ISABELLA Valamar Collection Island Resort

It is not our first rodeo with Valamar nor Isabella Island and as always we loved it :) we started coming in 2008 and have been at many at their hotels but Isabella Island Miramare and Villas remain our favourite. This time we stayed at one of the villas, which was a first time for us. From the moment you arrive at the parking lot, to the boat ride and the reception welcoming + welcome drinks you are met with warmth and a big smile. We got offered a very nive upgrade and ended in a room with a small kitchen which turned out to be perfect for our family. I would say that the kitchen needed a little upgrade: the dinning table had bumps probably from water and the bottom of the kitchen needed some love. The main bathroom also had a little hole, so I wouldn’t call the villa 5 star not when comparing to Miramare, but more 4+. The cleaning crew were super nice and the room was always clean. The rest of the holiday was however very much 5 star. The restaurant Momenti had great offers both for breakfast and dinner and we loved that not everything is a buffet. Very fresh! The people at the restaurant are simply the best!! So nice and sweet! As well as the bubbly hour arrangment. Only minor thing is the kids afternoon snack which I found was better 3 years ago. It just had more options. The pool area in front of Miramare is simply the best: saltwater, calm, amazing view and very comfy sunbeds! The kids also wanted to try the other parts of the island, especially the activity pool. Very nice that you can opt in and out from the other parts of the islands which is a bit more lound that the 5 star part of the island. It would prefer eating from Miramare restaurant, in the room or in Porec. The Olivia grill was a bit disappointing. The Kids loved the fried but we opted for a greek salad that was 80% olives and hence didn’t go back. If you want a bit luxury, not that much noise, excellent food, and nice pool, sea and views choose the 5 star part of the island. Even with kids it’s amazing! And of course their kids club is simply amazing! Their warmt and kindness is next level! We were amazed by what they prepare for the Kids. We’ve stayed at a couple of kinderhotels in Austria but this is simply so much better!

We have just returned from a fantastic stay at the Isabella Valamar hotel, booked through TUI. We stayed in the main hotel rather than the villas and this is what my review refers to. This review is quite detailed - it might be worth skipping if you prefer to wait and find out some details when you get there! The hotel is situated on an island resort. It is accessed via a shuttle boat from Poreč which runs throughout the day according to a very clear timetable. The boat is easy to use and very punctual. It takes less than 5 minutes to reach the resort. There were times that the boat was busy however never to the point of it not being able to accommodate everyone who wanted to get on. The island itself is small without being tiny. There are no cars on the island (the hotel uses golf buggy style vehicles where needed) and so the whole thing feels totally safe and relaxed. You can wander around as you please with a lap of the island taking about 30 mins. The island has a variety of different ways to access the sea - there is a small sandy beach with sun loungers situated in a sort of sheltered cove, there are rocky/pebble beaches and concrete paths right to the waters edge allowing access to the sea. The sandy beach is quite small - this is not really a traditional beach resort but if anything, it is better as it has so much to offer. We visited in August and the sea was a great temperature for swimming and is shallow for a good distance from shore. A snorkelling mask is very much recommended, there is plenty of sea life to see just a few meters from the beach. We booked a 2+1 room with a sea view. This was actually a wonderful view of the Porec shoreline. The room was spotless, modern and perfectly suited for our needs. The +1 was a single sofa bed which was great for our 14 year old daughter who found it comfortable. Our room had a huge television which was very well setup giving access to lots of info about the hotel and local area (we could even request different pillows through the TV interface). There are limited TV channels available but we were able to log in to our Netflix account which was really nice. The bathroom arrangement was perhaps slightly odd - the only thing separating the toilet from the rest of the room was a frosted glass door. We would probably have preferred a bit more privacy. The only other issue we had was noise. Despite being 400m away, a nightclub on the shore played very loud music that went on until 5am. This made it hard to sleep for the two nights that the club was operating during our stay. This would not put us off staying again but we would take earplugs with us if we did! The hotel pool is also excellent, the usual sun lounger shenanigans take place with people putting towels out to reserve sun loungers from first thing in the morning. Beach towels are provided by the hotel and can be changed for fresh whenever you like. In August the pool was a pleasant temperature and had a couple of fun waterslides. We enjoyed the pool but it was too busy to allow for proper swimming. There is a bar alongside the pool serving cold drinks. The all inclusive offer is good although not quite the best we have experienced. All meals are served in the hotels main restaurant which has both an indoor and outdoor seating area. There is a huge selection on offer for each mealtime and whilst breakfast was the same each day, lunch and dinner had some different options on each of the 7 days of our stay which kept things from getting boring. At lunch and dinner, there was always home made, fairly plain pizza and French fries which seemed to suit most of the younger guests very well! There is the typical huge array of dessert options including ice cream. Through TUI, we seemed to be automatically entitled to the drinks+ package. Without this, only beer, red and white wine are available as well as unbranded soft drinks. With the drinks+ package, a small selection of cocktails, mainly Spritz's and Gin and Tonic as well as a selection of branded spirits were also available. In the afternoon, there is a snack bar available that serves pizza, fries, something like nuggets or fish fingers as well as fruit, salad and cakes. The main thing we thought was missing from the all inclusive was ice cream - only available in the restaurant at meal times. Porec itself is well worth a visit, but it is very much a tourist spot with most of the shops selling the usual overpriced souvenirs. The old town is however beautiful and well worth wandering around. We very much enjoyed our stay and would certainly consider another visit in the future!

Have tried to sort this with TUI who are now placing the blame on this hotel. Unfortunately when we booked through TUI we were sold on the basis that we would have access to two pools, one for the main activity pool and then a saltwater relax pool that was in a quieter area. When getting to the hotel and trying to use the relax pool, we were informed by the hotel that we could not use this pool as it’s reserved for suite guests only. I showed the staff member my booking where it clearly states that we had access to this, however we were turned away or told to book and pay a further fee. It’s unfortunate as by and large we did have a nice time at this hotel, however this left a complete sour taste in our mouth the entire holiday. The activity pool can quite loud and busy and so to not have access to the quieter one changed the dynamic of our holiday completely. If you’re thinking of booking here just be aware of the above. TUI are refusing to do anything about this, so don’t waste any time raising it with them either!

We had yet another wonderful holiday at the Isabella. We first came to the island many years ago when it was the Hotel Fortuna and we visited several times. When the hotel became the Isabella, we returned and have done so many times since. The hotel is spotlessly clean and the gardens are beautifully maintained. The food is always excellent but it's the team behind everything that makes our stays at the Isabella so very special. From Josip in the restaurant who we first met at the Fortuna, to all of the staff on Reception, Annamarii, Iva, Massimo, Sdat, Tatziana, Doris and so many others, to Ivan and all of the Lobby bar staff and also, Alex and Nicola at the Olivia who are so kind. Special mention also to the newer staff like Teghun who looked after our room, to Oscar, Fernando, John and others in the restaurant. Every one of these wonderful people is what keeps us coming back year after year. The Isabella has a very special place in our hearts and we always look forward to seeing everyone. We're coming to the Pical Suites in September and we have no doubt that it will be as amazing as the Isabella but the Isabella will always be our favourite. I can't thank everyone enough for everything you do to make our stay exceptional, from securing the room that we love to the incredibly genuine warm welcome. We're always sad to leave but we'll be back next year and we can't wait.

We have been here each for the last 5 yrs and also got married here on Isabella island in July 2025. We find the island just stunning and we are welcomed back like family by the staff across the restaurant team like Mario in the Momenti restaurant. We find the kids club is second to none due to the fantastic team of girls that look after our 3 kids. They look after our young kids very well and keep them entertained so we can have a few hours off. Thank you for their kind care. We always go V level so have access to the quieter pool and private boat to and from the island at check in and check out. Great resort overall.