Hotel Podstine

Rooms

The hotel is built into a hillside, so the higher the room the better your view. Rooms are spread between the main hotel and a newer lodge building, 15m away. Granted, they are not the height of chic, but they’re clean, functional and peaceful. The layout and format remains consistent across the board, so it’s the size and balcony view that determine the rates (you’re paying extra for those views).

In the main hotel, the Superior rooms have sea views and small balconies. Standard rooms do not have a sea view, but some have side- or rear-facing balconies. The compact Economy rooms lack balconies and overlook the street; perhaps best if you're on a budget. We stayed in a Superior Exclusive, most of which are on the second or third floor. Ours had a huge balcony framing views of the sea and islands beyond - worth nabbing if there's one free (and you can afford it).

The newer lodge building is located out back, overlooking the car park. Rooms in this building get less natural light and are a tad cramped (although top-floor rooms get impressive sea views). Both the Standard and Superior rooms here have small balconies with partial sea views; Superiors are a little larger, but all lodge rooms have a sofabed.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Minibar/fridge
• WiFi

Eating

For dinner, the Amo restaurant serves Italian-style pasta dishes and Dalmatian seafood. Tables are set up in the stunning garden, on beautifully lit terraces overlooking the sea. Discreetly placed amid lush plants, you’d never guess there are over 100 settings. Now and then, special themed evenings are held, such as ‘Star Night’ (live alfresco piano music) and wine-tasting (local grapes to a soundtrack of heady jazz music).

At the bottom of the garden, overlooking the sea, two funky wooden beach bars serve up cocktails throughout the day (they close around 11pm to keep the hotel peaceful). We made the most of the afternoon ‘Happy Hour’ then took the hotel shuttlebus into town.

Hvar Town’s buzzy restaurants are really upping the local foodie scene. We tried Black Pepper, where candle-lit tables tumble down the ivy-draped walk-way outside. The contemporary Croatian cuisine was to die for. Afterwards, stick around to enjoy the vibrant late-night drinking and dancing scene.

At breakfast the indoor buffet offers lots of choice. We enjoyed some nice breads and oven-warm croissants, but many of the options were packaged (plastic yoghurts, tinned fruit salad). The dining room is rather characterless, so guests tend to head out to the patio. Lunch is also served, though most guests are on the beach by then.

Features include:

• Minibar/fridge
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Hvar Town is rich in monuments, including a 16th-century cathedral overlooking a magnificent piazza (the largest in Dalmatia), a 17th-century municipal theatre (the oldest public theatre in Europe) and a hilltop castle. It's 5 minutes away by hotel minibus or a 20-minute walk along the sea path
  
• Be sure to check out the nearby Pakleni islets' beaches, reached by regular taxi boats from Hvar Town. If you want an all-over tan, Jerolim and Stipanska are devoted to nudism
  
• Day charter a sailing boat or a motorboat to explore the Dalmatian coast and islands; skippers are also available
  
• The sea is ideal for scuba diving and the hotel has an on-site Viking Diving Centre. Expect excellent visibility, a stunning variety of fish, coral reefs, ancient shipwrecks and amphorae
  
• For Hvar nightlife, try the exquisite Veneranda, set in pinewoods in the grounds of a former monastery above the sea, for drinking and dancing by a pool. Carpe Diem hosts club nights on a neighbouring island, with taxi boats leaving at midnight and returning at 4am
  
• Hvar Island is renowned for its excellent wines - try Tomic in Jelsa, for tastings
  
• Back at the hotel, there's a seaside sunbathing terrace, with a ladder into the sea and a 'Spalmaris' wellness centre with sauna, Jacuzzis, a pool and treatments

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Nightlife
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Snorkelling
• Wine tasting

Kids

Children are welcome and it's great for older kids, who will love all the water activities and be able to cope with the many steps, slopes and rocky waterfronts.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

We'd recommend the Superior Exclusive room in the main hotel as it is able to fit an additional bed and a baby cot.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hotel Podstine is 1.5km west of Hvar Town, on Hvar Island, Dalmatia.

By Air:
Split has the best ferry connections, or you can try Dubrovnik.

By Ferry from Split or Dubrovnik
From Split airport, take a taxi to the port, then a ferry (1.5-2 hrs) or catamaran (50 mins) to Hvar.
From Dubrovnik there is a catamaran to Hvar port (4 hrs) via Mljet and Korcula - see Krilo.

On the Island
Once in Hvar Town, you can get to the hotel via the hotel minibus, a boat-taxi (the hotel has a small jetty), a hire scooter or on foot (20 minutes' walk). You probably won't need a car - the town is nearby, and there are buses to Stari Grad and Jelsa - but if you do hire one, secure private parking is available at the hotel.

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.