Hotel Royal Ariston

May is a wonderful time to visit Dubrovnik. The public bus gets you to the Old town in ten minutes, while in summer I’d probably spend most of my time near the hotel, enjoying the coastline, outdoor activities, walking trails, and views. The garage is clean and new, too. Service across Croatia seems to be improving, I’d say. Great hotel, and I can only recommend it.

We spent a three-day weekend here in December and had a spacious room with a spectacular sea view. The high ceilings and furnishings were lovely, and the room was impeccably clean. Breakfast was great, and the staff were helpful. We enjoyed the path along the sea and seeing Dubrovnik's old City decorated for Christmas. We also stumbled upon a free outdoor concert. Dubrovnik was especially enjoyable this time of year, without the crowds.

The coastline walks were the highlight of my visit to the Royal Hotel Ariston. I made them part of my morning routine and loved the location. After a day out exploring, the excellent spa was a relaxing place to unwind, and the well-kept pool area was inviting too. A peaceful getaway with great amenities, highly recommended.

Our stay was pretty disappointing. We’d booked rooms for a group of about 10 at the Royal Neptun next door, but at check-in we were upgraded to this “5 star hotel.” The upgraded room had two double beds, and they couldn’t accommodate our request for a king bed for me and my fiancé. The rooms were decent and service was accessible, but I wouldn’t call the experience “5 star.” We’d just spent several days in Split at the Palazzo President, which felt like a real five-star stay, so the difference was drastic. The worst part came at checkout. While packing, I found a used needle under the bedside table. We’d been there three days, so it must have been missed by the cleaning staff multiple times. I took it to the front desk, and the gentleman working there just said, “ah, it must be for medicine” when I told him about it. We got no apology or resolution. We’re planning to return to Dubrovnik, but we’ll stay somewhere else next time.