JJWork1 - when did you visit Croatia? I'm interested as I had a very different experience. There were tons of restaurants (and you could identify them on the exterior) and there were few tourists.

<< A 3* or 4 * hotel in Crotia is not the same as in USA. >>

Of course it's not the same - Croatia is a different country. According to Travel and Leisure magazine, even the US doesn't have a unified star rating.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/5-star-bummer

There's lots of information on European star ratings; it's based on amenities rather than quality of the rooms, decor, staff, etc.

If you mean that the hotel bathrooms did not have toilet paper, you should have asked for some.

BTW - hotels in Croatia do not allow irons in the rooms. If you want something ironed you must use the laundry service.

How is any town not "authentic?"

"Authentic" meaning it hasn't been changed by tourism, industry or too much modern architecture.

or, I guess, bombing, earthquake etc ....

Yes the cruise ships are terrible and I'd avoid August on principle