Hotel Excelsior in Dubrovnik is a historic property located within walking distance of Old Town, offering fairly unremarkable base-level rooms, but attractive common areas and amenities. As part of the Hyatt – Small Luxury Hotel Of The World partnership, you can earn and redeem your World of Hyatt points at this property.
I spent two nights at this hotel in August 2022.
As this was peak summer season in Dubrovnik, this property was running €800/night. Consequently, I used points for my two-night stay. This is a Category 7 hotel in the World of Hyatt program, with nightly rates running:
The entire month of August was at peak pricing, meaning 35,000 points per night. I hate paying peak pricing for an award, but at over two cents per point in retail value, it beat paying cash.
After arriving from Munich at Dubrovnik Airport, we took a taxi to the hotel (about 40EUR), arriving at about 4:00 pm. The lobby is a beautiful public space with picturesque views of Old Town Dubrovnik.
35,000 points get you a standard room and no upgrade…the hotel was sold out and I was assigned a very basic room, 124. This property features a total of 158 accommodations, including 139 rooms and 19 suites.
You don’t necessarily come to Dubrovnik to sit in your room, but I must confess I found the room a huge letdown for a category seven property. Quite frankly, the room lacked character and warmth, with limited natural light (at least in the afternoon), bare walls, and not much space beyond the bed and desk.
A mini-bar was present and there was a platter with sweet treats with a welcome note on my desk. Sadly, there was no espresso machine, just a water kettle with powdered coffee.
The bathroom was spacious, with a separate tub and shower and a large counter with dual sink. Bulk toiletries were by Natura Bisse of Barcelona.
Perhaps most disappointing was the view from the room. If I stood back far enough, it looked pleasant enough:
But once I stepped closer, I was met with a lot of pipes…not very picturesque, is it?
And from the bathroom with the shades up:
Classic rooms have no views, but Superior rooms have partial sea views while Deluxe rooms have full sea views and balconies. Rooms are located in either the main hotel tower or in the Villa Odak, a former UNESCO-protected early 20th-century royal villa from which the hotel originally came into being.
Free wifi is available in guest rooms and common areas. Also, note that extra beds are not available (not that my room had any space for one).
I guess my point is to know what you are getting yourself into if you simply use points for a base room. It costs a lot of points any time of year, but especially during peak season, and you will not receive even a partial ocean view, regardless of your Hyatt status. This is not a complaint, merely an observation.
My friend did not use points and reserved a room with a great view…but it was over €1200/night…rather steep.
There was no Hyatt or even SLH branding at all that I noticed beyond the welcome note. Instead, the hotel is also part of the Adriatic Luxury Hotel Group, and that logo, featuring a leopard, was present everywhere.
While the room was a disappointment, one of the greatest treasures of this hotel is the beautiful outdoor and indoor swimming area. The hotel sits on the shore of the Adriatic Sea and although there is no beach, you can jump right into the water (which I did…at sunset) and enjoy a refreshing swim with Old Town just a few hundred meters away and Lokrum Island also close.
Chairs are readily available and food and beverage service is available along the sea.
But if the weather is too hot, there’s also a beautiful indoor pool, with areas for swimming, and a wellness area with jets that provide water therapy and heated chairs.
In this indoor area is also a Finnish sauna, steam room, and Roman bath.
Spa treatments were available as well, though prices were not attractive.
One level above the pool area is a small fitness center that focused primarily on cardiovascular machines with only limited free (and light) weights and a single r0wing machine for strength training…this was very disappointing.
After flying from Los Angeles to Drubvonik via New York, Frankfurt, and Munich, I was fairly exhausted by the time we finally reached the hotel. The first night, I just went to bed and skipped dinner.
Breakfast was served each day from 6:30 am to 10:30 am at Salin, located on the hotel’s second floor. Both indoor and outdoor seating was available.
A large buffet included a variety of European and American breakfast favorites, including delicious ripe peaches, plums, and apricots (some of my favorite fruits) plus pastries, cold cuts, cheeses, and salads.
There was even a gluten-free section:
At the table, a menu card was presented from which you could order egg dishes or other popular breakfast dishes like waffles or pancakes.
Importantly, the coffee was good…but your servers make it themselves, and skills vary widely. I was happy I found Ivanna on the first day, who knew how to make an excellent flat white (and was charming and attentive in every way).
The next day, I was originally seated with Marijo, who I found to be cold and inattentive. Thankfully, I found Ivanna and moved tables. What a difference.
Serious complaint: no fresh squeezed orange juice. Come on…this isn’t a hostel.
I skipped dinner upon arrival, but we did have a “welcome” drink before turning in early.
The main restaurant offers a menu of meats and freshly-caught seafood with both outdoor and indoor dining. We sat outside and I didn’t even open the menu, instead just asking for a freshly-caught white fish from the Adriatic and some mushroom risotto on the side. My order for sea bass was confirmed, apparently caught earlier that day.
My friend ordered a bacon cheeseburger from the bar menu as well as some grilled vegetables.
I wasn’t expecting it, but my friend mentioned we were celebrating my birthday and a complimentary dessert was presented (and everyone sang to me…).
Ivan took excellent care of us during dinner.
The only restaurant I did not sample was Prora, which is set directly by the shore and offers a more limited but beautiful a la carte menu and fine dining experience.
24/7 room service was available, with a limited selection (menu is on your TV).
With 158 rooms, I found the service less personalized than at other five-star hotels I’ve stayed at in Europe. With the exception of one breakfast server, it was also friendly and professional but also was not memorable. For €800/night, I do think an expectaiton of more personalized service is no unreasonable.
A business center offers desktop compuers and printing. It is open 24/7.
The hotel also offers meeting space with great views.
Just a few minutes walk from Dubrovnik Old Town, this hotel is ideally located. It is relatively quiet, but you can easily walk to a bustling beach in less than five minutes.
Further on, the beautiful Old Town is reached in under 10 minutes.
Guests at this hotel included the late Queen Elizabeth II and Elizabeth Taylor so I was in good company. I am glad I stayed at Hotel Excelsior and I certainly would consider returning in the off-season when rates are more attractive and the weather more moderate, but I do not think 35,000 points or €800 night represents a reasonable value proposition during the height of summer when the weather is hot and town is packed.
All things considered, the hotel is a good deal if you’re going to be in Dubrovnik during high season and want to conserve cash. But it’s also a large property and I found the service less personalized than I did at the nearby Villa Dubrovnik.
Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.
Appreciate the hotel reviews, @Matthew. It gives good insight into places and opens up a lot of options to stay at for vacation or for a business trip.
Room gives off big AC vibes. Looks a lot nicer than the Sheraton which is also a bit of a hike to the old town.
The Hilton Imperial is much better and just outside the city wall. It’s not seafront but who goes to Dubrovnik for the beach when there are many nicer beaches nearby?
I stayed at the Excelsior about 20 years ago just after the war ended and it was the only and best game in town then. But it’s been surpassed.
I’m not sure if I preferred the Imperial, but I have stayed there in the past–
Stayed at Hilton in April. 40K point/night. Diamond status. gave us the top floor corner room with wrap around balcony overlooking the castle. great breakfast and evening lounge with food and drink.
@Matthew “…Adriatic Luxury Hotel Group, and that logo, featuring a leopard, was present everywhere.” …except in this post. :-p
“I do not think 35,000 points or €800 night represents a reasonable value proposition during the height of summer… the hotel is a good deal if you’re going to be in Dubrovnik during high season and want to conserve cash.” ??? It’s not a reasonable value with either points or cash but it’s a good deal if you want to conserve cash? Perhaps you should rephrase the second part because it makes no sense: “If you want to conserve cash, points are better, but it’s still *not* a good deal.”
Otherwise, great review! Thankful for all of your review posts. Glad I wasn’t the one dropping €1200/35k points for those rooms. 😮
I totally agree. Being in the heart of the hustle and bustle, the cliff side bars, swimming off the rocks next to the wall, quite reasonable food, all good experiences far better than paying 800 Euro before you have even started,
We were at Villa Dubrovnik two weeks ago, which was €1200 per night IIRC (and we had 2 rooms!) for a full sea view. Excelsior has a better beach area as you know but with just 56 rooms Villa Dubrovnik does have a more boutique experience I think.
Nice review. This trip of yours has inspired me to try to find richer friends so I can enjoy the benefits of someone else doing the heavy lifting for a better room rather than trying to figure it out myself.
Tbh Airbnb so much better. End of august we stayed in a three bedroom apartment in the heart of old town for less than $300 a night. Checked in early and checked out at 12pm. Just doesn’t seem to make sense to stay in a hotel anymore. Free nespresso. Bottle of wine free. Terrace to drink and relax. Walk to swim and 100s of restaurants. Thanks for the tip btw. Loved Dubrovnik. One of the best cities I’ve been too. 6.5k United points from Munich win.
Seems to me it’s not worth EUR 800 nor 35,000 points. I think that may be more of an indictment of Dubrovnik than the property itself. Nice review though. Thanks!
I appreciate that Dubrovnik is a really popular destination, but, at the end of the day, Croatia isn’t exactly Switzerland or Norway. €800 is totally unreasonable for a room that’s smaller and less well-appointed than a basic room at any Novotel, and I don’t believe that good public areas can make up for it. That’s why I am a free agent when it comes to hotels and I normally stick to mid-range/’lower upscale’ hotels, I may be able to afford to pay for an expensive hotel every once in a while, but I would have gone into it with expectations of a special experience on the basis of the cost, and the disappointment at the poor value would have annoyed me to the point of not enjoying the trip.
Not yet mentioned, but something that consistently irks me is the bed itself. What you received is simply two singles (twins) pushed together though I’m sure it was marketed as being a “king”. While true that two single bedframes pushed together equals a king, two single mattresses with their own bed dressings does not. Anyone who likes to sprawl out while sleeping should be rightly peeved, as should anyone who is traveling with a significant other and would like to have body contact. This misrepresentation is rampant throughout Europe and MAYBE understandable at a budget chain, but if I’m paying €800+ per night for a room marketed as a “king”, I sure as shit better have a full king-sized mattress (generally 180 x 200 cm) at my disposal. Not this two twins garbage.
Great review, Matthew. That room, I mean, I dunno, why do they even bother?
I love the rooms in the historical section of this hotel!
“no fresh squeezed oragne juice.”
Yup, I’d be upset with no fresh squeezed oragne juice, too,
At least this time I didn’t say organ juice! 😉
Wow… What a waste of hard to earn Hyatt points.
You could use 35K points to stay a minimum of 7 nights in 10 times better Hyatt properties in SE Asia.
It’s still more fun than not reading the review at all. Plus, Matthew tends to travel to Europe a lot more than Asia.
Do you not run articles through even a basic spellcheck? Too many misspelled words to mention.
Yea, I use grammerly. What’s wrong?
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