Hotel Neptun, NP Brijuni — Hotel in Grad Pula

I will write a review for the first time halfway through our stay here. My husband and I come to this hotel every year for a summer vacation, now we have taken 7 days. This hotel, Brijuni, the people who work here, nature, animals... everything but everything is perfect!!! I will start with the hotel which has 3 stars but many 5 star hotels can hide behind this one. The people who work in the restaurant have been here for decades, wonderful, smiling people. The food is like in the best restaurants, varied, homemade, delicious. Every day you have a fish and meat menu. The breakfast is varied and there is no normal person who can say a negative word. But the most important thing is that it is homemade and delicious food. The restaurant is spacious, beautifully decorated with a beautiful terrace by the sea. The rooms are renovated, have excellent air conditioning, comfortable beds and a beautiful terrace. We always take the view of the park because the room is always in the shade of trees and in the morning peacocks walk in front of the room. You feel real, true peace. The housekeepers clean the rooms every day, the domestic staff, very cheerful and tidy women. The rooms are extremely clean. We have seen that some guests emphasize that they only get coffee in the room on the first day, but this remark is unclear to us because, on the contrary, we would be ashamed to write it. Apart from the hotel, we use the sunbeds on the nearby beach every day, and as guests of the hotel we pay an extremely favorable price of 5 euros. We also have bicycles and an electric car at a 50 percent discount. Well done Brijuna. We travel all over the world and in the winter we are mostly in the Bahamas or the Caribbean and similar luxury destinations, but Brijuni is a place where you can experience solitude, an absolute connection with nature, hear crickets all day every day, see deer during a walk, visit zebras, elephants, ostriches..... This is heaven on earth!!!! I recommend everyone to visit this national park!!!! The only complaint is the reception staff, who do not have the habit of smiling and wishing guests a good day, but this will not diminish...

5 stars for the hotel’s brightest star – Ema at the reception.

During the night from Saturday to Sunday, I experienced a sudden and severe allergic reaction. My skin broke out in a rash that itched terribly, and in the middle of the night I woke up with nasal congestion and difficulty breathing – something that had never happened to me before. Frightened, I went to the reception, where Ema immediately calmed me down. She explained that although there’s no emergency ward on Brijuni, a doctor on call could be contacted if needed. She kindly offered me her own antihistamine syrup for allergies, and stayed with me while I took it until I felt better. She also noted my room number and told me to contact her if my condition worsened. Fortunately, the syrup worked, and by morning the rash was gone.

I don’t know what would have happened without Ema’s help – probably an unnecessary midnight panic and a dramatic call to the doctor. Her kindness and calm professionalism are an example some of her more arrogant, experienced colleagues at the reception and restaurant could learn from.

Thanks to Ema, and because most of the staff were actually polite and helpful, I’ll overlook the occasional rude remark and chalk it up to the well-known phenomenon in Croatian hospitality – frustration when high-paying guests expect equally high service (I’m Croatian myself, so I know it well). Positives: My husband and I stayed from August 8–10, right in the peak of the season, yet it never felt crowded – a big plus. Yes, the hotel is older, but it’s very well maintained, clean, and full of lush green plants. Our room was clean, decently sized, and everything worked perfectly. The food in the hotel restaurant was very good – we enjoyed dinner even more than breakfast. I also loved the Kupelwieser family exhibition in the hallway, which offers great insight into the history of the Brijuni Islands. Areas for improvement: Clearer information in the hotel about transportation prices on the island, and better integration of the hotel’s electronic wristbands with other services on Brijuni.

Thank you, Your guests...

The hotel has the perfect location providing a maximum privacy and calm that you can get in today's world of massive tourism. Saluga beach is only 10 minutes away by foot and there are not many people there during the day. Even though the hotel looks old, it is very clean and taken care of by the staff. The AC might not work the best in the room, but you get used to it very fast. There are two restaurants, one that serves breakfast and dinner as part of half/full board, and the other one that is à la carte, and that has very kind staff and hight quality food - special compliments go to the staff preparing homemade sweets. Make sure that you visit the permanent exhibition that is in the building next to the hotel Karmen. This exhibition is about Brioni's very particular history, which is essential for understanding the importance of this place. Finally, staying at the hotel on the island gives a unique opportunity to enjoy beautiful nature and observe animals all along your holidays :)

The AC might be improved as well as transportation from Fasana to the island (last boat comes back at 22h which seems a bit early). Also, souvenir shop needs improvement - it was not possible to buy Paul Kupelwieser's memoirs, which is very strange given his contribution to the archipel. Finally, certainly parts of the island need to be maintained a bit better and with more vigour - animal conditions (especially safari animals), roads,...