Recently spent 4 nights at this hotel, booked it over the internet with 70%off usual price and found a bargain. Hotel was lovely, room was on 5th floor looking straight out to sea, good size rooms, very well presented, public areas all well kept and excellent choice of food at both breakfast and dinner, almost too much choice available. Found the staff very friendly and had a nice walk in to town (or could take the train) most days. Only fault might be that it was a bit quiet in the evenings but walked up to the sister hotel which also had evening entertainement.. Would definately recommend this one and would return again for future stays

Stayed here for a week in September as part of a tour. The hotel is beautiful. The views over the sea from the rear of the hotel are magnificent.
The hotel is spotless and I have never met such friendly staff anywhere before. They all actually looked as if they were happy working there. Their smiles were genuine. From the ladies who cleaned the hotel to the restaurant manager and the hotel manager, nothing was too much trouble.
The breakfast and dinner are buffet style and the choice is amazing. There is something to suit even the fussiest of eaters.
As our room was booked by the tour company, we had no choice of view so were overlooking the front of the hotel and the car park. If booking the hotel separately, I would request a room with a sea view.
The hotel is situated at the far end of the town so there is about a 10 minute walk along the front to reach the small train which takes you into Rabac itself. Unfortunately the train stopped at 18.00 so, if you wanted to go at night, there is a walk of about 30 - 45 minutes.
Rabac is pretty but, apart from a few cafe bars, gift shops and small supermarkets, there's not a lot to do. There didn't appear to be any public transport to take you into a neighbouring town. There were trips by boat to Venice or Cres Island which could be booked at the harbour.
All in all, the hotel is well worth a visit.

3rd July 2007

Just back after a 7 day half board stay. The Hotel is situated at the far end of the bay of Rabac. It is the last Hotel and has unbroken breathtaking views of a clear blue sea. The beach is stony and you do need some rubber shoes to allow entry/exit from the sea without being in agony. The sea is beautiful.

The Hotel is still being refurbished but there is little inconvenience for the tourist. It is cleaner than clean. The food is simple but the choice is huge. The evening enterainment is simple also. Mainly 2 chaps, one on a guitar and the other on the electric piano etc. The hotel does have a programme of enterainment and they try very hard to do the job well. I am sure that once the Hotel is finished then there will be more to do. There is an internet connection and a poorly stocked shop...but there is a supermarket about 200 yards away. There is satellite TV but for the English it is down to BBC World (yawn) and CNN. The Germans, Italians etc. all have plenty of choice. There were only 6 Brits in the Hotel when we were there!


It is a little hilly, especially in the main resort centre and certainly I would not want to stay there. It is a bit small and has no charm whatsoever. There is no natural centre or heart to the resort. A few supermarkets and a few bars. That is it. A few tourist shops. The charm is in the relative isolation, the cleanliness and the absence of any signs of idiocy. Lots of kids. Few eldelry simply because of the hills. North from the Hotel is almost 100% pine forests, small unmade roads and sharp limestone paths to rock plinths were you can sunbathe.

Downside for us was that the mini-bar never worked and the aircon was at best mild air. Also at the end of the stay, the management have little interest in giving leaving guests any service. There is no provision of showers or changing rooms. You are on your own unless you pay a full room rate of about £60.

Think Spain about 50 years ago and you have this place. Hardly developed but catching up fast! Well worth the visit. But choose wisely.

Valamar Bellevue Hotel, Rabac, Croatia.

LOCATION

Well Thomson has got it right with this one.

The hotel is situated a few meters from the sea which is crystal clear. No sand just rocky platforms and ledges but you can also sun bath in the gardens leading down to the sea as there are quite a few grassy areas.
Turn right out of the hotel and you can take a pleasant 20 minute stroll along the coastal path and beach to the little harbour. Here you will find a few shops, bars and restaurants. You can also hire a boat by the hour for 150 Kuna or as I did for the day for 500 k but, beware, don’t bother if the wind is from the south as the sea can turn very choppy in no time at all.
Turn left out of the hotel and there is a very nice walk along the coast through the pine forest. This walk also takes you past the ‘nude’ beach where members of a certain nationality seem only too ready to disport themselves. Made me realise just why I keep my kit on!

THE HOTEL

Recently refurbished and everything is spotless and appears brand new.
All the rooms have a little balcony with the usual plastic table and chairs but perfectly adequate to sit and sip a pre dinner G & T. Dooo… pay the extra 30k per day for a sea view its well worth it. Rooms facing inland have a splendid view of the car park and you are overlooked by the hotel at the back. The hotel staff are all very friendly and genuinely seem pleased to welcome you to their country.

All rooms have aircon and large double glazed patio doors. If you find that your air conditioning suddenly goes off don’t panic! It’s probably because you have opened the patio door. The door has a micro switch connected to the aircon so if the door is open it shuts off…..no sense in trying to air condition Rabac after all!
Bathroom and toilet were spotless and kept that way every day and it was one of the best showers I have ever had in a hotel, hot and very powerful.

THE RESTAURANT

I went half board and was very pleased I did, the food was superb and I doubt if you could have found a local restaurant that served better.
Both breakfast and dinner is a serve yourself basis so you can have as much or as little as you wish. I counted at least 16 courses at dinner with a choice to suit everyone, best I could manage was only 4 courses but it was good fun watching members of a certain nation trying to pile all 16 onto a 12 inch dinner plate. Dustbin lid would have come in handy!


Summary

A trip I will certainly do again. Great hotel, food and location.
Plus….Shirley, the Thomson rep is a real treasure nothing is too much trouble for her and she speaks the language like a native.

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