Sights in Dubrovnik - Croatia and Slovenia - page 515

$$$ Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, sitting regally just outside the Pile Gate, is the closest
bighoteltotheOldTown.Thisgrand19th-centurybuildingwasrecentlyoverhauledtocre-
ate 147 plush rooms. If you want predictable Hilton comfort at outlandish prices a short
walk from the Old Town, this is the place (Db-€250-300, less off-season, €60 extra for sea
view,€70extraforbalconybutnoview,€130extraforbalconyandview,mostratesinclude
breakfast, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi in lobby, pay Wi-Fi in rooms, parking-€27/night,
Marijana Blaži ć a 2, tel. [phone], www.hilton.com , [e-mail] ).
$$$ Adriatic Luxury Hotels is a chain with several plush hotels near Dubrovnik.
Location-wise, the most enticing are Hotel Excelsior (Frana Supila 12) and Grand Villa
Argentina (Frana Supila 14)—which are a scenic 10-minute walk outside the Plo č e Gate,
east of the Old Town—as well as the Hotel Bellevue (described in the next section). For
top-of-the-top luxury lodgings without regard for the price tag, browse their options at
www.adriaticluxuryhotels.com (figure a peak-season rack rate of Db-€500-600—but you'll
rarely pay that much).
Near Boninovo Bay
BoninovoBay(boh-NEE-noh-voh)isyourbestbetforanaffordableandwell-locatedhotel.
Above this bay are Dubrovnik's only three-star hotels within walking distance of the Old
Town (not to mention the city's only official youth hostel). These places offer slightly bet-
ter prices and closer proximity to the Old Town than the farther-out Lapad Bay resorts.
They're on or near the water, but don't have views of the Old Town (which is around the
bend).BoninovoBayisanuphill20-minutewalkorfive-minutebusridefromtheOldTown
(straight up Branitelja Dubrovnika). Once you're comfortable with the buses, the location
is great: Any bus that leaves the Pile Gate stops first at Boninovo Bay. You'll see the bay
on your left as you climb the hill, then get off at the stop after the traffic light (or stay on
bus #4, which stops even closer to the hotels). To reach the hotels from the Boninovo bus
stop, go up Pera Č ingrije (the busy road running along the top of the cliff overlooking the
sea). There's a super little bakery, Pekarnica Klas, on the right (across the street from Hotel
Bellevue).
$$$ Hotel Bellevue has a striking location, with its back against the cliff rising up from
Boninovo Bay and an elevator plunging directly to its own pebbly beach. Its 91 top-notch
rooms—all but two with sea views, many with balconies—offer upscale wood-grain eleg-
ance (standard Db-generally €250/€220, less Nov-April, very flexible rates, €50 more for
balcony, air-con, elevator, free guest computer and Wi-Fi, Pera Č ingrije 7, tel. [phone],
www.hotel-bellevue.hr , [e-mail] ).
$$$ Hotel R, a homey enclave with just 10 rooms, feels friendlier and less greedy than
all the big resort hotels. Well-run by the Rešetar family, it's a decent small-hotel value
(Sb-€90/€75/€60,Db-€140/€115/€90,closedNov-Easter,10percentmoreforbalcony,half-