Hi,
In researching my oncoming trip to Croatia, I've come to a blank for Dubrovnik hotel accommodation. Have been checking the various websites and seem to be able to find either expensive hotels or private apartments with very mixed reviews.This forum has come up trumps for me before. I'm needing just two nights in mid September. Happy with clean backpacker style or modest friendly clean hotel, in Dubrovnik not outlying areas and islands. Any inspiration welcome.

Most people visiting Dubrovnik would want to stay in the old city - cars not allowed inside. Will you have a car? If so, you will either need to deal with parking it outside the walls at a lot somewhere...or stay outside the old city.

There are very few proper "hotels" in the old city. In Croatia, it's very common to stay in "guesthouses" and "B&Bs" - both may be referred to as "sobe" (private rooms) and even apartments. I highly recommend doing so in Dubrovnik - it's a great option. If you don't have a car, one place I stayed years ago was Edi's Sea View Rooms, right outside the Pile Gate to the old town, but I didn't have a car when staying there; if you have one I'm not sure where you'd park it. The place wasn't really that nice and felt a bit overpriced, but the location was great and you are paying for that.

Try Booking.com to find places and use the map feature. They have plenty of non-hotel options on there nowadays. Read the reviews carefully. Some of these places in the old city require you to climb a hundred steps up. Pile Gate is pretty flat and few/no steps if you stay around there.

Another option - better if you have a car - is to stay in nearby Lapad and take a bus into the old city. I did this last week on a driving trip when I stopped in Dubrovnik. The hotel (Hotel Sumratin) was only about 32 Euros/night (plus 5 Euros/night to park) and it was a quick bus ride into the city, and buses run pretty late. (It wasn't a very nice hotel, but for me the price was right and it worked fine.) September is still a fairly busy time in Dubrovnik so prices may be higher than what I paid.

FYI, I noticed on my recent trip that prices on Booking.com tended to drop closer to day of check-in if the places weren't that full. Most of the places on Booking.com offer free cancellation (but read the cancellation policy carefully; occasionally a deposit will be charged but usually not). So you can book a place now to have something, then closer to arrival check again and maybe you'll find something better or cheaper and you can cancel/change it.

What is your budget? I have stayed in two apartments (Lavanda and Dubrovnik Center) offered these folks:

http://www.dubrovnikapartment-center...ent_center.htm

The owners Ivana and Stijepo are wonderful. I like the apartment in the old town (Dubrovnik Center) but I actually prefer the Lavanda and have stayed there on many occasions, including, actually, right now. It is outside the Ploce gate about 10 minutes easy walk from the old town. They have a sweet terrace with view of the old town.

Another rental I can recommend is this one:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/hr/apartman-gverovic.html

It is at the top of the old town, so there is some stair climbing involved when sightseeing, but getting luggage in and out is not too bad because you are fairly close to the Buza gate.

Happy planning.

Hi,

Many thanks for that advice. I will look into these places - always good to have some 'personal' recommendation. Will be coming from a couple of walking tours so hopefully will be fit for a bit of stair climbing! I won't have a car so the Old Town or close to sounds OK - lovely to have communication from someone actually staying at a place as they write! Thanks again.

Hi Rialtogirl, thanks for posting about the Dubrovnik Apartments. Have a couple of questions if you don't mind? I am looking for June next year, two couples early 60's, do you think the Lavanda and Old Port apartments would be suitable? They appear to be in the same building, possibly sharing the terrace? I have only just started looking, have to idea of areas but have seen Plocè mentioned a few times, we will be there for 4 nights.

Appreciate any info you can share, thanks.

hi Maudie
I have stayed in both Lavanda and Old Port. Lavanda has a view, Old Port does not. They are in the same little building, with a huge terrace that you all can use. I can see the old town right now! Stijepo's (or maybe it is Ivana's) mother lives in the building alongside, she is very nice. It would be a great place for two couples because you would each have your own space. The apartments are on the small side but you will probably not be in them very much when you see the terrace.

If you plan to cook a lot of your own meals I would say that the kitchens here are not the best for that, they are good for making pasta and sandwiches (and storing wine and making coffee which is what I use them for). There are two markets and a great bakery (Babic) five minutes away.

I hope this helps, but do let me know if you have any additional questions.

Hi Rialtogirl,

Thanks so much for the info. No, wont be doing a lot of cooking just prefer to eat breakfast in, when we are traveling for sometime eating out becomes expensive and upsets the old bod! Sandwiches, or a pasta is about all we will manage as well. But I like that idea re: wine storage.

Just one other question I forgot to ask, how far a walk is it to the Old Town? I need to get a map! I have started looking on VRBO, Booking.com etc but there are sooooo many places it does your head in so it's nice to get a personal recommendation.

Hope you are having a great holiday, by the way.����

Sorry, I read back through the thread and you did say 10 mins easy walk. Are there cafes, restaurants close by - I keep thinking of things!

Alas I am not on holiday but it doesn't suck working and looking out at this view!

It is about 10 minutes to the Stradun... About 5 minutes to the Ploce gate. It's fairly flat, just a bit of an incline on the way back. There are several restaurants and cafes on the way to the Ploce gate. And walking back after dinner, when the cruise ship people are gone, is heavenly.

If you like pasta I can heartily recommend Storia, owned by the folks who own the booking.com apartment I referenced above. They have the yummiest pasta dish called stroganoff... Lots of other pastas... And pizza and salads too. The prices are very fair and the house wine excellent

My other two favorites here are Taj Mahal (Bosnian food) and Dvino wine bar. You can walk to all of these in about 15 minutes.

Well lucky you to be in such a lovely place even if you are working. Storia will be added to the list, house wine to be tested in depth. Taj Mahal for Bosnian food sounds like it should be Indian!

Thanks for recco's- apartments sound like they would be perfect for us. Thank you so much.

Last question, promise! Does the Terrace have any shade at all? Having spent too much time under the Aussie sun I have to be careful of my skin these days. Thanks Rialtogirl

There is a part of the terrace that is shaded by some grapevines growing on a trellis above, and a table under that. There is another larger table not under grapevines, right now it is shady there (9AM) but later in the day probably not. I will scope it out later this afternoon.

I was here in June 2012 and it was hot but I sat under that grapevine and it was fine...

Glad this thread is helping more people. Also to let you know Rialtogrl I have booked for the Dubrovnik Apartment Center - it's the only one they had available for my dates and feel really pleased that I have booked with them. Thanks heaps for your help. Also Andrew thanks for your clarification about sobes, etc. And
now, back to my Split search!

Do you mean you booked Lavanda and Old Port or the other one? Maybe it is too early for 2016 dates to be available yet... Dunno.

Thanks again, you have been such a big help. As long as I can escape the sun for a while that will be perfect.

Hope you have great stay Capeknappers, I will look forward to you reporting back.

Oops, sorry spelt your name wrong Capekidnappers, apologies.