Pile Gate

Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik

★★★★★

If you want a big-brand, full-service hotel without a bus ride to the walls, the Hilton Imperial is the obvious choice. It stands on the hillside just above the Pile Gate, the main western entrance to the Old Town, with Fort Lovrijenac on its rock across the cove, so you can be on Stradun within a few minutes of leaving your room. The building is one of the city's historic grand hotels, dating from the era when Dubrovnik first became a fashionable resort, and it has been restored and extended under Hilton, which gives it a pleasing mix of period architecture outside and contemporary comfort inside. Rooms range from standard doubles and kings to executive rooms and suites, and the best of them have views across the Old Town and the Adriatic; it is worth paying for a sea or Old Town view, because the contrast with a city-side room is large. Facilities are the reason many people choose it over a smaller Old Town property: an indoor pool, a fitness room, a restaurant serving local specialities and international dishes with Croatian wines, a children's menu, and a lounge bar for cocktails, light bites and afternoon tea, with a terrace that looks straight at the walls. The other big practical advantage is parking. The Old Town is car-free and parking near the gates is scarce and expensive, while the Hilton has secure, covered on-site parking with valet and EV charging, for a daily fee. Buses to Lapad, Gruž and the airport coach stop at Pile, just below the hotel.

The location suits nearly every kind of trip. You can walk to the walls entrance at Pile in two minutes, start the circuit at opening, swim at the small beaches below Lovrijenac or at Šulići, and reach the cable car or the old harbour on foot. Pile is also the transport hub for the west of the city, so day trips and evening trips to Lapad and Gruž are easy. In the evening, the terrace bar is one of the most pleasant places in the city for a drink with the walls lit up in front of you.

The trade-offs: Pile is the busiest gate in the city, and the area outside the hotel is crowded with tour groups and buses in the middle of the day in summer. There is no outdoor pool or private beach; the indoor pool is fine for a swim but not for lounging in the sun, so beach days mean walking down to the coves or taking a boat to Lokrum. Prices are high in July and August, and parking adds to the bill. Book a view room, and ask for a room away from the street side if you are sensitive to noise.

Who should stay: first-time visitors who want a reliable international standard close to the Old Town, Hilton loyalty members, families who need connecting rooms and a children's menu, and drivers who need secure parking. Couples looking for more romance may prefer a smaller hotel inside the walls, and beach lovers a resort in Ploče or Lapad.