and tea) however we only at breakfast in the hotel restaurant as evening meal wasn’t great, choice was very limited, but breakfast was great. Pool is lovely and so refreshing after the heat of the day. Sunbeds can be a bit of a battle as many seem to reserve beds early in the morning and often leave the hotel anyway. Although we always managed to get a bed by midday if not before. Beds are comfortable too! Beds and parasols on beach are €10 a bed and I think €8 for a parasol. Sea is beautiful, so clear, and relatively warm too. Although rocky and pebble beaches rather than sand, so you might want to consider sea shoes. No entertainment at the hotel, which initially we was a bit disappointed in but we enjoyed walking around the local area on an evening anyway. Overall we have thoroughly enjoyed our stay here, the scenery is beautiful, hotel very clean, staff all friendly and accommodating, the only let down really is the evening meal, but again, I understand certain things aren’t for everyone.

Hotel was in beautiful location, room small but everything needed, right on seafront, good access to boats & bus (uber) indoor pool perfect for lengths, gym, Some people did reserve sunbeds, but we managed always find some whatever time headed down, as notes saying no reserving, they where good quality & lots umbrellas for shade, Downside food there is just enough for guests, meant shut at 9, went down at 8.20, only one choice mains & desserts all gone. we recommend go just b & b , eat out as no entertainment in hotel either. Food & entertainment is what make this not a 5 star, views & modern feel made it 5, would definitely recommend.