Sunny Palace Apartments

Hotel Description

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first pulled up to Sunny Palace Apartments on Ulica kardinala Stepinca, I wasn’t expecting much from a 3-star place. But you know what? Sometimes the best surprises come in unassuming packages, and this little gem actually won me over pretty quickly.

The thing about this location is that it’s in Lapad, which honestly might be the best-kept secret for staying in Dubrovnik. You’re maybe a 15-minute bus ride from the Old Town madness (and trust me, it gets absolutely insane in summer), but you’re also walking distance to some decent beaches that aren’t completely overrun with cruise ship crowds. The street itself is pretty quiet – I mean, you’ll hear the occasional car, but nothing like the chaos you’d deal with closer to the historic center. Plus, there’s actually parking here, which… well, if you’ve ever tried to park anywhere near Dubrovnik’s walls, you know that’s basically a miracle.

The apartments themselves are clean and functional – nothing fancy, but everything works. The AC was a godsend during those sweltering July afternoons, and the little kitchenette was perfect for making coffee in the morning or storing some of those amazing Croatian pastries from the bakery down the street. Actually, that bakery became part of my daily routine – the smell of fresh bread would drift up around 7 AM, which is honestly not a bad way to wake up. The staff at Sunny Palace are genuinely helpful too, not just going through the motions. When I couldn’t figure out the bus schedule to Cavtat, the woman at reception actually walked outside with me to show me exactly where to catch it.

What really sealed the deal for me was the whole vibe of staying in a more residential area. You get to see how locals actually live – kids playing in the small park nearby, elderly folks having their evening coffee at the neighborhood café, that sort of thing. It’s a completely different experience from being trapped in the tourist bubble. The 8.4 rating makes perfect sense to me because this place delivers exactly what it promises without any pretense. Sure, you won’t have a rooftop pool or marble bathrooms, but you’ll sleep well, save some money, and actually feel like you’re in Croatia rather than some generic resort town. The bus connections are solid (Route 6 becomes your best friend), and when you do venture into the Old Town, you’ll appreciate having this peaceful spot to retreat to when the crowds and heat become too much.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $153. Superior Studio Apartment with 1 single bed and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Superb – Danial from United Kingdom – 5 July 2025 (9/10)

  The properly looked really nice clean and convenient location wise with shops/ beaches/ food spots minutes walk away. Loved how the property looked from the inside and would recommend for anyone
  
  What could be improved: Washing machine was out of order unfortunately but that’s all rest was all fine

• Superb – Tea from Finland – 24 June 2024 (9/10)

  Stayed in the top floor, had an amazing view from the terrace! Studio was nice and clean, perfect for my stay. It’s located close to all the shops and restaurants. Host was very friendly aswell!

• Superb – Christian from United Kingdom – 14 June 2024 (9/10)

  Great

• Good place – Amal from United Kingdom – 5 June 2025 (9/10)

  It is a good-sized studio, light colour and beautiful decoration, sunny, air conditioner in the room, kitchen with basic things that we need , not far from the beach , many restaurants close by
  
  What could be improved: For me, nothing that I don't like, but it is on the 3rd floor with a long staircase so I will say not convenient for old people with knee problems or heart conditions

• Doesn’t give clear instructions to guests – Renato from Peru – 27 April 2024 (7/10)

  Great location in Lapad.
  
  What could be improved: The instructions to get into the apartment were not given in advance, and it was stated someone would be waiting for us, which wasn’t the case. We needed to call customer service to be able to get the keys. Moreover, when leaving we left the keys in the apartment door as instructed, but it seemed the host thought we kept the main door key and sent very rude messages before checking the facility.

• Exceptional property, host and location. – Victoria from United Kingdom – 10 August 2023 (10/10)

  A fantastic stay in a beautiful studio: has everything you need to be comfortable and safe. The self check in is very convenient and the host was available to answer questions throughout. Under ten minutes walk to the beach, two minutes to the supermarket and lots of nice places to eat.
  The host was extremely accommodating of all requests. Fully recommend.
  
  What could be improved: No issues at all.

• We were satisfied with the rest and the value for money) – Anastasiia from Austria – 8 August 2023 (10/10)

  Everything was great in the apartment, the room was spacious and clean, there were no problems during the 10-day stay. The owner was very friendly and always ready to help!

• Avoid – Heyson from Australia – 24 September 2024 (4/10)

  The room and location is quite nice
  
  What could be improved: While the rooms at this property are quite nice, our overall experience was severely overshadowed by unpleasant interactions with the owner, leading to a very uncomfortable stay.
  
  First, we were provided with unclear check-in instructions, resulting in us picking up the wrong keys and entering the incorrect room. It’s worth noting that similar incidents have been mentioned in previous reviews. Upon realizing the mistake, the owner confronted us aggressively, using extremely inappropriate and offensive language, including remarks like, "You're in the wrong f****** room," and "What the f*** are you doing?" He even falsely accused us of inappropriate behavior in the room, which was both disturbing and completely untrue.
  
  After relocating to the correct room, the following morning, after we checked out at 10 a.m., I received another aggressive phone call around 4pm from the owner. He demanded to know, "Where the f*** are you?" and angrily asked, "Where are the f****** keys?" Despite leaving the keys in the designated spot, he was unable to find them, blaming us in a highly confrontational manner.
  
  In summary, despite the quality of the rooms, I strongly advise against staying here due to the host’s disrespectful and abusive behavior (especially as he lives next door to one of the rooms). Unfortunately, we are not the first guests to experience such treatment, as reflected in other reviews.

• Terrible experience with the extremely rude host, would not recommend. – Orla from Ireland – 3 July 2023 (1/10)

  Close to the beach and the shops.
  
  What could be improved: There was a miscommunication with the host about the key to the apartment. I rang the host (on the number left available). He was not only insulting and shouted down the phone at me for waking him up from his nap (I don't know how I was supposed to know this), He eventually let me into the building and continued to shout in my face, "f**king stupid b**tch" repeatedly. I was staying here alone and was in the area for work. It made me feel uncomfortable and unsafe for the rest of my stay. There were also stains on the bed sheets, and the wifi was non-existent.

• Jätte bra, rekommenderar – Lina from Sweden – 27 May 2025 (9/10)

  Fräscht, jätte bra läge 5 min till main street och strand, massor med restauranger och nära till gamla stan. Överlag jätte rent och stort, allt du behöver finns där! Man kan hänga sina kläder och handdukar utanför, man kan öppna fönstret och får en jätte bra utsikt. Det finns glas, tallrikar, bestick, stekpanna, spis, brödrost och vattenkokare. Man får även handdukar
  
  What could be improved: Terrassen är inte jätte privat då den är vid ingången till båda lägenheterna, men den var stor och går att få privat eftersom att det inte är många som går där

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