Splendid Golden Rocks Resort

The sea view and clear water were worth two stars, but the rest was awful. Rooms have old furniture and a bad smell, and the cleaning staff don't understand English. We had to buy our own toilet paper and garbage bags because none were provided. The pool was dirty and apparently never cleaned, and the €12 breakfast was simply tasteless. There aren't even good restaurants nearby. The hotel needs a complete reconstruction. I wouldn't recommend it. If you want the worst vacation of your life, come here!

The air conditioning worked well, and the sea view is beautiful. Sadly, those were the only real positives on what was our last stay after nearly 10 years of visiting Splendid & Horizont Resort in Pula. Prices have gone up over the years while service has kept getting worse. We gave it two stars for the view and clear water. On arrival in August, we got two small and two large towels. Towel changes are supposed to happen every three days, but we got replacements only after five days, and only after asking reception. Housekeeping walked past our balcony each day without speaking to us or offering service. There was no proper cleaning during our stay, not even after seven days, although it was included. The pool area has become a real letdown. The pool was “renovated” last year, but the materials seem unsuitable and unhygienic to clean. Parts are already green and crumbling, and the paving around it is so slippery that it feels unsafe. There are only uncomfortable plastic chairs now, with none of the mattresses or covers we had in earlier years. The music is either absent or depressing, more funeral-like than holiday-like, and sometimes the same short one-hour program repeats every day. Aqua gym and other activities are repetitive and poorly organized. You have to pay for sunbeds, yet there are never enough: some guests occupy free shaded chairs all day while others are squeezed two to a sunbed. Rules against jumping, inflatables, and the like go unenforced, with people jumping in, playing ball, and using floats. Staff are quick to collect sunbed fees, though. At the poolside restaurant, we waited half an hour without getting menus, despite being told someone would come “soon,” so we left. The other restaurant was worse, with a visibly dirty kitchen, questionable hygiene, and overpriced food. We paid €21 for calamari that looked as if it had been fried in old oil. Other parts of the stay were just as frustrating. The night receptionist drove recklessly through the resort, honking at us as if on a highway. Cleaning staff met in the hallways at 7 a.m. to talk loudly and drink coffee, disturbing guests. Reception didn't tell us about services like laundry or ironing, and the general attitude felt like they take your money and don't care whether you return. The breakfast building looks dangerously run down. Parts are fenced off and the terrace is closed, yet the building still operates indoors. I don't understand how the resort still has a license in this condition. Parking was poorly managed too. Guests with very large cars were allowed to use small spaces, sometimes taking two or three, and staff did nothing about it. What used to be a pleasant holiday spot now feels like a resort in decline, with rising prices and falling service. Management seems absent, with no inspections or improvements. I can no longer recommend it. After all these years, this was our last visit. Unless management takes serious action, future guests will run into the same disappointment.

The location is ideal, right by the sea, with a beautiful natural garden of pine trees. But that appeal is undermined by very old furniture in the rooms, unpleasant smells, and poorly maintained paths leading to them.

The sea view from the clean apartment was lovely, and there are several beaches within walking distance, plus a large pool to relax by. It doesn’t really feel like a resort despite the name. The lighting at night is very dim, which could be risky for children or older people, and soap, toilet paper, and fresh towels are limited. Croatia’s atmosphere made up for a lot of that.