Accommodation Croatia-hotels-vacations-holidays

Private Accommodation Croatia

Private rooms (privatne sobe) are available everywhere in Croatia where there are tourists. They're offered by locals eager to rent out unoccupied space in their homes – many Croats on the coast have enlarged or modernized their houses to provide extra rooms. Standards vary widely, but rooms are usually grouped into three categories by the tourist association in each area. Category I rooms are simple affairs furnished with a couple of beds, a wardrobe and not much else, and you'll be using your host's bathroom. Category II rooms have en-suite bathrooms, and category III rooms will probably come with TV and plusher furnishings, as well as en-suite facilities. In July and August prices start at around 150/200/250Kn (Less than Kn250) for a category I/category II/category III double in a smallish resort, rising to about 250/330/400Kn ( Kn250–450) in relatively expensive places like Dubrovnik and Korčula. Prices in the shoulder season (April– June & Sept– Oct) can be ten to twenty percent cheaper. Many families don't let out rooms over the winter, although local travel agencies will probably come up with something, providing you contact them a week or so in advance. Prices are subject to a thirty- to fifty-percent surcharge if you stay for fewer than three nights. Single travellers usually pay about seventy percent of the price of a double except in July and August, when the full double price might have to be paid to secure a room.
Bookings are administered by local travel agencies; where there's no established travel agency, the local tourist office will handle the job. Agencies are usually open daily from 8am to 8pm or later in July and August; they may take a long afternoon break on Sundays. In May, June and September opening hours will include longish afternoon breaks Monday to Friday, and hours will be shorter (often mornings only) at weekends. When paying for a private room, you'll be charged a fee of about 10Kn to cover the cost of registering you with the police, and a residence tax (boravišna pristojba) of 7–10Kn each per night, which is the local tourist association's main source of funding.
If you can't find a tourist agency or tourist office, it's usually very easy to turn up a private room by asking around or looking for "sobe" or "Zimmer frei" signs posted up outside local houses. You may also be offered rooms by landladies waiting outside train, bus and ferry stations, especially in Split and Dubrovnik – be sure to establish the location of the room and agree a price before setting off. Rooms obtained in this way sometimes work out significantly cheaper than the agency-approved ones, but equally leave you prone to rip-offs. There's little chance that your hosts will be passing on registration fees or tourist tax to the relevant authorities (they'll charge you for them, then pocket the cash themselves), and they may exploit your naivety by inflating these additional costs, or inventing new ones of their own. However you find a room, it's acceptable to have a look at it before committing yourself.

Rented out in the same way as private rooms, apartments (apartmani) usually consist of a self-contained unit or floor of a house with its own kitchen and bathroom, maybe a small lounge and possibly a terrace for sitting outside. Two-person apartments often provide much more convenience, comfort and value for money than a double room in a hotel, and even single travellers – who will have to pay the price of a double – may find apartments favourably priced compared to bland hotel rooms. For those travelling as a family or in a group, apartments offer excellent value, providing that sleeping quarters are not too cramped – check how many beds are crammed into a single bedroom before accepting.

Hotels

Most Croatian hotels have been classified according to the international star grading system, although some of the grades awarded might seem a little generous – some of Croatia's five-star hotels would only qualify for four stars elsewhere, and so on down the scale. Generally speaking, one-star hotels have rooms with shared WC and bathroom; two-star hotels have rooms with en-suite facilities; three-stars have slightly larger en-suite rooms and, most probably, a television; four-stars correspond to comfy business class; and five-stars are in the international luxury bracket. Not many hotels fall into the one-star category, however, you're much more likely to come across two-star establishments, for which you can expect to pay 450–600Kn for a double, but it's worth bearing in mind that the better categories of private rooms and apartments offer similar comforts for less money. Three-star hotels are the hardest to predict, both in terms of quality and price, and you'll pay anything between 600Kn and 1000Kn, depending on whether it's just a glorified two-star with an extra lick of paint, or a genuinely comfortable and well-managed outfit that meets international standards. Any four-star hotel will have plush carpets, bathtubs in most rooms and a range of other facilities (such as gym or swimming pool) for around 800–1400Kn. There's an increasing number of five-star hotels in Croatia, most of which are in Zagreb or in and around Dubrovnik (1200Kn a double upwards).

Hotels in inland Croatia charge the same price all year round, but on the coast rates vary widely according to season, with July and August proving the most expensive months in which to travel. Prices drop by ten to twenty percent in the shoulder season (May, June and Sept), and may be as much as fifty percent cheaper in winter. Dubrovnik and Hvar are currently the most fashionable – and consequently most expensive – parts of the country, while hotels in areas such as northern and mid-Dalmatia can work out significantly cheaper.
Some hotels in resort areas close between November and April, although most moderate-sized Adriatic towns will have at least one mid-range hotel open all year.
There's a growing number of small family-run hotels aiming to conquer the mid-range market, offering the comforts and level of service of a good three-star hotel, but in cosy, informal surroundings and at a slightly cheaper price.

Hotel prices almost invariably include breakfast. At its most basic, this will feature rolls with butter, jam, and some ham and cheese, although the majority of hotels hosting Western package guests now offer a buffet selection. Many of the hotels on the Adriatic also offer full-board (pansion) and half-board (polupansion) deals for a few extra kuna, but bear in mind that you'll be eating bland, internationalized food in large, institutional dining rooms.

Small family hotels

There are numerous excellent small family hotels to choose from in Croatia where you will enjoy your beautiful holiday. "There's a growing number of small family-run hotels aiming to conquer the mid-range market, offering the comforts and level of service of a good three-star hotel, but in cosy, informal surroundings and at a slightly cheaper price."

Campsites

Campsites (autokamp) abound on the Adriatic coast, ranging from large-scale affairs with plentiful facilities, restaurants and shops to small family-run sites squeezed into private gardens or olive groves. Some major centres – notably Split – are currently without campsites, but almost everywhere else is catered for. Sites are generally open from May to September and charge 30–60Kn per person, plus 30–60Kn per pitch and 30–50Kn per vehicle. Prices are significantly higher in fashionable destinations such as Dubrovnik. Electricity in the bigger sites costs a few extra kuna. Bear in mind that the stony ground of the Adriatic coast often makes it difficult to hammer in tent pegs – spare rope comes in handy to fasten your canvas home to nearby rocks and trees. Camping rough is illegal, and the rocky or pebbly nature of most Croatian beaches makes them uncomfortable to sleep on anyway.
Naturist campsites are a common feature of the northern Adriatic resorts, with big, self-contained complexes outside Rovinj, Poreč and Vrsar in Istria, and Krk, Baška and Punat on the island of Krk.

Rural homestays

In northern Croatia attempts are being made to encourage the development of rural homestays under the banner of agriturizam or "agricultural tourism". The idea is to encourage people in the countryside to offer farmhouse-style accommodation and locally produced food and drink. This is at its most developed in inland Istria. The other areas in which the concept has made significant inroads is the Zagorje, north of Zagreb; the region around the Plitvice National Park; and the Slavonian village of Bilje near the Kopački rit Nature Park.
Room quality varies from place to place, although most village homestays offer neat little en suites, often with a rustic feel to the furnishings. Prices are roughly equivalent to those in private rooms and apartments, and usually include breakfast; half- or full-board arrangements featuring tasty home-cooked food are often available for an extra cost.

(Source: The Rough Guide to Croatia by Johnatan Bousfield)