Babin Kuk

Sunny Dubrovnik by Valamar

★★★★★

Sunny Dubrovnik by Valamar, formerly known as Valamar Club Dubrovnik, is the simplest answer to a common question: where can a family stay in Dubrovnik without spending a fortune? It sits on the Babin Kuk peninsula at Iva Dulčića 38, among pine trees and a short walk from white-pebble beaches, and the old walled town is a short bus or taxi ride away. The hotel is built around families. Rooms come in standard and superior categories for two adults and a child up to four adults and two children, with park or sea views, and some rooms are pet-friendly. The outdoor pool has water slides, there is an indoor playroom and game room, and guests can use Maro World, Valamar's family entertainment centre of around eighteen hundred square metres, which the group calls the largest on the Adriatic. The Sunny All-Inclusive plan is the main draw: buffet breakfast, lunch, a snack and dinner, plus soft and hot drinks, beer, wine, spirits and cocktails at the Sunny bar and pool bar, which takes the stress and cost out of feeding children in a city where restaurant prices are high. A beach club sits on the nearby shore. Prices start at a level that is modest for Dubrovnik in season. The hotel is seasonal: Valamar's early booking offer for 2027 covers late April to late October, and it does not operate in the winter months, so this is a spring-to-autumn option only.

The all-inclusive model shapes the stay. It suits families who want to spend most of their time at the pool and beach, with the Old Town as an outing or two, and it removes daily decisions about where to eat. Couples and foodies will find the buffet repetitive and should either choose a half-board alternative or eat out in Lapad and the Old Town. Buses from Babin Kuk run regularly into the city and to Gruž harbour, and the walk along the Lapad seafront to the beaches and cafes of Lapad Bay is pleasant in the evening.

Know the trade-offs. This is a large, busy, family-oriented resort in peak season, with entertainment and noise to match; it is not a quiet retreat. Rooms are simple rather than stylish, and the standard rooms are the most basic in the Valamar Babin Kuk group. The pebble beaches are good but busy in July and August. Book early for school holidays, as family rooms sell out, and check what the all-inclusive covers at the time of booking.

Who should stay: families with young children on a budget, multi-generational groups who need rooms for up to six, and anyone who wants a predictable, easy holiday with the Old Town a short ride away. It is not for winter travellers, couples seeking romance or travellers who want to walk to the walls. For more comfort and a spa on the same peninsula, step up to Valamar Lacroma.