Pical Resort, Valamar Collection

Our stay at Valamar has been wonderful. The hotel really exceeded our expectations. From the beautiful blend of natural and modern design to even the subtle scent throughout the property, you can tell a lot of thought has gone into every detail. We’d also like to give a special mention to a few members of the restaurant team who made our stay even more enjoyable: Daniel, Uresh, and Katerina. They were always warm and welcoming, and their attention to detail didn’t go unnoticed. Their genuine kindness and care made us feel truly appreciated as guests. It’s not often you come across a hotel that gets everything right, but Valamar really does. We’re leaving with great memories and would love to come back again.

We stayed at Pical Resort in June 2026, having booked earlier in the year before the resort opened, so we relied heavily on Valamar’s marketing and brand reputation. There is no doubt this is a beautiful, high-investment resort. The setting is stunning, the design is modern, and the facilities are extensive. However, our experience did not match the way the suites and resort were positioned. We stayed in Pical Suites, V Level which were marketed as a tranquil and refined retreat. In reality, the overall atmosphere of the resort is heavily family-oriented, with a very large number of young children across all areas. For couples seeking a quiet, relaxing break, this is important to understand, the environment is lively, often noisy, and the distinction between family areas and quieter spaces is not clear as suggested. We raised our concerns during our stay, and these were handled professionally by the team. Gestures were made, including a thoughtful anniversary gift, which we appreciated. However, despite this, we do not feel the core issue was resolved. Ultimately, there was a clear disconnect between the experience marketed and the experience delivered, particularly in relation to the price paid. Service was also inconsistent for a five-star hotel. Staff were friendly, but there were repeated gaps in attentiveness, breakfast service, housekeeping detail and issue resolution that you would not expect at this level. It is worth noting we previously stayed at the President Valamar in Dubrovnik, which was excellent and gave us confidence in the brand making this experience all the more disappointing. In summary: ✅ Beautiful resort with excellent facilities ✅ Strong offering for families ❌ Not suitable for couples seeking tranquillity ❌ Service not consistently at expected for a five-star hotel ❌ Value for money does not reflect the experience delivered 
If you are travelling as a family, this will likely be a great choice.
If you are a couple looking for a calm, quiet and refined environment, I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.

I had high expectations after reading so many great things about this hotel that I when jet2 cancelled my holiday with less than 3 months to go I was devastated (I had booked it over 12 months ago) but apparently the hotel had overbooked the rooms. After going back and forth we managed to swap dates and arrived to a beautifully new hotel. I did think the hotel would have gone that extra mile to make up for the situation but nothing was mentioned, despite this the room was fine and the set up for the kids was great. Amenities are fab so much to do, staff were all lovely and kind despite the meal times in the full board area being chaotic they were lovely and welcoming and the selection great. Entertainment was fab the kids loved the disco and clown shows. We did have a small incident where a family stole something from us but that wasn’t the hotels fault but maybe just be wary of belongings. A couple of thing that they could do to make it better - Hotel is massive, it’s confusing as to what things are applicable to your package so a sheet on check in would help clear this up. Sun beds in the morning if you’re not up you won’t get a bed with shade options which for us was important. Half board package had the option to swap for a different restaurant we didn’t despite being full board plus a change for one night would be great. Would definitely recommend despite these things we had a fab time.

Compared to a bunch of other great hotels all around the world, this has been the best experience I felt so far. The location, people, food, complete experience - amazing. Everything felt so smooth and simple. Whatever we needed, personnel reacted ultra fast and precise with a smile - always!

The second part of our 2 weeks in Porec where my wife and I were celebrating our golden wedding anniversary saw us moving from the Isabella Island Resort to the new kid on the Istrian block – the Pical Hotel and Suites. Even our transfer and arrival demonstrated Valamar’s approach to hospitality and panache. With the usual V level transfer launch out of action temporarily for repair we might have expected that the regular , more than adequate, service launch to be our way across the water. Oh no, that’s not the Valamar way ! We were driven from reception to a berth where a shiny speed boat was docked awaiting us and our baggage! Did we mind taking a tour around the island first while our onward transport on the mainland got itself into position. Hell, no ! We didn’t mind one bit and it made parting from the Island to the unknown and largely untried Pical Suites all the more bearable. A short drive by branded people carrier saw us sweeping through the Pical gates as we approached the hugely impressive Hotel which is the latest edition to the Valamar Collection. This was still a couple of weeks ahead of the grand official opening but the vast majority of the major construction work was complete and where work was still going on there was little intrusion to a guest’s amenity. Reception next – first impressions. A very smart and stylish front desk staffed by professionals who wore the uniform and presented the hotel with a sense of pride and confidence. The warmest of welcomes and an explanation of what was available on this resort campus. Almost too much to take in but the promise of what was in store for our week-long stay. Our suite did not disappoint. A beautifully designed room with space to relax as well as a huge bed for a great nights rest – essential even when on holiday. Our balcony with its beautifully crafted wave effect glass screen gave us an uninterrupted view out over the pool areas towards to sea . Absolutely stunning. The hotel is all 5* but the V Level status does come with additional benefits and levels of access which we would certainly recommend. The Hotel offers a ‘Dine Around’ opportunity but, in all honesty, the quality and variety of food, together with the delightful ambience and top class service in the Parenzana Restaurant , meant that , on this occasion , we didn’t feel tempted to change. The breakfast buffet is a work of art ! Choice, quality and exceptional service at its best. Oysters at breakfast a particular indulgence! With such a breakfast offering lunch was pretty much unnecessary to save ourselves for the evening meal. Again this provided the excellent kitchen team a chance to showcase their considerable skills alongside shining a spotlight on the rich variety of local delicacies on both land and sea in and around Istria. Set menu options were the basis for the evening meal but guests were positively encouraged to ‘top up’ with the smorgasbord of temptations offered by the buffet. I am afraid that we succumbed on every occasion ! No regrets! The public areas are many and various and I am not sure we explored everything on offer which means we will have to return again to tick more boxes! Particular highlights for us would be the pool area with an ample supply of the most comfortable sun and day beds which provided wonderful bases for a day or two of total relaxation with plenty of Vitamin D on tap! The piano bar overloks the main restaurant and most nights a classically trained pianist would play in the bar with h the melody floating in an unobtrusive way into the ears of the diners below. A classy touc which we greatly appreciated. We left our visit to the ESPA – the integrated full-service spa until the last day – which also turned out to be the one day when the sun was reluctant to show its face. Frankly , words fail. The variety of treatments, sauna, steam and sonariums is incredible and, as with everything else on this resort , so impressive. I won’t pretend that Spa’s are my natural habitat but this venture out of normal reserve and comfort zone was fabulous and to be repeated on future visits! Strongly recommend and , as someone's strap line once said " because you are worth it!' There has been much interest in this significant investment by Valamar into this project in the town of Porec where the Valamar brand is already so well represented and has built up such a strong reputation. Was the pre- opening and now post opening publicity justified? Well, in my opinion yes ; completely so. Having said that I would add this. However impressive the coastal position is, how striking the architecture and how lavish the hard and soft furnishing are ( and they are really well put together collections), whatever the , no doubt, eye watering budget and overall investment made, the hotel business and hospitality remains a service industry and the human resource is the resource that matters most of all . For me this is the most impressive aspect of the Pical. Utilising some staff well versed in the Valamar way has been a master-stroke but so has been the recruitment process which has enrolled new blood eager to please and delight and become fully entrenched in the Valamar way of doing uncompromising hospitality . They are a credit to their profession and those that have responsibility for their training. If you have read my reviews of the sister hotel the Isabella Island Hotel you will know that the island resort holds a very special place in my heart and a large part of this dual venue fortnight in Porec was to make a direct comparison between the two – which would we enjoy most? So its time to come clean ! We still cant make our minds up . The two settings and vibes are so very different. The traffic free island offers total relaxation and natural beauty of its surrounding s while the Pical has a bit more of the Ibiza meets Soho House feel that may suit others better. We think that we had the best of both worlds in staying in both over our extended break and when thinking ahead to our next break I think that it will be a no brainer to do exactly the same again next year ! It’s a fence I am more than happy. to sit on!