Cornaro Hotel ★★★★

As a self-confessed history geek, the idea of a holiday that combines glorious sunshine and a city steeped in history is the absolute dream. So when a friend told me about Split and suggested we went on a blissfully warm city break there, who was I to refuse? Especially once I heard about the Cornaro Hotel ****, a slice of contemporary chic wedged in perfectly between two of the original fortification walls and just steps away from the Diocletian Palace.

The designers of the hotel, the achingly trendy Šverko & Šverko, worked to keep the spirit of the past alive but give it a fresh modern take. Glossy marble, crisp lines and a chic neutral palette create an ambience that is the definition of understated cool. After a long day exploring tiny cafés, winding roads and walking in emperors’ footsteps, my friend and I loved soothing our weary feet at the spa and unwinding in the Finnish sauna. I mean, someone’s got to do it, right?

And while we’re on the subject of walking in Diocletian’s footsteps, at the Cornaro Hotel **** you can even eat like an emperor – literally! The restaurant offers a delightful array of breakfasts, including one that Emperor Diocletian himself is known to have favoured (and which is now my preference). As we lounged in the rooftop at sunset, a glass of local Nikolika wine in hand, we watched the stars emerge and the houses of Split light up one by one. Having a view as spectacular as that far from the reach of everyday tourists was, for me, priceless - I couldn’t help but think that even Roman Emperor would be jealous of my stay at the Cornaro Hotel ****.