Villa Rozic

The apartment was extremely dirty, with stains on the bedding, and there was no internet access for two days. We were told parking was available, but it was at Hotel Croatia, on the other side of town. It was a 20-minute walk from there to the villa, with stairs on top of that. We had to leave some of our baggage for safekeeping elsewhere, repack just the bare necessities, and carry only part of it because we couldn't bring everything we needed. We were in Croatia for 15 nights, so we'd packed a lot. The hostess yelled that we hadn't read that parking was public and that she wouldn't let us stay because we were late for check-in. We were only late because driving to leave our baggage elsewhere and repacking took time. If we hadn't been exhausted after 12 hours of travel, if it hadn't been so late, and if our stay hadn't already been paid for, I wouldn't have considered staying another minute. We just wanted to get to bed and rest.

The room was clean, with a lovely view if you climb onto the wooden step provided to close the shutters. Those shutters did a great job keeping the morning light out, and the air conditioning was much appreciated in summer. It’s good value and right by the centre, though getting there means tackling quite a few stairs. Don’t expect five-star extras, but the room has what you need. Parking confused us at first: if you’re driving, park at Hotel Croatia for free, then walk over. The host said nobody has received a ticket in the last 14 years. She was the real highlight for us, so warm and welcoming. She also made it clear that technology isn’t her strong point, saying, “nooooo I cannottt,” so don’t count on getting Google Maps parking coordinates. We’ll remember our stay here.

Please read this before booking. The room we got was filthy, despite the photos, and the supposed ocean view was a small window you could only see through by standing on a step stool. The ceiling was so low you could easily hit your head, and the internet was out for two days. I can’t say whether that was intentional. The parking arrangements were a problem from the start. I found the place by filtering for parking on Booking, and when I asked, the woman said they had no parking of their own but could direct us to free parking. I assumed it would be nearby. Instead she sent us to Hotel Croatia, across town. Reaching the property meant a long walk, about 20 minutes over two hills and up lots of stairs, and it would be miserable with a lot of luggage. There’s paid public parking at the bottom of the stairs, but it’s very expensive. She also didn’t mention that the street leading to it is closed to traffic from 6PM until 12AM because it’s a pedestrian zone. We arrived around 9PM after asking in advance if we could check in after 6PM, and she’d said that was fine. We argued about parking, then she said we couldn’t stay because we were late and defended the parking arrangement. The place was already paid for, but she didn’t want to check us in. We eventually got in after more arguing. I don’t usually write scathing reviews, but I wouldn’t recommend this place.

The location was fabulous, apart from all the steps. We stayed 20th to 27/6. The room was clean, but VERY BASIC, with no mirror or dressing table except in the bathroom. The shower was just a tap in the middle of the bath, so you had to climb in and sit down to wash. Getting clean towels daily was a plus.