Medora Auri Family Beach Resort — Hotel in Općina Podgora

This time was our fifth time at the Medora Auri and we loved it just as much as the first 4 times! :D This time around we travelled with a 6 months old baby which is why we booked the hotel shuttle taxi which takes you from the airport to the hotel and back, if you like. It is a bit pricy (300 Euros for both ways), but then again not really, if you consider that it takes around 1,5 hours for one way and it´s just your family in the car. Everything went smoothly and made the commuting really stress-free.

The staff is so welcoming, kind and caring. Special thanks to Marija Staničić for always being so kind, thoughtful, helpful and always making our stay extra special!

The food is delicious and diverse. Especially the dinner buffet has all you can ask for - fresh seafood and fish, meat, a big salad bar, soups and really yummy cakes and sweet treats.

The beach in front of the hotel and the scenery are so pretty. The sea on one side, the mountains on the other side, everything in one picture looks just beautiful. Also, almost every evening you can watch beautiful sunsets.

At first we were a bit sceptic about the stoney beach as we were just used to sand beaches, but just put on some swimming shoes and it´s perfect! The water is cristal clear, you can see little fishes and even in the deeper water you can see the ground. Also the sea is usually very calm which makes it perfect for swimming, snorkeling or just relaxing on an air matress. At the beach there is not only lots of restaurants and cafés but also little shops where you can buy swimming devices such as diving goggles, air matresses, water balls etc. for really fair prices. You can also rent stand up paddles which is really fun. As guests of Medora Auri you can use the sunbeds and umbrellas for free. There is also showers at the beach (which you have to pay for as of last year) and you have the possbility to rent towels for the day which is very convenient and also free.

The rooms are cozy, spacious and have everything they need.

Podgora is a really cute and charming town with little local shops selling hand crafted products, many restaurants, cafés and bars, live music somewhere every night and a small port. We really enjoyed strolling along the promenade after dinner.

Nearby the hotel there is lots of activities to choose from. In the hotel there is an info desk where you can book day trips to other cities or island, rent bikes and cars etc.

And lastly, the hotel is called "Family Resort" for a reason. Everything is absolutely kid friendly which is something we paid attention to for the first time this year. There is tons of activities for children, there is a separate mini buffet just for the little ones, of course high chairs, baby cribs etc. are available. We look forward to spending more family trips at the Medora Auri with our daughter :)

All in all, this hotel is perfect for anyone looking for a perfect travel spot for a family with kids and/or a purely relaxing holiday with delicious food, a beautiful beach and the possibility to be active inside the hotel (entertainment program, fitness center etc.) or outside the hotel (daytrips, hiking, biking,...

I’d like to start by saying, we loved Croatia as a place to holiday! And wouldn’t hesitate about returning for a holiday. However, the staff in this particular hotel, were really quite rude, so I would not return to this hotel. ||We arrived around 10:30pm on the 3rd of August , and we’re checked in by a woman named Adrianne D (I think was the name) all I can say, is the check in was not warm or friendly, it almost felt like we were an inconvenience. Details on the hotel were given very abruptly, and there was zero warmth in her approach. I’d like to add, that I have worked in hospitality for over 15 years and inspect hotels across Europe; the service on this reception desk is incredibly below par, and substandard to other countries that I chose to holiday in and work in. ||Overall the reception experience continued like this, for the duration of our stay, two other female receptionists, on separate occasions upon asking questions, regarding check out and the possibility of a later check out, were incredibly rude, bordering on aggressive. Simple questions were met with hostility. ||I felt the service in the bar was good and professional, no complaints. Overall the cleaning standard across the hotel was good.||We didn’t dine in the hotel, only breakfast; however, noticed none of the handles on the buffet items were wiped down intermittently throughout service (for reducing bug transmission) no hand gel upon entering the dining area - pretty standard nowadays in most hotels, given Covid is on the increase again/Norovirus is at an all time high this year. Just an observation. Breakfast was good, plenty of choice daily; again staff not overly friendly, I don’t think anyone spoke to us at any point throughout breakfast service, not even a hello? Very unusual in comparison to other countries. ||Room was okay, I agree with other comments on here, very small, especially for three people. Bedding wasn’t changed throughout our stay, not overly fussed about that personally, but is unusual nowadays in most hotels. ||Pool very busy, as expected anywhere at this time of year, it was clean and no complaints. Beach you could get a lounger but had to walk right along to the end of the beach area! A decent spot was gone well before 9am. Clearly issues with people hogging loungers, towels down and nobody about! Usual in most hotels sadly. ||Podgora is a lovely place, safe and very clean, with lots of choice for food. Local restaurants, and people were all very, very friendly! Just seemed to be within the hotel the service was the issue. ||Finally, overall the trip was great, but sadly the hotel itself had very little to do with that. I am very big on service! I urge you to implement some training on your reception desk - the women we encountered were beyond rude! |Like most people, we have awaited this trip for a long time, paying a substantial amount to come to your hotel, I think it isn’t much to ask to be greeted warmly and feel valued as a guest. I think your reception team are vastly letting down this place - Clearly picking and choosing who they decide to be friendly and...

Well-intentioned, but poorly executed – disappointing stay with a baby

We spent a beach holiday in July 2025 as two adults with an 8-month-old baby. At first glance, the hotel complex appears very well maintained, and the view of the sea—especially at sunset—is truly breathtaking.

Unfortunately, that’s where the positives mostly end. The layout of the hotel is extremely confusing and maze-like. With a stroller, getting around becomes a real challenge. There are very few elevators, and they are extremely small. Not all elevators stop on every floor, and to reach the beach from the upper levels, you often have to switch elevators. On several occasions, we waited up to 15 minutes for an empty elevator to stop at our floor.

Most frustrating: the children’s pool is only accessible via stairs—there is no ramp or elevator. For one person with a stroller, it’s practically unreachable. Also, contrary to what was advertised on the hotel’s website, the water in the children’s pool was not heated.

The staff is friendly but not particularly attentive. This was especially noticeable in the restaurant. The food was almost always the same, particularly at breakfast. A bit more variety would have been appreciated.

The beach is relatively large for Croatia, and there are plenty of loungers available. However, umbrellas are in short supply—an issue when traveling with a baby who needs shade. After contacting the hotel via email, we received a quick and positive response, and staff brought additional umbrellas. Unfortunately, they came without the necessary ground fixtures. Guests tried to improvise, placing unsecured umbrellas between loungers or in the sand. Many fell over, posing a safety risk. Our follow-up request for proper fixtures was again answered quickly—but denied, with the claim that there were already enough umbrellas and stands available. Sadly, this was not true. On windy days, many unsecured umbrellas flew away.

One positive aspect worth mentioning: there is a well-equipped baby changing room on the ground floor. This is a thoughtful and important feature for families traveling with infants. Thank you!

After returning home, we realized we had lost our iPad, though we weren’t sure where. We contacted the hotel via email and received a quick reply saying they would look into it and get back to us. However, no follow-up came—even after two weeks—so we reached out again. The final response was that nothing had been found. Was this believable? Not really.

In summary, disappointment outweighs the positives. It feels like the hotel is trying hard to present a polished image, but unfortunately, it fails to deliver...