Lapad Bay

Hotel More

★★★★★

Hotel More, whose name simply means sea, is a seafront five-star on the Lapad peninsula, set on the slope above the water at the quieter end of Lapad Bay, and it has become one of the favourite addresses in Dubrovnik for couples. It opened in 2007 and is adults-only, for guests aged fourteen and over, which shapes the atmosphere: calm, grown-up and focused on the sea. Most rooms and suites have private balconies over the bay, and the terraces, restaurants and lobby bar are all oriented toward the view of the water and the islands. The signature space is unique in the city. During construction, the builders discovered a natural limestone cave in the rock under the hotel, and instead of filling it in, the owner preserved it as the Cave Bar More, spread over three levels and lit by hundreds of small lights, with a terrace at sea level for sunset drinks. It is reached by lift from the hotel or directly from the seafront path, and even in high summer the temperature inside stays pleasantly cool; the bar opens from March to November. There are two restaurants, Restaurant More for Mediterranean and international dishes on the terrace and Tramuntana for Mediterranean sharing plates, plus the Taraca lobby bar and a pool bar, a wellness and beauty studio and a renovated fitness room. The same group runs a small collection of villas and the restored Palace Natali, which houses its Natali Garden restaurant beneath Mount Srđ near the Old Town.

The Lapad setting is the point. The seafront promenade runs along the bay below the hotel, so you can walk to swimming spots, cafes and the long pedestrian street of Lapad without traffic, and the beaches of Babin Kuk and Lapad Bay are nearby. The Old Town is a short bus or taxi ride away, around fifteen minutes depending on traffic. Many couples base themselves here and treat the walls as a morning outing, returning for a swim and sunset at the cave bar.

The trade-offs: you are not within walking distance of the Old Town for most people, so expect to use buses or taxis, and the cost of the room is at the luxury end of the market. Adults-only means it does not work for families with young children. The swimming is from the rocks and platforms of the bay rather than a sandy beach. The cave bar is a public venue and can be busy in summer evenings with non-residents, so arrive early for the best sunset tables.

Who should stay: couples on honeymoon, anniversary or a romantic break, travellers who want a calm, sea-focused base with high service, and anyone who finds the Old Town too intense for a whole stay. Combine it with an early walls circuit, a boat to the Elaphiti islands from nearby Gruž, and dinner at the hotel terrace. Families should look at the Valamar hotels on Babin Kuk instead.