With a knock-out view of Miramare Bay from its glass-walled lobby and sea views from all of its 91 guest rooms, the Hotel Bellevue lives up to its name. Rooms are designed in a neutral color palette and are decorated with natural wood details (headboard and desk), giving them a sleek, urban feel with modern comforts like WiFi and satellite TV.  All rooms have amazing views of the sea, and most have balconies. Splurge on this cliffside spot’s master suite, which boasts breathtaking views over Miramare Bay from the chic and spacious bedroom and living rooms. The starting room category is larger than in most Croatian hotels (rooms tend to be very small throughout the country) as are the bathrooms. Five couples rooms are located in their own wing of the hotel, allowing some privacy for travelers looking for some quiet. Paintings by two well-known Croatian artists, Fedor Džamonja and Željko Senečić, hang in all of the rooms as well. In addition to an indoor pool and private beach area, the hotel has a number of on-site bars and restaurants including Vapor and Nevera. The property is located a five-minute drive from the Old Town.

A royal villa in the early 1900s, this regal property once welcomed such illustrious guests as Elizabeth Taylor and Queen Elizabeth II. Now an elegant hotel, the Excelsior has an idyllic location just a 10-minute walk from the city center, and boasts beautiful views of the Old Town and Adriatic. Among the hotel’s additional perks is its private platform beach, located just a short walk from the hotel.

The Excelsior is large but not impersonal. The hotel consists of two buildings, the newer Towers and the Classic Building, both of which have received full renovations. Of its 159 rooms and suites, the best are the deluxe and executive options, which boast private terraces. The presidential and penthouse suites provide stately bedrooms, oversized common spaces and stunning panoramas of the Adriatic. Thanks to recent refurbishments, the interior décor feels sophisticated and sleek with appropriate pops of color throughout, such as rose-pink bed throws or canary yellow lounge chairs. All rooms are spacious, well-appointed and receive plenty of natural light.

The property features three restaurants, each with large terraces, and all offer a range of cocktails and wines (the best are the Croatian varietals). The spa and indoor pool are located on the lowest level.

Located a 15-minute walk from Diocletian’s Palace, the serene Hotel Park resides in a quiet and leafy neighborhood, just removed from the hubbub of the city. Stylishly renovated in 2015, the property has great service and a fabulous outdoor pool and lounge that provide a quiet alternative to the bustling Bacvice Beach below.

The hotel’s 72 rooms feature contemporary furnishings, Roberto Cavalli bath products and a neutral color scheme of brown and beige. The best accommodations boast balconies that face the sea and Split’s nearby islands. The family-friendly duplexes on the top floor can sleep up to five and include an extra half bath.

Hotel Park has a plethora of amenities, including a Priska Spa by Filomena (named after Diocletian’s wife and empress), restaurant, stylish bar, pool and small gym. For a special occasion, guests can arrange a tasting menu dinner and accompany the chef to a local farmer’s market to source the ingredients for their meal.

The sophisticated and elegant Ikador Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa has become one of the most desirable addresses in the Opatijia Riviera.

A two-minute walk from Korcula’s central area, the Lesic Dimitri Palace occupies a restored 18^th-century bishop’s residence. Today, the boutique property has five fully serviced suites (complete with kitchens and washing machines), each named after a place Marco Polo visited (Venice, China, Arabia, India, Ceylon).

The décor in the five residences follows a mostly white color palate, but each feature touches from the destination it is named for. The three-bedroom Venice suite is the largest, and boasts a stunning birdcage-like alcove, while the one-bedroom Arabia suite is draped in white silks and offers 360-degree views of the town and surroundings. While there are no communal hotel spaces, the rooms all have either a balcony or courtyard, so there is ample private space for lounging.

The hotel’s extensive LD Spa and its restaurant, which serves superb Croatian cuisine in a waterside setting, make the Lesic Dimitri a top choice for visitors touring the Croatian islands. There is no pool, but guests can walk across the street from the hotel to a rocky beach with crystalline waters. The town’s nightlife is centered on bars and restaurants down the alley from the hotel, but the Lesic Dimitri is set just far enough away that the only sounds guests will hear at night are the nearby church bells’ melodious chimes.

In 1703, brothers Ivan Petar, Juraj and Ivan Marchi built a stone chapel and castle as a last line of defense against pirates invading the desolate bays of western Solta. Today, the historic family home has been turned into a six-room boutique hotel overlooking the sleepy and sunbaked harbor of Maslinica.

Croatia tends to lack truly sophisticated design hotels, however the rooms here are modern, bright and spacious, if sparsely furnished. The charm comes from the building's ancient bones and stone windows that open to the intimate harbor below. The hotel also has a beautiful, serene pool and a terrace restaurant serving that serves seafood and updated Dalmatian classics.

Primely located in the region of Istria, Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery is a relaxed, yet refined estate surrounded by olive groves and vineyards.

Dubrovnik’s first luxury boutique hotel—and the only one within the city walls—is the Pucic Palace, which occupies a 17th century Baroque palace on one of the city’s prettiest squares, Gundulic Square, only steps from the city’s walls. The square was named after the famous poet Ivan Gundulic, and the hotel owners have made a great effort to honor Dubrovnik’s history and tradition with antique furnishings and artwork, while providing a supremely comfortable perch right in the center of the Old Town. The elegant four-story building houses only seventeen rooms and two suites, all of which feature olive wood parquet floors and stone walls and such modern amenities as air conditioning and high-speed internet. There are three restaurants within the Palace, including the brasserie-style Café Royal, the Razonoda Wine Bar and Defne, which offers al fresco dining. Guests have access to East West Banje beach, and the concierge will also arrange boat excursions and other activities and cultural tours.

Perched on a cliff outside of the historic town of Dubrovnik, the Villa Dubrovnik has been declared the most luxurious small hotel in Croatia after undergoing a full renovation a few years ago. Though there was a hotel in its place for sixty years, the property was completely rebuilt so regulars will recognize little more than the stunning location and a few preserved walls. If you arrive by sea, you will be struck by the simple modern beauty of the cantilevered glass and steel villa that climbs down the cliff into the sea. If you come by car, you will arrive above the building itself to a sea-facing and wood and glass box—an elevator that whisks you down to a terrace. Behind you is a cliff that has been covered in stone mosaics and ahead of you is the first level of the four-story villa, which has glass walls for uninterrupted sea views.

The fifty-six guest rooms all feature sea views and delicious details like oak paneled walls, teak decks and Italian linens. The aesthetic is sleek-yacht-meets-chic-loft with natural materials emphasizing the stunning views and just-right details such as curvy leather chaises, Italian lighting and furniture, hand woven wool rugs and well-selected art books. The hotel’s owner approved every inch of the property with more attention than many lavish on their own homes. All rooms have balconies and suites have sweeping terraces with Jacuzzis.

There’s a serene spa and an indoor pool as well as two restaurants and private bathing platform, where loungers and umbrellas are set up daily. It’s possible, too, to rent a private beach for the day, where you can have a small cove to yourself.

Housed in a preserved building from the 1930s, the 13-room Villa Orsula beautifully fuses historic elements with contemporary design and modern conveniences. Accommodations feature a mix of furnishings including Gothic-style windows, surrealist artworks and immaculate marble bathrooms. The result is a chic eclecticism that is unmistakably Dalmatian.

Deluxe rooms offer small stone balconies with space to lounge and views of Lokrum and the Old City. The Royal Suite is one of the best accommodations, thanks to a spacious living area and an extra half bath.

The boutique property has few amenities (although breakfast can be enjoyed from the comfort of one’s room), so guests can take advantage of the neighboring Excelsior’s spa, pool and private beach. Indagare Note: We have received complaints about the property's lack of service, so those staying at Villa Orsula should be prepared for a more do-it-yourself than cosseting experience.

Villa Orsula’s well-manicured grounds invite lingering (especially with a book from the lending library), and its terrace is a picturesque spot for dinner or drinks overlooking the water. The bar, set beside massive white stone arches, is another comfortable spot for a cocktail. Victoria Restaurant, which serves delicious Peruvian Adriatic fusion, has stunning views of the old city.