Hotel Pinija

Hotel Pinija made for a really enjoyable holiday, and the team deserves thanks for that. We were welcomed with a complimentary upgrade to a family room, which was a lovely surprise, and the staff were kind and helpful. The sea views are beautiful, the beach is easy to reach, and the location is right by the water. Breakfast and dinner were both varied and delicious. The room was clean and comfortable, though a little outdated. The sofa and pillows could use a proper upholstery cleaning, and the shower cabin could do with descaling. A few small improvements would make the experience five stars.

The hotel is in a quiet neighborhood, near two shops and several restaurants. You can get to Zadar by bus in 20-30 minutes, for 2.5 euros. Our standard room was clean and refreshed, but during our four-day stay it was cleaned only once, and the tea and coffee supplies weren't replenished. The main problem was the dining room. Half of it was reserved for German and Austrian guests, and the manager literally rushed guests to take seats there. Those without reservations crowded into the rest of the room and had to walk long distances for food. I find this unacceptable. It reinforces my impression that the hotel mainly caters to German and Austrian guests, who come just for dinner and then leave. They seem to be treated differently and pay the same or less than other guests, though the hotel makes up for it with drinks at dinner, which are quite expensive by hotel standards. Both breakfast and dinner were very average. My final rating is 3 stars, bearing in mind that most guests were German and Austrian. We were there during the holidays, and for one day it was almost exclusively Croatian. The atmosphere that day was completely different, warm and friendly.

There was plenty to choose from at the hotel restaurant, and everything we tried was tasty. The accommodation itself was lovely too, definitely felt like a real four-star place.

The hotel is in a perfect spot, the staff are friendly, and the food is very good. The main issue for us was the noise at night. During our stay, a radiologists' conference was taking place. On the first night, people celebrated at the beach bar with songs, shouting, and loud voices until 2:30 a.m. I had to call reception to ask for help. The next night, the hotel held a disco for them in the conference building, and the loud music, screams, and whistles went on until 2:30 again. Since the air conditioner barely cooled the room, we had to leave the windows open, so sleeping was impossible until 3. If you're with kids, they may wake up frightened by all the voices below the balcony. A hotel that welcomes families shouldn't favor one group of guests over another. The air conditioning was very weak. We set it to cooling at 20 degrees in auto mode, but the room only went from 26.7 to 26 over two hours. The gym is also tiny, with room for only 4-5 people to train at once and not enough equipment. And the drinks policy at lunch and dinner was poor, with prices too high. At the very least, water should be free.