Second and last stop on my Croatian trip: Dubrovnik, where I’ll be staying at the Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel.

As a reminder, here is the list of articles related to this trip.

Booking

I booked a standard room via the Marriott app at a rate of 166 euros per night. Using the application guaranteed that if I found a lower price through another channel, the price would be aligned.

Location of the hotel

The Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel is located outside the city (as was Le Méridien in Split). In any case, there aren’t really any hotels close to the city’s touristic center.

The historic and touristic city center can be reached by bus (an option I didn’t try) or easily by Uber in about twenty minutes for a very modest price.

The good news is that it’s between the city and the airport from or to which the journey also takes no more than twenty minutes, with no risk of traffic jams.

Arrival at the hotel and check-in

So I arrive at the hotel from the airport by Uber, and there’s my first surprise. I was expecting an “old” Sheraton, as we don’t like them too much, and from the looks of it, this one seems to have been recently renovated. In fact, I learned later that it wasn’t renovated, but almost new, as it was only 3 years old.

A bellman takes my luggage and I check in at the counter.

Excellent welcome. As I had already checked in on the mobile app, everything was ready and formalities were completed quickly.

The agent apologizes for not being able to offer me a nice upgrade as the hotel is full due to a conference. But he assures me that he has given me the “best room available”. We’ll see. 24 hours later, however, the inventory of available rooms would have been radically different.

Deluxe room at the Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel

So I make my way to my Deluxe room, crossing my fingers that at the very least it will have a decent view.

At first glance, although it’s not necessarily obvious, the room is large, even for a Deluxe.

In fact, as the building arcs around the pool, it’s wider at the entrance than at the glass door opening onto the pool.

The decor is, let’s say, acceptable (I’m not a fan of the patterns on the carpet). Let’s just say it’s tasteful and neutral (but a far cry from Dubai’s Sheraton Grand…).

I especially appreciate the large desk, as I’m noticing more and more often that some “leisure”-oriented hotels no longer provide work spaces worthy of the name (like the Méridien Split or the Renaissance Bordeaux, for example).

The bathroom features a shower and bathtub!

It’s brand new and clean, nothing to complain about.

Near the French window in the small lounge area I find a nice welcome gift with a note.

And while we’re on the subject of the French window, I’m sure you’re wondering what it’s hiding….

Well, I’ll find a little terrace area, and I don’t know whether to be pleased that it’s in the shade or sorry that it’s not in the sun.

From here I enjoy a beautiful view of the marina, the surrounding mountains, the beach and the hotel swimming pool.

For a “mini” upgrade I’m more than satisfied, if only because I avoid a room on a low floor or with a view of the road or even without a sea view. And as for the size, it’s more than comfortable for a Deluxe.

And, to finish, the traditional video visit.

Pool, beach, gym and spa

As you can see from the view from your room, the Sheraton Dubrovnik has a very large outdoor swimming pool.

Afterwards, I have the same thought as in Split: in high season, it must be just the right size, and finding a deckchair at peak times may not always be easy.

And at night it’s just as pretty.

There is also a beautiful indoor swimming pool next to it:

Pour accéder à la plage il faut…sortir de l’hôtel. This is the hotel’s own beach, but there is a small pedestrian street between the two. Pedestrian street where you’ll find one of the hotel’s bars and restaurants, as well as others that are independent.

To get in and out of the hotel to go to the beach, you need to use your key. Small detail: only the “physical” key works, not the key you can load into your cell phone. I made the mistake once…

To be honest, the beach is nice but nothing exceptional.

I’m already not a fan of pebble beaches, and here, on top of that, because of the marina, you can’t stray too far from the shore because of the boats.

In short, the pool will be more than enough for me…

The hotel also features a beautiful spa. I didn’t try any of the treatments, but happily enjoyed the facilities. First good point: the spa is very bright, with large bay windows overlooking the pool.

As you can see, a huge Jacuzzi stands in the middle of the spa.

There are also not one but two saunas, large, clean and brand-new.

And last but not least, the hammam!

Here again, everything is in impeccable condition.

Bottom line: a bright, spacious spa, impeccably maintained and clean, where I’ve often spent time relaxing with a good book after a workout. This is undeniably one of the hotel’s major strengths.

And while we’re on the subject of the gym: it’s adjacent to the spa, so it’s also bright, with a view of the outside. And that’s its main quality.

It’s rather small and not very well equipped. As soon as there are 4 or 5 people, they step on each other’s toes. The mats are worn and as thin as cigarette paper. This is a world away from Meridien Split.

Hotel bars and restaurants

To be totally honest, and given the profusion of excellent restaurants in Dubrovnik (to be discovered in the other articles in this series), I didn’t spend too much time testing the hotel’s “food and beverage”.

That said, I did hang around the bar a bit…which, as you can see, is not very busy at this time of year.

Efficient service, a barman very knowledgeable about whiskies and a fairly extensive menu. That’s all I need.

The hotel has several restaurants, including an Italian one. It’s located on the small street between the hotel and the beach, in a small cottage built well before the hotel was built. I suppose that when the hotel was built, some of the existing buildings in the area were retained.

My dinner will consist of croquettes and fish en papillottes and, to finish, a lemon tart.

The service was excellent, and the food very good too. You can dine there with your eyes closed, and it’s a useful address if you arrive at the end of the day and don’t feel like exploring the city, or if you’re feeling tired one evening.

But given the quality of the restaurants in town, I think hotel restaurants are just a fallback solution if you need to.

Check-out

Check-out on the mobile app and direct departure without having to go through the reception again. Fast and efficient.

The service

Nothing to complain about, the staff are efficient and friendly.

Bottom line

The Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel is a very good, relaxing resort in a beautiful setting just outside the city. The infrastructures are new and of high quality.

It’s a great place to mix discovering Dubrovnik and relaxing.

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