Apartment Naval

Hotel Description

You know what struck me first about Apartment Naval? The address says “Old Town” but honestly, Za Rokom 5 is tucked away in this quiet pocket where you can actually hear yourself think – which is saying something in Dubrovnik during summer. I mean, you’re still within the ancient walls, but it’s like finding a secret corner that the cruise ship crowds somehow miss.

The thing about staying here is that you’re literally living like a local, not just visiting. There’s this little bakery about thirty seconds away where the owner – older Croatian woman who speaks three words of English but somehow communicates perfectly through pastry recommendations – makes these incredible burek that’ll ruin you for breakfast anywhere else. And honestly, after spending a week here, I started recognizing the same faces on my morning coffee runs. The apartment itself is what you’d expect from a solid 3-star place, nothing fancy but everything works properly. The shower has decent pressure (trust me, this matters after climbing those stone steps all day), and the kitchen actually has proper knives and a coffee maker that doesn’t require an engineering degree to operate.

What I really loved – and this might sound weird – is how quiet it gets at night. You’d think being in Old Town means constant noise, but Za Rokom is far enough from Stradun that you don’t get the late-night restaurant crowds stumbling past your window. Instead, you hear these subtle sounds that make you feel connected to the place: church bells in the morning, that satisfying echo of footsteps on ancient stone, sometimes the distant sound of someone playing guitar in one of the squares. The apartment’s windows are thick enough that you can sleep with them open, which is actually a luxury when you’re dealing with those warm Croatian nights.

Here’s the practical stuff nobody mentions in those glossy travel guides – parking is genuinely nightmarish in Dubrovnik, but the owner gave me specific instructions on where to find the closest garage and how to navigate there without getting stuck in the pedestrian zones. Check-in was refreshingly straightforward, none of that awkward waiting around in a lobby. And look, I’ll be honest about the downsides: the building is old (beautifully old, but still old), so don’t expect an elevator, and the WiFi gets a bit spotty during peak hours when everyone’s uploading their sunset photos. But that 9.2 rating? It’s earned. This place gets the balance right between authentic local experience and actual comfort, which is harder to find than you’d think in a city that’s been basically turned into a theme park for Game of Thrones fans.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $112. Studio with 1 single bed and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities