Dubrovnik Travel Guide
Where to Stay in Dubrovnik
The base decision that shapes the trip — inside the walls, the cliffside hotels of Ploče, the beach resorts of Lapad and Babin Kuk, or the harbour town of Cavtat — matched to trip types, with this guide's seven hotels placed.
Dubrovnik's hotel map is simple once you see it, and the choice comes down to one question: do you want to be inside the walled city, beside it, or on the beach with the city as a day trip? Each answer has a district, and each district has its trade-offs. Here is how to choose.
The Old Town (inside the walls). Sleeping inside the walls is a special experience: you can walk the ramparts at opening, step out for an early market coffee on Gundulić Square, retreat in the heat of the day, and come back out in the evening when the day visitors have gone. The trade-offs are real, though. There are few true hotels, most rooms are in historic buildings with variable sizes and many stairs, there is no car access, and summer nights can be lively near the bars. The Pucić Palace is the grand choice, a seventeenth-century noble palace by the market square with heritage rooms, two restaurants and porterage from the gates. Many visitors also rent apartments in the Old Town; if you do, check the number of steps to the door.
Ploče (east of the walls). Ploče is the elegant hillside and coastal district just outside the Ploče Gate, and it is the sweet spot for most couples and first-timers who can afford it. The hotels here look straight across the water at the Old Town and Lokrum, and many have their own beach platforms, pools and spas. The Hotel Excelsior, five minutes on foot from the walls, is the classic grand hotel, with a 1913 villa, a beach on the rocks and the best terrace view in town. Further east in the Sveti Jakov area, Villa Dubrovnik is the small, romantic, cliff-hung option, recently redesigned, with every room facing the sea. Ploče is also home to Banje beach and the cable car's lower station. Its drawback is the hill: some properties involve steep walks or steps, and the further east you go, the more you rely on taxis or hotel transport.
Pile and Boninovo (west of the walls). Just outside the Pile Gate is the main transport hub, with buses to every part of the city and the airport, and the area along the coast toward Boninovo has cliffside hotels and apartments. The Hotel Bellevue sits here above Miramare Bay, with its own pebble cove and sunsets over the open sea, about twenty minutes on foot or a short bus ride from the gate. This side of town is good for travellers who want sea views and easy transport without Ploče prices.
Lapad and Babin Kuk (the resort peninsulas). West of the Gruž harbour, the Lapad and Babin Kuk peninsulas are Dubrovnik's beach and resort districts, with a pedestrian promenade along Lapad Bay, pine woods, walking paths and most of the city's larger hotels. They are the best base for families and longer stays: beaches are on the doorstep, pools and space are easier to find, prices are lower than in Ploče, and the Gruž harbour, where island boats and day tours depart, is close by. The Old Town is fifteen to twenty-five minutes away by frequent city bus. The Hotel Kompas is the good-value beachfront choice on the Lapad promenade, and the Dubrovnik Palace is the full-service resort at the tip of the peninsula, with pools, spa and wide sunset views.
Cavtat (twenty kilometres south). Cavtat is a pretty, much calmer harbour town near the airport, and some travellers prefer it to the city itself. In season, small boats run from its harbour to Dubrovnik's old port, and buses and taxis use the coast road all year. The Hotel Croatia, on a pine-wooded peninsula next to the town, is the resort choice here, with sea views, pools and a spa. Cavtat is ideal for longer, slower stays, for families who want space, and as a base for day trips into Montenegro. Its drawback is the evening: getting back from dinner in the Old Town needs planning around boat and bus times.
Matching base to trip. For a short first visit of two or three nights, stay in the Old Town or Ploče: the Pucić Palace for history, the Excelsior for luxury with a beach, Villa Dubrovnik for a romantic escape. For couples who want sunsets and swimming, choose the Bellevue or Villa Dubrovnik. For families, choose Lapad: the Kompas for value and the beach on the doorstep, the Dubrovnik Palace for pools and space. For longer stays mixing beaches, islands and day trips, Lapad or Cavtat. A split stay works well too: two nights inside or beside the walls, then two or three nights at a beach resort.
Apartments, transport and the stairs test. Private apartments are a huge part of Dubrovnik's accommodation, especially in the Old Town and on the hillsides above Ploče and Pile, and they can be excellent value, but two questions decide whether one will work for you. First, how many steps are there from the nearest road to the door? In parts of the city the answer is in the hundreds. Second, how far is the nearest bus stop? The city bus network is cheap and frequent, and a home near a stop on the Lapad or Pile lines is far more practical than a cheaper one at the top of a hill. Hotels avoid both problems, which is part of what you pay for.
Seasonal notes. Many coastal resort hotels in Dubrovnik are seasonal and close or scale back over the winter, typically reopening in spring, while some city hotels stay open all year; check before booking a December to February trip. In July and August, book well ahead, especially for Old Town and Ploče sea-view rooms, and expect minimum stays at peak weekends. May, June, September and early October offer the best balance of warm sea, open facilities and more reasonable rates.