Hotel Istra Plava Laguna

Absolutely the WORST hotel I have ever stayed in!! Rooms are tiny, dated and stiflingly hot (air con presumably turned off for winter despite temp outside consistently above 21c), no safe, and cobwebs and dust in every corner. Whilst towels were replaced daily, bedsheets weren't changed in 8 days. Our room, being within touching distance of the bar, made for a noisy environment and we were repeatedly awoken by the cleaner vacuuming at 06:30 (the irony!!). The restaurant was an “experience” with the food becoming more bland and inedible by the day, overseen by the unsmiling, unwelcoming and intimidating “host” who objected every time one helped themselves to a drink, or indeed when one tried to leave the restaurant with a drink purchased from the hotel bar. It was so appalling that despite being half board, we chose to eat out at every opportunity. Unfortunately this lack of customer service (with one or two exceptions) was not isolated to those working in the restaurant and was a feature of reception and bar staff too. There were steps galore and not a working escalator in sight, making the hotel very inaccessible. And to top it off, on departure day, hubby fell down the (freshly mopped!) marble steps injuring himself in the process. The location is exceptional however, fortunately there are plenty of alternatives from which to choose.

We stayed at Hotel Istra Plava Laguna for a week and found it to be a comfortable, no-frills base for exploring the Poreč area. The hotel itself is set in the tranquil Zelena Resort, surrounded by greenery and just a short walk from the beach — ideal for morning strolls or amazing sunset views. While the rooms are fairly simple, they’re clean, air-conditioned, and ours had a lovely balcony overlooking the gardens. Some reviews have said that the decor is quite tired, and I would agree to an extent - but it's a 3 star hotel for a reason. Beds are comfy, breakfast is fine - cereals, pastries, pancakes alongside some cooked items - I'd give the bacon a miss though, and the breakfast coffee isn't great. If you're coming from the UK, bring your own tea bags! There are a lot of steps to get from street level to the hotel entrance - there is an escalator, but it doesn't seem to ever work. Staff were really polite and helpful, and the buffet meals were varied enough to suit most tastes, including fussy children, with drinks included during dinner — a nice touch. Don't expect top quality food - there are plenty of restaurants to check out locally for that, but the meals are fine. What really made the stay enjoyable was the location. Within walking distance, you’ll find Aquacolors Poreč, a large water park that’s great for families. There’s also mini golf, canoe rentals, and tennis courts right by the beach. The resort itself is great - lots of bars and restaurants and a real chilled out atmosphere. You can take boat trips out, go swimming in the sea, enjoy a coffee overlooking the sea, and even in peak season, it's not as busy as I expected. We hired a car through Sixt and explored Istra on the rainy days we had. For dining out, Vila Romana and Marina Parentium are nearby and offer excellent seafood and Mediterranean dishes. Evening entertainment at the resort — like outdoor cinema and live music — added to a relaxed, holiday vibe. If you're looking for a peaceful spot with easy access to activities and attractions, Hotel Istra is a solid choice. Some of the reviews I read about this place were quite alarming, to the extent that I considered changing hotels, but I needn't have worried.

Great budget hotel. Old fashioned but immaculately clean and very well maintained both inside and in the lovely grounds. Slept well, not noisy at all (we had the furthest away room in section C facing the front) lots of stairs without lift access which wasn't a problem for us but may be for others, especially with heavy luggage. Half board option included self service beer/wine/soft drink at dinner, bonus! Food is adequate, I never have huge expectations tbh. If it's luxury you want book elsewhere but for a clean, comfortable, affordable stay close to everything then I'd highly recommend. It's a beautiful area, not many English accents heard which gives it a totally different vibe from yr typical Spanish resort type holiday. Loved it.

The worst hotel we have ever stayed in! In Istra Plava Laguna (Zelena laguna 12, 52440, Poreč, Croatia). This vacation day was completely ruined due to the disgusting rudeness and indecency of the security guard in the restaurant hall, who is standing at the entrance. Instead of helping and supporting the guests, this employee was unacceptably aggressive and unprofessional. Moreover, after contacting the administrator, he grinned and did not even try to apologize normally. This approach to work is absolutely unacceptable, especially in the hotel industry. We absolutely do not recommend this hotel! Rude people have no place in working with people, especially in such position!

We are from Hungary. It’s been a great holiday! The staff were kind, the food was better than I expected and we had a great time there. We were on a 7 day holiday as a family. Unfortunately the escalator didn’t work, so we had to use the stairs with our so many package. The best part was the shows at night. Because in that bay all of the hotels is one company, they organised show like: kid show, rock concert and sport competition, and they were very very great. That was my favorite activity.