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Articles Croatia

Hotel Dubrovnik Palace

beach_tourist_seashore_280414_m.jpgExpensive extravagance is the norm at Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, Croatia’s premier luxury travel resort.

Dubrovnik Palace is the finest of Croatia’s luxury accommodations and bills itself thusly. The winner of the tourism flower award among five star resorts, the hotel was also named Europe’s Leading Resort in 2006.

What makes Hotel Dubrovnik Palace so special? It outperforms its competition repeatedly and out supplies its guests with the kind of amenities that matter to those who have the cash to spend a week on vacation in the finest luxury resort in an up and coming tropical European destination.

Four swimming pools, three outdoor, one indoor, sprinkled throughout the facility, as well as tennis courts, its own scuba diving center, a private beach and a private wooded area behind the hotel add to the resume of this accomplished resort.

The resort also provides a full compliment of bars and restaurants, all seaside, convenient to your room or activities. From the upscale restaurant Lenga, to an a la carte snack cart that you can sample from and take back to your pool or beachside barca-lounger, the food at Hotel Dubrovnik Palace is conveniently located, but it also might be the resort’s weak link.

Does it live up to the hype?

Travelers give the hotel strong reviews and find the resort’s location and amenities often exceed their expectations. A common theme in their criticisms seems to be the food. “Gourmet” becomes “overpriced” when travelers aren’t satisfied with the selection, taste, or quality of the meals. There have been no reports of food-poisoning or similar horror stories, some travelers simply felt the food wasn’t on par with the price they were paying for it.

The service and accommodations, except for the snootiest of travelers, are generally agreed to be top-notch.

Location

Location is one of Hotel Dubrovnik Palace’s most marketable features. Other hotels and resorts can build more pools or offer more free massages, but no other hotel can offer downtown Dubrovnik after only a short bus ride from the hotel.

To be specific, the Hotel sits on the Lapad Peninsula, just outside of Dubrovnik, where there are pine forests instead of ancient buildings. The Dubrovnik Airport is about 10 miles away and the historic part of Dubrovnik is even closer.

Categories
Articles Croatia

Hotel Kompass

cliffs_rocks_beach_280096_m.jpgBy most accounts, Hotel Kompass is Croatia’s nicest three star hotel. The hotel combines an amazing view with decent services and amenities to produce one of the best travel experiences available in Croatia on a mid-range budget.

Hotel Kompass is located near Dubrovnik, on the Lapad peninsula with a view overlooking the bay. The hotel regularly receives rave reviews and is a popular way to get semi-luxury accommodations on a budget.

The differences between Hotel Kompass and a luxury resort are slight. Where a resort might be described as “massive,” Hotel Kompass is “charming,” where a resort might be “pristine,” Hotel Kompass is “well-kept.”

When it comes to the food in the restaurant however, the reviews are more mixed. Some ring with recommendation and endorsement, comparing the food to the finest stuff in Italy’s best kitchens and gushing about the selection.

Others, find the food repetitive, the buffet limiting and the service average. Hotel Kompass may not have the finest kitchen to offer, but for budget travelers the food choices will likely be manageable and a far cry above what is usually offered in youth hostels.

Quick Facts

Hotel Kompass has 115 rooms over 5 floors.

Prices start at 94 euros a night.

Hotel Kompass is a three star hotel.

Accepts American Express, Diners Club, Mastercard and Visa.

There is a heated indoor pool and a heated outdoor pool as well as an accessible beach from your hotel.

Hotel Kompass is probably the best compromise you can make between a high-class resort and a youth hostel or budget hotel. While the service reflects the manageable over all price–there are fewer extra frills than a resort–the location, view and accommodations are just as good as a higher priced resort.

Categories
Articles Los Angeles

The Beverly Hilton

losangeles_hollywood_rodeodrive_1002286_l1.jpgThe best location, the best views, the best service… the superlatives accompanying the Beverly Hilton are many. But the best prices? Not so fast.

The Beverly Hilton may be one of the world’s finest examples of “getting what you pay for” out of a hotel, or anything else. Yes the towels are plush and your balcony overlooks the LA Country Club or the mansions of Beverly Hills. Your breakfast comes in on a tray and leaves the same way after you’ve eaten it. Your car is valet parked upon arrival. Your credit card is required.

Luckily for the hotel, the availability of the Penthouse is more of a concern than the price of the room for most of their guests. Rooms run around $200 a night, but go up sharply if upgrading to an Oasis room or one of the Tower suites.

Much of what you pay for at the Beverly Hilton, however, comes to you outside of the room itself. The location of the hotel is second to none for those looking for a place within walking distance of spots like Rodeo Drive and the rest of Beverly Hills. Visitors report feeling important and cared for in what can be an intimidating city.

Quick Facts

The Beverly Hilton consists of 570 rooms on 8 floors and was built in 1952.

The in-room amenities include a flat screen TV and high speed Internet.

Pets under 25 pounds are allowed in the pet suites with a $10 per day extra charge.

There are two pools, one indoor, one outdoor.

The Beverly Hilton is located at 9876 Wilshire Boulevard, in Beverly Hills, at the intersection of Trenton and Wilshire. Call the front desk at 310-274-7777.

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