Hotel Istra — Hotel in Grad Opatija

READ THIS TWICE BEFORE BOOKING.

I want to share with you an honest and real experience, based on real facts. We have been to 7 hotels across Croatia in 3 years, we always had amazing experiences and have never been disappointed until we stayed for 11 days at Hotel Istra.

This is a hotel with many hidden costs so be careful. When we booked the hotel, the price included towel for beach, beach sunbeds and umbrella. But when we got there, they told us that we have to pay 25 euros per day for sunbeds, and 3.5 euros per person per day for a towel. This was a real shock for us because nowhere in our offer was that written. Also, this is the first hotel where they charge their guests for sunbeds at the same price as someone who is not a guest of the hotel. It is really very miserable that they look for any way to take money from their guests.

Second thing, the food was really below average. They serve very cheap food of questionable quality. This is the first hotel where we saw chicken wings and drumsticks every other day. They had the same type of the cheapest fish every day. Also extremely disappointing was that they offer pork and the cheapest chicken (wings and drumsticks) every night. You can dream about beef here.

This is something I want you to pay attention to. Before we went to the hotel, we read really good reviews so we thought it would be great, but later we realized that it was all a lie because they are begging guests to leave good reviews.

The hotel staff are kind and really hardworking, except Lorena from reception. She was really rude and unkind. She spoke in a very arrogant and loud tone, which is below any level of professionalism. Nothing is achieved with this way of working, learn something from Mr. Matteo ( stay tuned I want to say more )

The restaurant staff are very hardworking and cultured. We want to congratulate Merima, Igor and the others who were always professional and tried their best. But those responsible for the food in the restaurant should seriously think about what they put on the menu for their guests because it is a shame to offer the cheapest food.

The cleanliness of the hotel is 10+. Our room was always perfectly cleaned, we thank you CHUCK , you are a truly wonderful and hardworking person.

I would like to take this opportunity to say that thanks to only one person we stayed at the hotel, that is Mr. Matео who is the manager/director. He was very kind, polite and wanted to correct the mistake and he is the real hope for the hotel. On this occasion we would like to thank him for understanding us and for helping us. Only because of him will we try to forget...

We are staying in this charming hotel for 3 weeks as part of an organized sports camp for youth swimmers. We love the town of Opatija do far and the hotel is ok. This review is written on our second day in the hotel due to an incident. Our 5 swimmer children and the rest of the 10person group do not eat pork. So we could not eat dinner in the restaurant due to reduced options. We ordered take out from a local restaurant and wanted the swimmers to eat it in the dining area in the coffeeshop in the lobby. The bar tender in the evening in a very rude, inconsiderate absolutely unprofessional manner approached us and would not even listen to us. He insisted on us leaving and eating in the room and not in this area. Despite our polite request to explain, talk and offer to clean up, he would not listen. This treatment and rudeness is unacceptable. We went downstairs to the closing dining hall and the staff there were much more understanding, accommodating and polite. They allowed us to feed the tired swimmers with the take out food, also were apologetic at the lack of suitable food options and promised to rectify it. I give 1 star and if possible no stars to the treatment of this rude bar tender staff. But we give full 5 stats to the dinning hall staff. Will update additional reviews...

We arrived from the UK for a 10-day stay and were pleased to check in early, with our spotless room ready and a balcony boasting breathtaking views of the Adriatic Sea. Unfortunately, our welcome was dampened by one rude staff member who mistakenly tried to charge us €25 each for the evening meal which was already included in our half-board package. This was later resolved by a much more helpful receptionist. Due to this staff member’s oversight, we also missed our TUI welcome reception, having not been handed the invitation until two days later. (We actually spotted an envelope with our names on it on the desk whilst checking in, but were unaware what it was for) Thankfully, every other staff member was fabulous—friendly, helpful, and attentive throughout our stay. Buffet-style meals offered plenty of variety and catered to the hotel’s health-conscious approach. Don’t expect burgers and chips—fried options are limited, but food was wonderfully fresh and satisfying. A heartfelt thanks to Meri, the lovely restaurant manager, who went out of her way to welcome us and share great tips for local sights. Her warmth and dedication really made a difference. Overall: A beautiful hotel in a stunning location, with excellent service (aside from one hiccup), delicious food, and a...