Royal Ariston Hotel

Royal ariston At first it seemed like a maze but soon we discovered a short cut from our room (block 3) to the pool, spa, restaurants and the promenade etc, through the side entrance to the bar, and then either walk down the stairs /elevator to those downstairs, or just one floor up to the lobby right away, without going through the maze again! There are numerous public but quiet corners to enjoy the sea, in addition to the Lobby with super big windows for watching over the sea. Front desk staff were very friendly for restaurants recommendation and money change, luggage storage etc Breakfast buffet restaurant has lots of outdoor tables for watching the islands nearby. Indoor window seats were also enjoyable in watching the sea if it got too windy, or the seagulls got too hungry! The food choices at breakfast were ok (no egg station indoors but hidden outdoors!) but with lots of steamed vegetables in addition to the standard salads. Seafood platter (for 2) in the Zoe restaurant was enough for 4! We also had fish soup and chichen soup. Both were good. Delicious dinner there! 10 min walk downhill along a small path led to lots of other restaurants. Or just walk along the nicely paved promenade (2.5 km) to many more restaurants/bars (within the same hotel group, or outside….mostly on the left hand side)….it was also a great jogging path. Sauna and the various indoor/outdoor pools were also relaxing after a day out sightseeing. Had a spacious room with a patio on the ground floor in front of some shrubs and perhaps that was why we saw quite many ants (30x a few times) but we didn’t have enough time to take photos as they ran everywhere so we were busy wiping them. Didn’t want to take the trouble to pack and unpack so didn’t change rooms. The man who came to inspect did say the next day deep cleaning would be done but nobody showed up. Then we got an even bigger issue the next day, in addition to ants which I repeatedly wiped off……..a live crawler on the bath towel I was using and it was quite scary when you just came out from a shower! (See photo) Front desk girls looked at the photo and said “it was not that big” (so imagine if it was her who experienced it!) This was perhaps the only nuisance during our otherwise wonderful stay.

One of the best hotels I've visited in recent years. The hotel is a spectacle, it's clean, it's welcoming and the rooms are luxurious. The sea view balcony room is a sight to behold, so much that I would stop sunbathing by the multiple pools at the hotel, to sunbath on the balcony instead. The room offered a pod coffee machine that was restocked each day which was a wonderful bonus. The staff are brilliant, friendly and a joy to talk with. Shoutout to Juan Carlos at the Vista Restaurant attached to the hotel for the excellent iced coffees and his excellent service. The pools are amazing, I was amazed to find one of them to be a saltwater pool (right next to the ocean) which was an excellent cold plunge in the morning. There's plenty of other standard pools around, including a heated indoor version and a rooftop version for adults only. The hotel has various restaurants attached/a minute or so walk away, all of which are great and well worth going too. The breakfast and evening buffet is what you expect it to be, but again, I highlight the friendly service of the staff here. The hotel also offers guest relations, in which we booked a 3 Island boat trip, they made everything easy and also included a pick-up/drop off from the hotel. They only book the best trips from the hotel which was the highlight of our trip. Overall, this hotel deserves nothing but 5 stars. I'm actively looking to book again for this year.

Beautiful hotel approximately 4k from Dubrovnik Old Town, a sea view room is a must as they are spectacular with comfortable beds and all mod cons. Well worth the 5* rating. The staff are an absolute pleasure and very helpful, there are places to enjoy the sun wherever you turn and the rooftop bar with infinity pool are amazing. The cleanliness here is at a very high standard. Lovely to stroll along the promenade to the coffee shops and restaurants

Superb hotel on the very outskirts of Dubrovnik. Brilliant location overlooking sea with only a beautiful pedestrian promenade between the hotel and the rocky shore. Sea view rooms have stunning views (although mine was slightly set back so has the wall of the other block to my left view). Large beautiful bathroom just renovated by the looks of it. Water pressure brilliant. bath with shower over .lovely luxurious bed linen and fluffy towels. kettle in room with tea and coffee and minibar. 2 mini armchairs. Lovely thick curtains. Large balcony with substantial sun lounger chairs. Quiet but effective air conditioning (although it did stop blowing cool air on 2 occasions and I had to get maintenance to fix it.) SUper outdoor pools. "Beach" on the rocks has a cafe and sun beds plus ladders down into the water. Indoor pool is beautiful with a large sauna etc. Excellent breakfast. Fruit cereal egg station etc etc. fizz . Smoked salmon. dinner buffet not as large as some but excellent quality. Service throughout is helpful and impeccable - except the bar where the bar staff are reluctant and moody. And prices are expensive but then they are throughout the Dubrovnik and local area A local bus is just 3 minutes walk away which takes you to the gate of the old town in 10 to 15 minutes. It seemed to run every 15 to 20 minutes and cost 1,80 to 2.50 euros. Only Cons are no decaf tea or coffee in Rooms or restaurant. It is surprising that they have not realised that this is a common need these days. Also my sea view was partially blocked (it was still stunning though) although most of my large group had unobstructed views. Overall I was thrilled and would go back like a shot.

Inspired by a sunny weather forecast, my husband and I booked a very last minute 4 night, Thursday to Monday, stay at the Royal Ariston in early March. With limited time to research hotel reviews, location and availability for our first trip to Dubrovnik, I am very pleased that we elected to stay at the Royal Ariston in the picturesque Lapad area. The breathtaking views from the hotel and grounds, and along the boardwalk and walking trails around the headland into Lapad, were a top highlight of our stay. Due to the off-season timing of our trip, it transpired that the Ariston was the only one of the 5 Royal hotels (the Royal Blue, Neptun, Ariston, Palm and Princess) that comprise the resort, that was open. This was not apparent when I booked the trip, through British Airways Holidays, as 3 of the other hotels were showing as available to book at different price points. Happily, the Ariston truly exceeded our expectations, and we wholeheartedly recommend the hotel. The only shortcomings that come to mind are the lack of a la carte restaurant choice and entertainment in the evening, the woefully outdated gym equipment and the 2 remarkably small bathroom towels! Nevertheless the setting and grounds of the resort, the spacious room and spell-binding views from the expansive balcony more than compensated for these minor issues. Prior to travel I found it difficult to determine, from intensive online research, if the various restaurants within walking distance of the hotel were open in March. If you’re considering a stay at the Royal Ariston during the winter season, I hope you will find it useful to know that very few local cafes and restaurants are open, especially in the evening. Levanat and the Cave Bar were open during the day (although the latter was not serving food). In the evening we found only two restaurants open in Lapad town (Sphere restaurant at the Kompas Hotel and Trinity Fusion Lounge which was fully booked both evenings of the weekend). The restaurant at Hotel More on the boardwalk was also open. During our 4 night stay we ate twice at Zoe restaurant at the Royal (hotel guests receive a discount), once at Sphere and one evening we went into Dubrovnik and ate at Dubravka just outside the old city walls. As many other guests have stated, there is a bus stop just outside the hotel and, even in winter, the service is very frequent. Tickets can be purchased on the bus and at kiosks around the town which offer a slightly reduced price. We visited the old town during the day and separately during the evening. It seemed to us that much of the restaurant seating is external but, despite the sunny days, we found it too chilly to enjoy eating outside in the evenings even under a patio heater. The ferry to Lokrum Island runs during winter and we enjoyed spending a couple of hours exploring the island and admiring the beautiful peacocks. From the hotel we followed the walking trail that takes you around the headland and into Lapad where we stopped for a drink before returning to the Royal along the boardwalk. On our final day we checked out and took a taxi to Cavtat. Unfortunately the luggage storage facility at the bus station was closed. Thankfully we were permitted to leave our suitcase at the tourist office for a couple of hours whilst we strolled around the town and along the coastal path before heading to the airport after having an enjoyable late lunch at Restaurant Zino. In summary, our last minute, under researched trip to Dubrovnik was an outstanding success not least of all because the panoramic beauty of the region was showcased by blue and sunny skies.