Pile / west of the Old Town

Rixos Premium Dubrovnik

★★★★★

Rixos Premium Dubrovnik is the choice for travellers who want full resort facilities but still want to walk or take a short ride to the Old Town. It is built in terraces down the cliffs on Liechtensteinov put, west of the Pile Gate, on the site of the former Hotel Libertas, and the hotel puts the distance to the Old Town at about one and a half kilometres. Almost everything faces the sea, and the views across to Lokrum and the open Adriatic are the main event. The scale is generous: there are nine room types and five suite categories, from classic rooms up to a presidential suite, and most of the better rooms have sea-view balconies. The leisure facilities are the most complete in the city centre. The Anjana Spa covers two thousand square metres over two floors, with a Turkish hammam, saunas, an ice igloo, a tea lounge and a heated indoor spa pool. Down at sea level, Libertas Beach offers direct swimming from a wooden platform, and Mykorini has an outdoor freshwater pool and loungers, while a supervised outdoor pool serves children. There are four restaurants, the Turquoise buffet, Umi teppanyaki, Libertas Fish and the Greek-themed Mykorini with shows, and three bars, along with a fitness centre, sports activities, a kids club and the only casino in the city. Some outlets are seasonal: Mykorini and Libertas Fish run from May to September, weather permitting. The hotel stays open beyond summer and hosts festive events over New Year, which makes it one of the better full-service options for an off-season stay.

The location is a compromise that works well for many people. You are not inside the walls, but the walk to the Pile Gate along the road takes around twenty minutes, buses pass on the main road above, and taxis are quick. In return you get space, pools, a spa and sea swimming without leaving the hotel, which matters in July and August when the Old Town is hot and crowded. Many guests spend their mornings in the Old Town and afternoons at the sea platforms.

The trade-offs: the hotel is big and busy in summer, and the terraced layout means lifts and stairs between levels. Some restaurants require booking and change concepts from season to season, and the seasonal outlets close in winter. The platforms are rocky swimming, not a sandy beach, so it suits confident swimmers best. Prices are at the higher end of the market, and extras such as spa treatments and à la carte dining add up quickly.

Who should stay: families who want a kids club and supervised pool close to the Old Town, couples who want a spa break with the walls nearby, and anyone travelling in the shoulder season or winter who still wants pools and a spa. For a more intimate stay, look at the boutique hotels inside the walls; for a quieter, greener setting, consider Lapad or Babin Kuk.