Royal Princess Hotel

Look, I’ve stayed at plenty of hotels in Dubrovnik, and honestly? Most of them are either tourist traps right in the Old Town or sterile chain places that could be anywhere. The Royal Princess Hotel is different though – it’s tucked away on Kardinala Stepinca, which sounds fancy but is actually this quiet residential street about ten minutes from all the craziness. You know what I mean by craziness if you’ve ever tried to drag luggage through those polished stone streets when three cruise ships have just docked.

What really got me about this place was how they’ve managed to feel properly luxurious without being stuffy. The lobby has this warm marble thing going on – not the cold, echoey kind you get in some five-star places, but something that actually makes you want to sit down with a coffee. And speaking of coffee, they do proper Croatian coffee, not just the international hotel chain stuff. The staff genuinely knows the city too, which is rarer than you’d think. When I asked about avoiding the crowds at the city walls, the concierge didn’t just hand me a generic map – he told me exactly which entrance to use at 8 AM and which cafés along Stradun actually have decent prices (spoiler: not many).

The rooms are what you’d expect from a 5-star, but with these little touches that show someone was actually thinking. The balcony in my room looked out over the residential area toward the sea – not the postcard Old Town view, but honestly more peaceful. You can hear the church bells in the morning instead of tour groups, and there’s something to be said for that. The beds are properly comfortable, not just expensive-looking, and the bathroom has one of those rainfall showers that actually works. I mean, the water pressure in Dubrovnik can be hit or miss, but they’ve got it figured out here. Only minor thing – and this is really minor – the air conditioning is a bit enthusiastic, but you can actually adjust it, unlike some places where you’re stuck with arctic or sweltering.

The location thing is interesting because you’re not in the thick of it, but you’re close enough that a quick walk gets you to Pile Gate, and there’s a bus stop literally around the corner if you want to explore further up the coast. Plus – and this matters if you’re renting a car – they actually have parking that doesn’t cost more than your dinner. The whole Lapad Peninsula area is pretty chill in the evenings, so you can grab a drink at one of the local spots without paying Old Town prices.

Honestly, after staying here, I get why it’s got a 9.1 rating. It’s not trying to be the flashiest place in town, but everything just works the way it should. The kind of place where you can actually relax instead of constantly feeling like you need to be somewhere else. If you’re planning a Dubrovnik trip and want somewhere that feels like a proper retreat from the tourist circus – but doesn’t leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere – this is probably your spot.