Family Hotel Pagus

We booked three remaining nights in Zadar during lunch, at Falkensteiner Club Funimation Borik, and didn’t regret it for a second. For barely 100-200 euros more, the difference between those two “4 stars” was a huge abyss. We left this hotel right after lunch, paying for one night at the original price plus taxes, even though the taxes were supposedly included. We had booked four nights directly through the hotel website, not Booking, for our family of two adults and two kids. It was meant to be a short, really nice holiday: a Superior connected family room with sea view, balcony and all-inclusive. We arrived around 7 p.m., a bit late and during dinner. Our booked room wasn’t available “due to occupancy.” They put us in two separate rooms for one night and said we’d move to some junior suite the next day. It already felt like a scam. After checking the room price list, we were sure of it. The next day’s “junior suite” was a tiny corner room. Its AC was louder than a lawn mower, and we had to figure out how to vent it ourselves. They squeezed in a baby crib, leaving no space at all. The food was another shock for a hotel advertised as four stars, worse than what’s served to ship crew members, and I know what I’m talking about. The lunch confirmation email and in-room brochure both said service started at 12:00, but it actually began at 12:30. Reception knew and didn’t mention it. Try explaining the delay to a hungry four-year-old who barely touched breakfast. We had paid for parking, but there were no spots. We had to stop in the rain near the hotel corner, then got a warning in the morning for parking “in the wrong place.” The room had crumbs from previous guests on the table and the cheapest toilet paper. The toilet wasn’t fixed properly and banged against the wall every time you stood up. The flush system felt straight out of old Soviet communal apartments, where you could tell from the pipes whether your upstairs neighbor had gone number one or number two. The soap and shower gel dispensers had once been stuck on with double-sided tape, but now just stood by the wall. We stepped onto the balcony for the sea view and found the “sea” much closer than expected: water from the upper balcony drained onto ours and just stayed there. The kids’ club had only drawing tables and a tent, and children weren’t allowed to stay without a parent. Forget spa time if you’re with a four-year-old. The so-called PlayStation room had one broken steering wheel, and even my 12-year-old needed a supervisor to play.

Matea gave me the best massage I’ve ever had. Cissa- wellness & spa is one of the best places I’ve been, with a great range of massages and such kind, welcoming employees. I recommend it.

We’re checking out today after a great stay. The hotel is right on the beach, and it’s a great location. The staff are polite and helpful, the food is good, and there are lots of activities for children, which makes it great for families. My only criticism is that guests on all-inclusive shouldn’t have to pay for beach chairs. We’ll be back 🙂

We spent a week here on an all-inclusive family holiday. The best thing is the location: step out of the hotel and you’re about ten steps from the public beach. It’s rocky, of course, but there’s a kids’ area with shallow water and small stones. Water shoes are a must. The hotel is also near the town center but away from the crowds. The staff are excellent, polite and very helpful, and open to what guests need. The food is good, with a wide choice. You can eat indoors in the air-conditioned restaurant or outside on the covered terrace. On all-inclusive, food is served for most of the day, and there’s an all-day beach bar with drinks, ice cream and popcorn. There are activities for the kids, and from what I saw they seemed to enjoy them. The rooms are clean and fairly big, with comfortable beds. But the AC isn’t effective enough, so it gets hot. Rooms at the back have no nice view, and some get very noisy because of a huge AC machine right below the balcony. Keep that in mind if you’re sensitive to noise. The rooms could do with renovation, and the AC should definitely be improved. The coffee at the bar isn’t very good either.