very nice hotel, very clean ,good food, nice staff,lovely little village,with bars overlooking the sea
we went with Newmarket Holidays,which are always good,on a tour to Dubrovnic,Bosnia, etc
a very good interesting trip.

We were very pleased with our stay at Hotel Astarea, and would gladly recommend it.

+ We paid for a room with a double bed, balcony and sea view, and we were very happy when we got our nice room with TWO double beds, a big balcony and nice view.

+ The staff at the reception was very kind and helpfull.

+ The beach was nice and close to the hotel.

+ The breakfast was OK

+ The cute cats that live in the area

We really don't have much bad to say about the hotel...

- The only thing would be that the slope from the hotel to the bus station is really tough during a hot day, even for a couple of 20-year olds.

Stayed at the Astarea as part of a 'Croatia Family Adventure' package - hotel arranged by the travel company. The cost of the holiday was quite high and we expected a high level accommodation to reflect this and whilst some of the cost is attributable to the tour company it was clear from the prices charged at the hotel for various services, drinks etc. that much of this cost was down to the hotel.

The hotel does not justify the prices charged - whilst the public areas are generally smart, some of the furniture is badly in need of replacement (the hotel seems to allow smoking both in the rooms and public areas and the smell of cigarettes was everywhere) and the service is decidedly hit and miss. The rooms are small, badly in need of refurbishment, most have limited sea views, being 90 degrees on to the sea, the showers regularly switching from hot to cold, no fridge (impossible to keep drinks cool) and air conditioning so noisy that it drowned out the sound of a rock band in the village! Maid service however was excellent with the sheets changed mid week and towels replaced when required.

The worst problem however is the food, we like it seemed most people staying at the hotel, were on half board; the breakfasts were very limited, no prepared fresh fruit, juice that was watered down, coffee from the sort of machines found in motorway service stations and one (small) pastry offering per day; evening meals were generally better with reasonably good salads and fish but each member of our party struggled to find anything palatable at all on at least one occasion. If you do visit remember to keep your knife and fork after each course otherwise the staff will take them away and there are no replacements available without raiding another table.

The location is another matter, the gardens and lower approach to the hotel being near perfect. Mlini itself is small but absolutely delightful with good clean beaches, excellent little restaurants, we can recommend Konobo Astarea, the Pizzeria at Hotel Milini and Lanterna. There is a good ferry service to Dubrovnik (30 minutes) for 80 Kuna return (10 euros) although check the times carefully on the day as the published timetable bears little resemblance to the reality. The walk to Srebreno is also very pleasant for a change of atmosphere.

This part of Croatia is absolutely fascinating with its stunning coastline, signs of the war still apparent and of course Dubrovnik which is a must. The people are very friendly and welcoming. The Astarea could be superb with it's setting, it just needs to try a bit harder.

I was unsure at first what this hotel would be like. I had read previous reviews of several hotels in Dubrovnik and none of them made me panic as we had booked an allocation on arrival package. The hotel is set into a hill, surrounded by pine trees and gardens, overlooking the sea and Milini beach below. What struck me was how green and clean it all was. The public areas are clean and bright and the hotel has lots of facilities. There's an indoor pool, shop and hairdressers and spa treatments as well as pool and table tennis and a gym. We didn't use all the facilities though. More level access to the hotel is from the beach area, up a path beside the pool and then there is a ramp past the pool tables and shop to the lifts. Bear in mind the lifts are very narrow though. The receptionists were polite and helpful. We loved the location, very near to the beach just down a small hill. The lifts are very small and narrow but beautiful with mirrors and glass. Our room was fine and had a small balcony and it looked out to one side over the sea. Our room was very clean with a small fridge. Our room was cleaned every day. It was just fine for what we needed as we stayed half-board. My only criticism, which I think is not just their issue, as the guests hold some responsibility, was the food. It was very safe. Many of the guests gathered hugh amounts of food to their table before each meal. Lots of it was just left and this made me very sad. Quantity over quality sadly. However, we always found something tasty and the fish dishes were always very nice. Sadly there was nothing much Croation or Dalmation about it.

Location wise the hotel was great. We would walk along the path that runs along the coast to catch the tourist ferry to Dubrovnik, Cavtat and some of the islands each day. There was also a bus service run by the hotel to places of interest. The beach is small and pebbley but lovely and clean. The sea currents are quite strong but we enjoyed snorkelling there most days and sunbeds are cheaply available. The hotel runs a cafe nearby and there is a shop for water and ice-cream. There is also a couple of restaurants nearby.

The staff were polite and friendly. I will be more than happy to return there. Loved Croatia, like finding somewhere before everyone else!! Very relaxing.