Rixos Premium Dubrovnik — Hotel in Dubrovnik

Rixos Premium Dubrovnik is set in a quiet residential area, about 30 minutes from Dubrovnik Airport and around a 15–20-minute walk to the Old Town. The location is scenic but slightly inconvenient, as it sits on a one-way road system that makes access a bit tricky.

Arrival & Check-in

Check-in was smooth and reasonably efficient. Guests are welcomed with a glass of Prosecco — although it’s introduced as “champagne,” which is a stretch! Staff were friendly and took the time to explain how to use the key-card lift system.

Parking costs €16 per day, which feels quite steep given the room rates. There is a paid parking garage opposite the hotel but also on street parking for 1.20 per hour till 10pm via app.

Room (1710)

My room on the 7th floor offered a lovely sea view, though it turned out to be a twin rather than a double. The beds weren’t especially comfortable, partly due to multiple mattress protectors.

Amenities included complimentary beach hats and bags, bottled water, coffee capsules, a safe, and a mini-fridge with drinks. The wardrobe was of average size and could use more hangers (only five were provided).

The bathroom was clean and modern, with a spacious layout. However, the open shower design (shared space with the sink, no door) reduced privacy — though the toilet had frosted glass, which helped.

The balcony was generously sized but lacked privacy; guests above and beside could easily see across, and the restaurant on the 10th floor overlooks the terraces below.

Facilities & Layout

The hotel is set over multiple levels, with the lobby on the top floor offering panoramic sea views. The dining area, hair salon, and other services are located around the 10th floor, while the gym, spa, and pools are on the lower levels.

The lift system was inconsistent — sometimes it went in the opposite direction you selected, and the card readers occasionally malfunctioned. The tinny background music didn’t help the experience.

Gym & Spa

The gym is small but functional, with a decent range of cardio machines and weights. It can get busy during the morning yoga class (8 a.m.). Bottled water is provided instead of a water cooler.

The spa is impressive, featuring Turkish baths, dry and steam saunas, an igloo room, cold plunge pools, and a softly heated relaxation pool. There’s also a peaceful relaxation area with umbrellas, trees, and loungers — a nice retreat after treatments. The spa entrance showcases traditional herbal products from Dubrovnik’s historic pharmacy, which is a lovely touch. Nearby are table tennis and games areas, adding to the variety of activities available.

Pools & Outdoor Areas

The outdoor pool is located on the lowest level and is mostly shaded for much of the day. The area includes a dining section and steps leading directly into the sea — though the rocks can be slippery due to algae, so caution is advised. The indoor pool is pleasantly warm, circular in design, and surrounded by loungers for relaxation.

In October, the sunbathing area stays sunny until about 4 p.m., after which most guests move over to the nearby Hard Rock terrace to catch the last rays.

Breakfast

Breakfast was the weakest part of the stay. It was crowded and noisy, especially on weekends, and service was clearly overwhelmed. The outdoor seating area is far more pleasant, offering wonderful sea views and a calmer vibe.

Food quality was mixed — pastries were excellent, but omelettes were average and the coffee disappointing. The fruit was underripe, though the cooked dishes (around eight varieties) were solid. The idea of live piano music was nice, but it was largely drowned out by the noise indoors.

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Overall

Rixos Premium Dubrovnik is a stylish hotel with stunning views, a great spa, and a strong range of facilities, but it suffers from a few operational flaws — inconsistent service, noisy breakfast, and privacy issues in some rooms.

If you’re looking for a comfortable stay with excellent amenities and don’t mind a bit of chaos at peak times, this is still one of the better choices near...

The hotel is large and has a beautiful view of the sea and coast. The location is convenient as it is only a 6-minute car ride from the old town. The receptionists were very attentive and helpful and were probably some of the best we have ever had.

We had a nice stay and would recommend it, however, it felt like a 4-star hotel trying to be a 5-star hotel due to the amenities and cleanliness of rooms, dining area, and especially the spa area.

The room: The room was spacious with a large balcony. The mattress and feather pillows were comfortable. However, we hardly were able to sleep. The hotel room was sweltering. They still had the heating on. We tried sleeping with the balcony door open but there were dogs barking outside. We asked for thinner blankets but it took over two days to get them. It was also very windy during our stay and there was an annoying whistling sound coming from the balcony door. There was a dark hair on the bed. There was also a lot of calc build up in the showers. There were tons of spots on all of the curtains and also ants in our room.

Buffet: The breakfast buffet was enjoyable with a live piano playing however, the food and songs were the exact same every day. There was no variety or rotating dishes. The glasses were often dirty and the still water was tap water that came in bottles that did not look very clean either. The waitstaff would only clean off the placemats with a spray, then put the silverware on the hardly cleaned placemat without cleaning the rest of the table. There were stains on the cushions and also splattering of food on the walls.

Breakfast to go: We asked for a bagged breakfast since we had to leave before breakfast for a trip. I got two pieces of dry white bread, one slice of cheese, a little lettuce and tomato without any condiment, some (moldy) fruit and a small orange juice. No water. For a five-star hotel, that is absolutely pitiful and not comparable with other hotels let alone a breakfast buffet. After I complained about the breakfast at reception, I was told they agreed with me and it wouldn’t happen again. They gave us champagne to make up for that and the fact we still hadn’t gotten the thin blankets and said for our next trip, the breakfast would be better. Sadly, it was the exact same breakfast only with a tiny bit of cream in the middle of the bread.

Changing rooms for the spa/pool: This was the worst part of the hotel. There are lockers available but most of them do not work/have missing batteries, some were broken/missing slats. None of them in the men’s room worked so my husband had to give me all his clothing. The paint was peeling, the showers only had shampoo, no conditioner or shower gel. There was no where to hang your towels while showering or getting changed.

The spa: Only one of two dry saunas was working. The tropical shower was broken leaving only one shower for the whole spa. There was mold/water damage in the resting room and by the pool. The price of the massages were way too high for a hotel spa.

The elevator: We were stuck in an elevator for 30 minutes with another couple. We let the reception know that we were frustrated as when we pressed for help, no one spoke English. It was unclear if the company for the elevator was being contacted or the reception desk and as we don’t speak Croatian, we were not sure what was happening. Afterwards, the head receptionist just joked about it without any real apology, although at checkout we were given a discount off our tab.

Do not disturb signs: There is an electronic sign outside the rooms that has the option to select for maid service/do not disturb etc. However, they ignore this sign and expect you to put a wooden sign outside the door on the handle that falls off every time you open the door.

The bar: We enjoyed playing table bocce and they have pool tables. However, the drinks were super watery and expensive

“Off-Season”: The whole outdoor area and snack bar/restaurant were off limits, with the reasoning being it is off-season. This should have been communicated...

We fell in love with this hotel and its location on our first visit in 2023, so much so that we decided to return every year. The combination of the beautiful setting and Croatian hospitality made it very special.

This was our third consecutive year at the hotel. However, despite being repeat guests with Gold Accor status, we received no acknowledgement upon arrival - no upgrade or recognition of any kind - and even our simple request for a room on the highest available floor in our category was completely ignored.

The rooms are starting to look tired and in need of renovation. Cleanliness did not meet the standards of previous visits, and small but important maintenance issues, such as a broken sink plug, were apparent. The bathrooms are overdue for an update; walk-in showers would be far preferable to the current shower-over-bath setup. Poor bathroom lighting and heavily tinted mirrors made it difficult to apply makeup or shave. Most disappointing of all was our bed, which sagged badly in the middle, seriously affecting comfort.

Cleanliness issues extended beyond the rooms. The lobby toilets were dirty, with a pile of hair in the hallway outside, no paper towels for drying hands, and flimsy doors that were difficult to lock or unlock. The outdoor bar area was also poorly maintained, with rubbish and piles of hair blowing around. For a hotel of this caliber, this level of upkeep is unacceptable.

In 2023, almost all the staff were Croatian, and they were fantastic - warm, friendly, knowledgeable, and highly professional. Their connection to the area and Croatian hospitality gave the hotel a strong sense of place. This year, however, many staff members were from overseas, and unfortunately, service quality has noticeably declined. Even the remaining Croatian staff were not as cheerful or engaged as before, which made us wonder if behind-the-scenes changes have impacted staff morale.

The breakfast buffet has also taken a step backward. During our first visit, the food was high quality, with delicious local dishes like ćevapi and burek alongside the usual options. This year, there were no local dishes at all and what was offered was lower quality than in the past - cheap processed sausages and more tinned and less fresh fruit. Staff were slow to refill the buffet, and waitstaff were often unresponsive when it came to serving coffee, tea, or clearing tables. Overall, it felt like a significant downgrade from the standards we had previously enjoyed.

Another major change this year was the poolside restaurant. Previously, it offered local Croatian cuisine, including ćevapi. This season, it was replaced by a Greek restaurant, complete with Greek dancing and plate smashing. While this might be appropriate in a Greek resort, here it felt completely out of place - jarringly disconnected from the hotel’s Croatian setting. It stripped away a key part of the resort’s unique identity. Even a staff member quietly lamented the change and agreed it doesn’t fit. Prices have also risen sharply, reaching levels that are excessive, even for Dubrovnik.

The new pool cabanas were another disappointment. They are less comfortable and less private than the previous ones, yet the price has increased from €100 to €150 per day. To add to this, pool towels are now rationed - even for guests paying for the cabanas - further contributing to the sense of declining service and value.

Conflicting information regarding a late check-out request was the final straw, completely eroding any goodwill we had left. Our holiday ended on a sour note as a result.

The hotel no longer feels 5-star - standards have noticeably declined since our first stay. It has also lost the distinctly “Croatian” feel that made it so special. It feels like a generic resort that could be anywhere now, with all the charm and local character lost. We are bitterly disappointed and saddened to say that this has been...