Remisens Hotel Albatros

Disappointing All-Inclusive Stay — Great Location, But Too Many Issues When we first booked this hotel, the reviews were very positive overall. Unfortunately, just a week before travelling, we noticed that the reviews had dropped significantly, and after staying here ourselves, I can understand why. The hotel itself is nice enough and fairly modern, with some good facilities. Guests have free use of the spa area, including the sauna and steam room. However, the indoor pool was absolutely freezing — it was more like an ice bath than a swimming pool! The outdoor pool was also very cold, although it was more bearable when sitting in the sunshine. It was clear that neither pool was heated. The indoor pool area also had extremely wet and slippery floors. I nearly slipped twice, which was particularly concerning as I am currently pregnant. I think this is something that really needs to be addressed from a safety perspective. Food and drinks: The food was probably the biggest disappointment, particularly considering this is an all-inclusive hotel. Breakfast was definitely the best of the three meals, but lunch and dinner offered very limited choices. There seemed to be more salad options than actual hot food, and what was available was very repetitive — lots of potatoes, different meats, fish, veal and even deer at one point. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with Croatian food, having very similar Croatian-style dishes every single night became extremely repetitive. There were a few occasions when chicken burgers were served, but bizarrely there were no burger buns to actually make a burger. At the beginning of the week, pizza was available with most meals, although it was very basic and not particularly good. Towards the end of the week, even this disappeared from lunch and dinner. For an all-inclusive resort, I would expect a much broader range of food that caters to different tastes. It would have been great to see things such as curries and rice, Chinese dishes, burgers with buns, pasta dishes, Mexican etc. If you are a fussy eater or travelling with children, I imagine eating here would be particularly difficult. Even though we are not especially fussy eaters, we ended up eating out several times because there simply wasn’t enough appealing food available. The drinks selection was also disappointing. There were very cheap-tasting fizzy drinks, only one beer option and a very limited cocktail selection. The cocktails came from a machine rather than being freshly made. Housekeeping and room: Another major disappointment was the housekeeping. Our room was only cleaned once during our entire stay. Unfortunately, on that one occasion, an item belonging to us subsequently went missing. The item itself wasn’t particularly valuable, but it was still very disappointing. We spoke to reception in case it had simply been removed by mistake. We were told that they would speak to the cleaners and contact us if it was found, or return it to our room. Unfortunately, we never heard anything further and never saw the item again, meaning we will now have to pay to replace it. There is a free safe in the room for valuables, which is useful, but obviously you cannot realistically put every single belonging you have into a safe. The room also had a strange smell when we first arrived. I couldn’t quite identify it, but it smelled potentially damp or possibly of cigarette smoke. Thankfully, once the air conditioning was switched on, the smell faded. We also had an issue with ants appearing in the bathroom one day. I’m not sure where they were coming from as the bathroom isn’t close to the balcony, so presumably they were getting in through a crack or gap somewhere. The hotel only provided us with one room key when we checked in. As a couple, we much prefer having two keys so that we don’t have to rely on each other to get in and out of the room. It also meant that when we left for the day, we couldn’t leave a key in the electricity slot to keep the air conditioning running. As a result, we would return to a very hot room. The air conditioning was also set to a fixed temperature and couldn’t be adjusted. I assume this is done to control the hotel’s energy costs, but it was frustrating not being able to set the room to a temperature that suited us. Entertainment and noise: The noise was another significant issue. Most of the rooms appear to face towards the pool area, where the evening entertainment takes place. The music was extremely loud and continued until around 11pm, meaning it was impossible to get to sleep before it finished. This would be particularly frustrating for families with young children, or simply anyone who wants an earlier night. I think the entertainment either needs to be moved to a more suitable location or the volume needs to be reduced. The entertainment itself was also fairly underwhelming. It was mainly singers each evening, and it would have been nice to see more variety, such as dancers or other types of performances. The layout of the entertainment area was also strange. The stage was down by the pool but there wasn’t a bar nearby that was open. If you wanted another drink, you had to walk all the way through the hotel to the lobby bar, which isn’t particularly convenient when you’re trying to sit and watch the entertainment. There were also very few seats available. The entertainment area seemed to have seating for perhaps 40 people, which is nowhere near enough for the size of the hotel. On the occasions when we tried to sit and watch, the seats had already been taken and we ended up returning to our room. Other issues: The dining area was extremely busy. If you didn’t arrive as soon as the restaurant opened, you could struggle to find a table. There didn’t seem to be much urgency from staff to clear and reset tables after guests had finished eating, which made the situation worse. The area around the outdoor sunbeds was also very dirty. The floor became covered in dirt and debris, which then transferred onto the towels when you sat back down. I think the area should be swept or cleaned at the end of each day. One other thing worth mentioning is the beach area shown in the hotel’s photographs. The photos make it appear as though this is a hotel beach area available for guests to use, but it isn’t actually owned by the hotel. If you want to use the sunbeds and parasols there, you have to pay separately. I found this quite misleading based on how the area is presented in the hotel’s photographs. The positives: The biggest positive by far is the location. Cavtat itself is beautiful, peaceful and a lovely place to stay. The hotel is only a short walk from the town centre, and it is also conveniently located for the bus if you want to travel into Dubrovnik for the day. The location really is excellent, and I would absolutely recommend visiting Cavtat. The hotel itself also has some nice, modern facilities and could potentially be a very good hotel with some improvements. Overall: Unfortunately, we were largely disappointed with our stay and wouldn’t recommend this hotel, particularly if you are booking it as an all-inclusive resort. There are simply too many areas that need improvement — the limited and repetitive food, poor drinks selection, lack of housekeeping, missing belongings, cold pools, slippery indoor pool floor, noisy entertainment, limited seating, busy dining area and lack of flexibility with the air conditioning all added up to a disappointing experience. I would definitely recommend Cavtat as a destination, but based on our experience, I would recommend staying at a different hotel.

We were dropped off at Hotel Albatross a few hours before the 3pm check in time so the receptionist suggested to leave our suitcases and have a wander around the hotel or go to the beach. The hotel rooms are split up into blocks A and B. The reception, lounge, restaurant, indoor pool and wellbeing area are in a circular central hub between the hotel blocks. There are two pools, one for the kids and the one for adults and the older children. There was a bar inside next to the lounge and two bars outside one of which served snacks after 4pm. We had no issues getting sun loungers each day. Our room was quite modern, to a good standard with a lovely view looking out into the Adriatic Sea. Maid service was every couple of days and all the hotel staff that we engaged with were very friendly and helpful. We used the indoor swimming pool on most mornings along with the gym and the 3 different saunas and salt room. These facilities were fabulous! We were half board and found the breakfast and dinner buffet to be of a good standard with a variety of options and good quality. We found dinner time at 8pm very busy so we chose to eat beforehand as it got a bit chaotic. The hotel is situated around a 20–30-minute walk into Cavtat. Walking along under the pine trees was picturesque during the day and very colourful at sunset. Cavtat marina provides many cafes, restaurants and gelato shops to choose from and you can chill out viewing some of the super yachts that were moored in the marina. There was a lovely family/couples vibe each time we ventured into Cavtat. You need to be aware of the local culture, be respectful and suitably dressed while walking around. We had one day trip to Dubrovnik and travelled across on one of the many ferry shuttle services available. Dubrovnik was truly amazing with so many different opportunities to take photos. Walking the castle walls was our highlight however it was pretty hard going climbing up all the steps. We did see quite a lot of young kids being carried by their parents which must have been challenging. I would recommend Cavtat for a quiet and relaxing holiday destination and would certainly use Hotel Albatross again if we were to return.

They promise an exceptional experience but deliver an absolute disaster. Upon arrival, the room was completely unhygienic. Prior to payment, management is full of false promises; however, the moment the transaction is completed, all customer service vanishes.There is absolutely no accountability or on-site support. Attempts to contact the reservations department via phone and email have been entirely ignored. I strongly and unequivocally advise anyone against booking here. The property is severely overpriced for the subpar quality provided. The staff's attitude towards guests is utterly unacceptable. This establishment deserves a 2-star rating at the very most."

The hotel structure itself is not that bad as it has been renovated . The food however is awful. It’s lacks taste, plain, extremely dull and repetitive. They serve frozen pizzas. The plates are dirty. It has one main restaurant which is very crowded. Once the food finishes it takes minutes to replace it . The chairs are dirty . You don’t have many options of food. Although we have paid for the all inclusive package, we always have eaten outside. Also, I would like to mention that all the drinks are tasteless. Even the coffee is weird, it’s like burnt chestnut juice. They have some cheap replicas of juices. Although we have chosen all inclusive, the mini bar was empty and on additional charge. Bottles of water are not allowed, water is only served with paper cups and you have to fill it in the machines. So if you wake up at night, wanting to drink some water, you have nowhere to find it. I find it a bit weird for all inclusive. Cocktails are awful. Coffee is worse. It’s a pitty because you pay lots of money for service that you keep getting elsewhere. The activities are lame. We have not stayed once in the hotel during the evening. They have a small game room, which has more ruined games rather than functional ones. We discovered it randomly while walking. There was a sign that they have this shooting session at 10 am, however nowhere to be seen. The Hotel itself doesn’t guarantee the beach for the guest. You have to pay full price in the beach like everybody else. The beach itself is €23 and it was a better option than the pool. The outside pool area was dirty and the pool was very crowded. They have no control because the pool that is supposed to be for adults was filled with children. No supervision at all. Practically, we have paid our money for an all inclusive, only to sleep on it. However, I would like to mention also the good things . The location was really good. 10 minutes walk from Cavtat. Room cleaning service was really good. The room is quite cozy.

Pros: - gave us early check in - nice, clean, spacious pools - decent animation team - the two guys particularly - aqua aerobics was good - kids eat free under 10 years of age - amazing location from Cavtat town/beach front - security to get out of back gate exit/entry using key card system - no late check out available but was able to use facilities for whole day and shower in the spa but there was no soap dispenser around so bring your own - modern, recently refurbished spa area Cons: - dirty hotel, stinking toilets in public areas - such unappetising food, repetitive and tasteless _ better off eating out - long disorderly queue and wait at buffet food stations - circular set up so no queue system or fair order - 1 lady on two of the most popular stations (fried eggs and pancakes) - up to 12 people in a queue and only 8-12 pancakes made at any one time - food is cold by the time you can get all you need - takes too long to replenish food and clear/make tables - I was told to make my own table at one point by going to find cutlery - non existent staff around and when they are, they're rude - poor room keeping - didn't take dirty tea mugs and didn't replenish, no emptying bins regularly, dirty hairdryer - small rooms for family - cramped - all double beds are two single beds stuck together so crack down the middle - corridors used as storage - messy and things in the way such as spare folding beds and cots - dirty crockery - awkward dinner time - 7-9pm - so early and rushed to eat - at one point they switched the lights off whilst we were eating dinner post 9pm and locked us in the dining hall - if you're late eaters, kids entertainment too early - 8.15pm - limited seating during evening entertainment - so difficult to get clean pool towels due to awkward hours the desk is manned 10-12 & 3-5pm ended up having to re-use - weekends they have limited entertainment schedule for some reason - pool area not regularly cleaned or manned - no life guard - cups/drinks regularly left laying around - guests get away with smoking in public pool side areas - not great at all for non smokers