Hotel Lapad ★★★★

I’ll admit it – I only knew about Dubrovnik after I found out it was the location of Game of Thrones, which happens to be a binge series favourite of mine. I never expected the city to be as enchanting off screen though, a spiders-web of winding lanes and ancient buildings begging to share their stories and secrets with you. Among them is the Hotel Lapad ****, dating back to 1912 and boasting a reputation as one of Dubrovnik’s oldest and most prestigious hotels.

It’s easy to be mislead and believe that a prestigious hotel like this would be stuffy – quite on the contrary! From the moment you step into Hotel Lapad **** the interiors exude contemporary cool and benefit from the masses of warm light streaming in. Simple yet elegant décor in the bedrooms were the perfect complement to the views of the glittering Adriatic visible from my bed. Standing on the balcony and basking in the year round sun in your own private bubble of bliss – what could be better?

Just as important as the hotel itself is, for me, the food. They say the heart is the way to someone’s stomach, and I am certainly no exception. So if I wasn’t head over heels for Hotel Lapad **** once I saw the views, I certainly was once I tasted the incredible Dalmatian and Medterranean inspired cuisine. With a cocktail in hand, mild evenings easily turned into cooler nights under the stars in the tranquil Renaissance gardens, with the gentle sounds of the marina in the background. Though styles come and go, the Hotel Lapad **** understands the beauty of life’s simplest pleasures; and that is what makes this hotel timeless.