5 Best Hotels in Northern Dalmatia, Croatia

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We've compiled the best of the best in Northern Dalmatia - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

THE BEST HOTEL IN NORTHERN DALMATIA

Villa Nai 3.3

$$$$ | Žman 199, Žman, 23282, Croatia
Fodor's Choice

FODOR’S EXPERT REVIEW

Privacy and peace are abundant at this family-run island haven, featuring eight luxurious rooms and suites with outdoor terraces that overlook panoramic views of the surrounding olive groves or the Adriatic Sea. The water, as well as the nearest island of Krknata, are at least partially visible from five of its eight rooms, all of which come with floor-to-ceiling windows, spacious bathrooms with chic marble finishes, and deliciously comfortable king beds.

The onsite restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner that utilize local ingredients and produce grown on the property: The freshly-squeezed apple juice tastes like it’s straight from an apple orchard, the homegrown arugula is firm to the teeth, and the fish preserves the taste of the sea. The olive trees that populate the nearby hills are used to produce robust, award-winning olive oil onsite, which makes an excellent companion to your bread.

Excursions to the nearby Kornati islands—an absolute must while on Dugi Otok—can be seamlessly arranged, as well as a complimentary transfer to and from the nearby Zaglav Port (request in advance). The spa is petite, but the resident massage therapist packs a healthy punch, and the olive paste used in the treatments provides face-tingling pleasure.

Pros

  • Excellent fine-dining available onsite
  • Proximity to the Kornati Islands and Telašćica Nature Park
  • Congenial staff

Cons

  • Prices that match the luxury
  • Small spa and fitness facility
  • Limited shopping and amenities in the nearby villages
Žman 199, Žman, 23282, Croatia
091-303–0461
Hotel Details
8 rooms and suites
Free Breakfast
No children under 12

Quick Facts

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Art Hotel Kalelarga

$$$ | Majke Margarite 3, Zadar, Croatia Fodor's Choice

Carefully curated modern furnishings create tremendous relief after a day of hustling through Zadar’s narrow streets. Enjoy fine materials and plush bedding in rooms that, while not exceptionally spacious, are designed to feel so. The restaurant excels in wine selection and sophisticated desserts, and even though it’s one of the most well-regarded restaurants in town, the prices are approachable.

Pros

  • Excellent restaurant
  • One of the few hotels in the Old Town
  • Good off-season packages

Cons

  • Atmosphere can be stuffy
  • Pricey
  • Busy in summer
Majke Margarite 3, Zadar, Croatia
023-233–000
Hotel Details
10 rooms
Free Breakfast

Quick Facts

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Hotel Bastion

$$ | Bedemi Zadarskih Pobuna 13, Zadar, 23000, Croatia Fodor's Choice

Elegant, with artistic decoration and a refined ambience, Hotel Bastion offers a chic respite for travelers with a taste for sophistication. The hotel is high-tech, with “smart-room technology” that controls amenities via a digital display and excellent Wi-Fi. Take a trip (or several) to the deluxe spa and pamper your well-heeled traveling feet in a Kneipp foot bath. Eat at the hotel’s internationally renowned slow-food restaurant while watching ferries cross the bay from your perch on one of two terraces.

Pros

  • Perhaps the best slow-food restaurant in the country
  • Location in the Old Town
  • Stylish interiors

Cons

  • Small, so often fully booked in high season
  • Old Town is pedestrian-only and parking nearby can be problematic
  • Guests pay to use the spa
Bedemi Zadarskih Pobuna 13, Zadar, 23000, Croatia
023-494–950
Hotel Details
27 rooms
Free Breakfast

Quick Facts

  • $$

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Almayer Art & Heritage Hotel

$$$ | Braće Bersa 2, Zadar, Croatia

Nestled into the historic Old Town, this family-owned boutique hotel in a 19th-century building preserves its historical character and has a modern, open, and artistic feel. Highlights include a glass-covered porch, a stone-wall-enclosed garden and terrace, uniquely decorated rooms, and hallways that serve as galleries for rotating art exhibits. The Almayer is within 500 meters of Zadar’s most prominent landmarks and a 10-minute walk to the beach.

Pros

  • Beautiful interior and courtyard
  • Green space
  • Close to attractions and the beach

Cons

  • Limited rooms, so often fully booked in high season
  • Parking can be problematic
  • Blankets on the small size
Braće Bersa 2, Zadar, Croatia
023-335–357
Hotel Details
16 rooms
Free Breakfast

Quick Facts

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Hotel Rajna

$ | Dr. Franje Tuđmana 105, Starigrad, 23244, Croatia

On an isolated stretch of the main road just before you enter Starigrad from the south—and close to the national park access road—this friendly little hotel is a bit concrete-boxish in appearance but offers not only a splendid view of the mountains to the east and clean, spacious (though not quite sparkling and modern) rooms, but also a restaurant with carefully prepared, scrumptious seafood fare.

Pros

  • Pleasantly isolated spot near park-access road
  • Fine mountain views
  • Good on-site dining

Cons

  • 15-minute walk from the village center
  • Bland on the outside
  • Rooms a tad worn
Dr. Franje Tuđmana 105, Starigrad, 23244, Croatia
023-359–121
Hotel Details
10 rooms
Free Breakfast

Quick Facts

  • $

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