ISTRIA - Croatia and Slovenia - page 274

rooms (air-con, elevator, non-smoking rooms, free Wi-Fi, and all the amenities). Each can
also refer you to other, similar chain properties (price range depends on season—top price
is for Aug). Hotel Bristol, part of the Vienna International chain, has 78 rooms. It's gone
to great pains to maintain its late 19th-century decor inside and out—mixing modern com-
fort with period moldings, chandeliers, and a cheery yellow facade (Sb-€122/€100/€85,
Db-€163/€133/€113, bigger “deluxe” rooms for €10 more, last-minute deals possible, pay
guest computer, free Wi-Fi, gorgeously restored coffee shop in lobby, parking-€10, Maršala
Tita 108, tel. [phone], www.hotel-bristol.hr , [e-mail] ) . Hotel Agava, part
of the Milenij chain, also has an impressively restored old shell, but its 76 rooms feel
more businesslike and contemporary (Sb-€100/€90/€80, Db-€165/€145/€120, sea view-€10
extra; cheaper “economy” rooms are in the attic, with small skylight windows—about
15 percent less; hotel dinner-€6 extra/person, free Wi-Fi in lobby, free cable Internet
in rooms, parking garage-€13, Maršala Tita 89, tel. [phone], www.milenijhoteli.hr ,
[e-mail] ).
$$$ Smaller and Family-Run: These twosmall hotels, runbytheBrkofamily,arewell-
located a few steps from the lively Slatina scene (to the right as you face the water; both
have air-con, elevators, free Wi-Fi, and a parking garage for €11). Hotel Galeb, with 25
comfortable rooms and three stars, has more character than most Opatija hotels, but is a tad
overpriced. Guests at the Galeb have access to the pool and beach at the Savoy, described
next (Sb-€100/€79/€71, Db-€136/€106/€95, €10 more for “superior” room with sea view
and balcony, 10 percent less if you pay cash, pricier suites also available, Maršala Tita 160,
tel. [phone], www.hotel-galeb.hr , [e-mail] ) . Hotel Savoy, across the street,
comes with four stars, more class, 32 nicely appointed rooms, an enticing swimming pool
with a great view, a private beach, and higher prices. Request the type of room you want
when you reserve: Most rooms have balconies and sea views for no extra charge, but many
of these face a noisy nightclub; for more quiet, you can request a back (non-view) room
facing the street (rates about 20 percent more expensive than Galeb, Maršala Tita 129, tel.
051/710-500, www.hotel-savoy.hr , [e-mail] ) .
Eating in Opatija
Many hotels offer a “half-board” option (dinner at the hotel) that can be a good value for
a decent, affordable meal. Otherwise, touristy restaurants abound. To browse for your own
picnic, drop by the old-fashioned indoor market hall ( tržnica , on the left a 10-minute walk
up Maršala Tita from Slatina). Several hotel lobbies also have refined Vienna-style coffee
houseswithlate19th-centuryappeal.Foragood,unpretentioussit-downmeal,considerone
of the following options.
Ružmarin, tucked in a residential zone just behind and above a row of big hotels, is
a sane oasis with an inviting covered terrace, a modern dining room, and good pizzas,