Boninovo

Hotel Lero

★★★★★

Hotel Lero is the practical mid-range pick for travellers who want to walk to the Old Town without paying Old Town prices. It sits on Iva Vojnovića in the Boninovo area, about one point seven kilometres from the walls; the hotel describes the walk as around fifteen minutes along the Boninovo road with views over the sea and the cliffs toward Fort Lovrijenac. If you prefer not to walk, bus number 4 from the Pile Gate stops about a hundred metres from the hotel after four stops. The building itself is a 1970s structure, built in 1971 and opened in 1972, that was originally intended as a student dormitory but was never used as one, and it has been substantially updated since: superior and executive rooms were added in a new building in 2015, and the classic wing was fully renovated in 2018. Room types run from classic rooms to superior, executive and family rooms, so there are options for couples, friends and families with children. The facilities are better than most hotels at this price in the city: a seasonal outdoor pool, an indoor pool in an adults-only wellness area for an extra charge, two restaurants, Terra and Taj Mahal, and a piano bar. Parking is available outdoors when spaces allow, with a garage option for an extra charge, which matters in a city where parking is scarce and expensive. Miramare beach is about three hundred and fifty metres away, a five-minute walk downhill.

The location between the Old Town and Lapad works better than it looks on a map. The walk into the Old Town is a pleasant one, and in the evening you can walk back after dinner rather than queue for a taxi. Lapad's promenade and beaches are also close by bus, and Gruž harbour, where ferries to the islands leave, is a short ride away. Reception is staffed around the clock, which helps with early ferries and late flights.

Know what you are getting. This is a functional four-star, not a design hotel: the main building is from the 1970s, and room quality depends on which wing you are in, so it is worth paying for a superior or executive room in the newer building or a renovated classic room. The road outside is busy, so ask for a sea-facing room away from the street side. The outdoor pool is seasonal, and the indoor pool and wellness area are adults-only and cost extra. Hotel restaurants are convenient, but the Old Town and Lapad offer far more choice.

Who should stay: couples and friends on a budget who want to walk to the walls, families who need family rooms and parking, and travellers who want a pool without paying resort prices. It is a sensible base for three or four nights. If you want to be inside the walls, look at the Old Town boutiques; if you want a resort with beach and kids club, look at Babin Kuk.