The Hotel Istra looks ok from the outside but the rooms are decidedly old Eastern bloc. True, it's not bad for the price and the hotel is located right there on the harbour front but this is a shabby three star. The rooms are described as above and the beds are singles but not too uncomfortable. It's a good option to go for the half board price because overall it's cheaper than using the mediocre restaurents in Rab. Just don't get excited about the food - it merely serves to stave off the hunger pains.

Rab town is OK but there are lots of tacky shops selling fake designer gear at overinflated prices. The street stalls have some of the most mind-bogglingly terrible art for sale that hte other toursists were actually buying. I had to photgraph it, it was so bad!

You're far better going up the island and getting the ferry to Krk and then the bus to Krk town. This is a much more genuine medaeval town with better food and a good hotel on the harbour. We just caught the last day of their 'Festival of Fish' which was full of (fish) folk-singing, local cheeses, wines and topped off with a firework display. It put Rab in the shade.

Small, very clean, bit dated rooms. We only stayed two nights, so were allocated rooms on top floor, where view was overlooking the courtyard, side view of Harbour. Probably fair that people there for longer periods had best rooms. Given it was only 28E per person per night in early Sept, I thought this hotel was good enough value. Breakfast was good, but I wouldn't eat dinner there, it is a bit like a School Cafeteria, rather than the atmospheric, good value, restaurants around town. Well located for both beaches, town and harbour, in three different directions from hotel.

Negatives: Mattresses could be replaced, bit old. THERE ARE NO DOUBLE BEDS. If you book a double, you will get two twin beds pushed together, which isn't normally a problem in europe, except these beds have 5cm wooden frame around the twin beds, making a 10cm wooden bar between the two beds. Not for Honeymooners! Also, could not see any evidence of heating or fans/AC, not a problem for us, given quite a strong wind whilst we were there, but would of been unbearable if not for the wind.

Highly recommend RAB town and island though. Stunning.

don't be fooled by this hotel's website - it looks like a small, family-run hotel - it is not and is used mainly by package tours who take all the best rooms with views. we turned up at 2 p.m having months in advance booked a double room with view only to be put in the new wing (not visible from website photo !!) in a very shabby, stuffy room with no view whatsoever. this apparently was the only room now available as we had turned up late !!! they weren't at all concerned when we advised them we would only be staying the 1 night, not the 3 I had booked - I guess this happens quite a lot !!! see next review on a very good alternative - we got lucky !!!