Santa Marina Boutique Camping — Hotel in Općina Tar-Vabriga

We visited (family of 4) Boutique Camping Santa Marina from 30 July until 11 August with our caravan. We booked the campsite in January, unfortunately all premium spots were booked out already. All in all we has a great time at this camping resort, some things were excellent, some a little less. I will elaborate on this below.

The resort is easy to find, the actual entrance with a large combination (car + caravan) less so, the turn is relatively sharp en the way through the barriers fairly narrow. We made our way to the reception - the receptionist was not necessarily welcoming, seemed a bit stressed. It was quite busy. We all have our 'off days' ;). Less charming was the fact we were asked to 'find' a pitch ourselves on the campsite. We were provided a map which was marked with two red zones which represented the areas with the pitches. There were markers which indicated the pitches - most very small or impractical due to a tree in the middle of the pitch or uneven/sloped pitches. After searching we found a spot on top of a small slope - it was difficult to get the caravan on that spot due to the gravel/rocks. The remaining spots did not get much shadow as trees are only lined in these places on the outer edges of the site which was a bit of a worry. We were relieved we found a spot; other guests who came after us were less fortunate. From our perspective, frustration around finding your own spot can be mitigated by allocating a spot for you according to the size of your caravan/tent and taking into consideration preferences. If other pitches are available, the guest than always can decide to take another pitch; at least one has been allocated a fitting pitch.

The amenities are excellent. The resort has a great swimming pool and fantastic sanitary facilities. The cleaning crew is very attentive and thorough. Could not be more impressed with this. Also the restaurant is fantastic. Great service, high quality food and drinks and the restaurant itself is just beautiful, comfortable furniture, in- and outdoor. I will leave a separate review. The bakery and little shop is convenient.

Areas for improvement we noticed are the services for the kids - the animation team are a group (3) of friendly teammembers. They worked early morning until late in the evening which noticeably affected their motivation and tolerance towards the activities. They try... but they were clearly tired - which is understandable. Also the facilities for the kids, the 'mini club room', the toys, arts+craft materials but also the playground, soccer and volleyball pitch can use some updates/maintenance. Nothing major; but it would definitely add to the 5* experience the resort is claiming. The beach is still work in progress, ... we only visited once, so cannot share my experience on this. For now, 'better' beaches are easily accessible by car/bike.

To close of, the resort has the potential to be top notch - especially if they stay on top of things and think about the services for their smaller visitors.

I would definitely recommend this resort to people who are looking for a 'small' ish campsite with great facilities. We will be back...

Camping Santa Marina has its strengths and weaknesses, leading to an average experience.

Pros:

Nature: The campsite is situated in a beautiful, green area, offering a peaceful and natural atmosphere. It’s perfect for nature enthusiasts and provides a pleasant environment with ample shade and privacy.

Private Pool and Jacuzzi: The private pool and jacuzzi at our mobile home were major benefits. The pool was especially refreshing and enjoyable during the hot days, while the jacuzzi was perfect for relaxing in the evening.

Air Conditioning: The air conditioning in the mobile home worked well, keeping the temperature comfortable even during the hottest summer days.

Large Refrigerator and Freezer: The mobile home had a large refrigerator and freezer, which was a great asset for storing food and keeping drinks cool.

Location: Our mobile home, Luxury Marine 97, was ideally situated near the forest, offering a serene and picturesque setting.

Cons:

Loud Music in the Evening and Night: A major drawback was the constant loud music from the surrounding area, sometimes continuing until 4 a.m. (disco in the neighbourhood?) This noise disruption severely impacted our sleep. We ended up needing earplugs to try to get some rest.

Large Pool: The large pool at the campsite is a nice feature, but it was frequently very crowded. By 9 in the morning, all the sunbeds were usually taken, making it challenging to find a place to relax.

Mobile Home - Wear and Tear: Despite the mobile home being only two years old, it showed clear signs of wear. The furniture and appliances were damaged, and the tiles in the garden were loose, which was both inconvenient. This suggested inadequate maintenance.

Uncomfortable Beds: The beds in the mobile home were not very comfortable, leading to poor sleep quality and back pain in the morning.

Limited Kitchen Inventory: Although the mobile home had a large refrigerator and freezer, the kitchen inventory was lacking. We were missing essential items like cutting knives and a cutting board, which made meal preparation difficult. Overall, the kitchen utensils and cookware were insufficient for comfortable cooking.

Poor WiFi: The WiFi coverage was poor, particularly at our location. It was either very slow or completely unavailable, which made staying connected challenging.

Conclusion:

Camping Santa Marina has appealing aspects, such as its beautiful natural setting, private pool and jacuzzi and an effective air conditioning. The location of our mobile home, Luxury Marine 97, was a highlight, offering a peaceful spot near the forest. However, issues with loud music, the crowded pool, the poor condition of the mobile home, uncomfortable beds, a limited kitchen inventory and poor WiFi significantly impacted our stay. Bringing earplugs is advisable if you’re sensitive to noise. Addressing these issues would greatly enhance the...

We checked into this facility after having been to another similar facility in Rovinj. The mobile home we are staying had a strong smell of damp, there were ants everywhere in the mobile home and no natural shade to speak of in the camp. Please see photos which illustrate our experience.There is a photo of a kitchen cloth covered in ants.

The nearby beach is of very poor quality, the approach to the beach is polluted and the area around the beach is both a ramshackle local marina and a building site with a dirt car park full of waste.

Photos are very misleading as they make mobile homes look far better than they are - the homes are quite dated. There is no privacy, given how many mobile homes are packed together.

Wi-fi quality is very poor at the reception, as it is everywhere else. My wife and I had trouble staying connected on Whatsapp within the camp and you cannot rely on their Wi-fi to do remote work. When complaining about this, we were told it might be due to the high season. That’s a strange argument as the high season is the whole point of their existence.

The restaurant is shamefully overpriced, and the food is below average. I would recommend avoiding if you can.

The cleaning standards are also poor as we found pubic hairs and a bug on our bed after checking in. The baby high chair also doesn’t look like it has been cleaned in quite some time.

There is clearly a management issue here. For example, people get changed next to other people by the pool instead of dedicated changing areas and there is a strong smell of urine by the kids’ pool, together with the fact that lots of people allow their named children into the pool.

We were told there was an incident with a child having had to be resuscitated on the night we checked in, which, in my opinion, adds a sense of chaos and mismanagement about this place.

We checked out after the...