Prima Life Spalato Hotel

The rooms are spacious, clean, and renovated, and the toilet was spotless. The receptionist was very kind, and they kept our luggage for free. The location is right in the center of Split, which worked perfectly for us. The hotel is on the third floor of a mall, and the latest check-in is 22:00. They may be able to arrange a later arrival if you contact them ahead of time. We’d read comments about a dodgy alley and used the back entrance because of them, but ringing the bell at the entrance and taking the elevator would have saved us that detour.

There’s no breakfast, and there’s no hotel parking either. You have to use an outdoor lot, where the steep rate of €1.5 per hour adds up. Still, I had a comfortable stay, with a good-sized bed and bathroom, and the staff were friendly. They spoke English and gave us maps that made getting around easy. The location is close to everything, and the hotel provides clear directions because the entrance isn’t on the main road. Good place overall, 100% recommend.

We arrived and were surprised to find the hotel inside an abandoned mall, with reception on the third floor. At first we wondered if we’d got the wrong address. After checking recent reviews, we decided not to stay. We called Split Inn Apartments, where we’d stayed before and had a good experience, and they kindly found room for us at the last minute. Booking without reading the reviews first was our mistake.

Update: Booking.com helped us get our money back after we sent them our case and photos. Before that, we lost 1030 euros. We arrived expecting a “luxury 4-star” hotel and instead found two abandoned floors, a clothes shop below, and rooms on the third floor made up to look like a hotel. There wasn’t a proper entrance, and we spent a while trying to find it. The wall says “PRIMA LUCE” and has “4 stars” painted beside it. Once inside, the room was off a corridor, and the bathroom smelled of sewage. When we tried to leave, we were told there were no refunds and that no manager was available. The receptionists said they knew nothing and couldn’t help. We were told a refund was being sent, but the money didn’t come back. To anyone traveling to Split, Croatia, I believe this is an elaborate scam, and I hope this review helps someone avoid losing money as we did.