Valamar Lacroma Hotel

The food stayed incredible even with the hotel completely full, and the buffet was always hot and tidy, with clean tables. The staff worked hard to make sure guests had a good stay. After we filled out an emailed survey, we were given an upgraded room, a kind gesture we really hadn't expected. The grounds were beautiful and spotless, and staff greeted us with smiles as we walked around. My husband and I were here in June as part of a large international conference, and the care from everyone made my dream trip to Croatia a trip of a lifetime.

We especially loved sitting by the pool in the sunshine, it was such a lovely place to relax. Breakfast had a fantastic range for different tastes and cultures, and the food was great too, though some items were a bit pricey. The staff were friendly, and two cute cats even hung around outside the hotel bars. What a beautiful hotel!

The included breakfast was very good, and the lobby and outdoor grounds looked great. But both pools were closed for maintenance for three days, and only one elevator was running, so there was a lot of waiting. The bed's top sheet was too small, and red lights kept blinking on the ceiling and phone. I never got the TV to work. The furniture felt no better than a Holiday Inn, not 4-star, and there was no coffee creamer, just body soap in the shower.

Breakfast was excellent, and the room cleaner was lovely and very helpful. The young dark-haired woman greeting people at the buffet was friendly and professional too. But I wouldn't stay again, and I wouldn't recommend the hotel at this time of year. We paid nearly £3,000 and found many of the facilities we'd chosen it for shut down around us. We booked in April for an October holiday with our 16-year-old daughter. The place looked clean and lovely on arrival, but felt like a ghost town. A sunny final day brought around 30 people to the pool, but the toilets were still closed. I have a bladder condition, and the alternatives were a 12-minute round trip to reception or an 8-minute round trip to the indoor pool, where the floor was dangerously slippery. When I asked the dark-haired bearded man at reception if the toilets could be opened, he shrugged and said “no.” His dismissive, rude response ruined our last day. The first day, we found a nice sunbathing spot near the trees. By the next morning it had all been cleared away for winter. We tried the VIP area, which we were glad not to have paid extra for: the beds were wet and dirty, and the next day that area closed too. The indoor pool sauna was out of order, then the pool itself closed for four days because of a fault. One of the main pool toilets stayed closed all week. When we spoke to reception, they offered complimentary evening buffet meals, which we appreciated, but so much was shut. Dinner was repetitive and often lukewarm, and drinks were very expensive. A very disappointing stay, 2 out of 10.