Rixos Premium Dubrovnik is the only Accor property in Croatia for now and, since it's pretty much impossible to travel abroad at the moment, I decided to check it out since I needed a break from work and the rising infection numbers in Zagreb. The weather forecast was fantastic (sunny and warm) and I booked a room just two days prior to arrival in order to take advantage of the nice Autumn weather (which turned out to be Summer weather actually) and the fantastic Unforgettable Autumn promo rate that the hotel offered until 1 November. The price was just 79 EUR a night for a half-board service, which is incredible given that over the Summer the prices were 250+ EUR for B&B.

Please bear in mind that this is a review of the hotel out of season. I have no idea what it looks like in July and August, but then again, I wouldn't want to go during those months anyway as I feel the hotel might get too crowded for my liking (it has over 300 rooms).

Parts of the hotel were renovated earlier this year (lobby, restaurants and bars), whereas the rooms were renovated 4-5 years ago. At the moment they are renovating Deluxe rooms. I think the suites have been renovated recently.

Check In

As I was arriving from Zagreb by plane, I requested a transfer service from the hotel. It's a half hour drive to the hotel from the airport and the price was 330 kuna (approx. 44 EUR). Regular taxis aren't much cheaper, Uber is around 210 kuna (27 EUR). I arrived at 10 PM and the driver was waiting for me in front of the terminal. (In case you arrive by car, the hotel has free parking, but it's a long drive from Zagreb and too much hassle for me.

Check in was easy and swift. I paid the bill on arrival (accommodation and transfer, all the other expenses d check-out) and the lovely receptionist escorted me to my room on the 9th floor, while the porter took my suitcase to the room. A few pictures of the lobby:

The hotel is quite huge, but it has a cosy atmosphere. It's not cold and sterile like some large hotels. I felt really comfortable in all parts of the hotel.

Room

I booked the entry level room (called Classic Park View room) and was upgraded to a Superior Sea View room (the next category). My promo rate included a free upgrade, but I would've been upgraded to the same room as a Gold ALL member anyway. The room was very nice, large enough for me (about 30 sqm), with a large balcony and a beautiful view of the sea. The bed was really comfortable, as were the pillows, and I slept really well. The TV had a great selection of local and international channels. Only a kettle was included, which I found strange, as I would've expected a Nespresso machine or similar in this type of hotel, but it wasn't a problem for me.

The only thing I didn't like about the room is the fact that all the balconies are connected, as you can see in the picture below, there are no partitions between the balconies, so that you are basically sitting next to your neighbours. I have no idea whose brilliant idea this was, but I don't like that, a room should be private in my opinion. If I want to socialize, I'll go to the bar. When I'm in my room, I want my privacy.

As for the loyalty treatment, the Unforgettable Autumn promo rate already included a free room upgrade and welcome amenities, so it's hard to tell what I received as part of the promo rate and what I received as a Gold member. However, from what I gather, the bottle of wine and the fruit platter were part of the promo rate, so I guess the ALL welcome amenity are the homemade macarons and chocolate pralines, as well as the assortment of nuts and figs. The fruit platter was replaced by another on the second day, but not on the third. The free bottle of water was replaced on the third day, but not on the second, so I'm not sure what the standard is. It's a bit inconsistent. Two small bottles of disinfectant gel and antibaterial hand wipes were also provided. Welcome drink voucher valid for a glass of champagne, wine, beer, soft drinks.

Bathroom

Bathroom was alright and large enough. There was no separate shower, just a bathtub, but with a rain shower over it, which is fine. Lots of Anjana toiletries, which smell really nice, and other items. The pictures speak for themselves, really.

Dining

Breakfast and dinner were served a la carte. From what I've read on TripAdvisor, buffet was provided during the Summer months. Breakfast was plentiful. They basically brought the buffet to your table and you could order hot items from the list.

Dinner was served from 7 PM to 9:30 PM. There was a soup, a starter, dessert and you could choose one of the three main courses on offer. The food was hit and miss, to be honest. Starters were better than main courses.

This ghost on Halloween was a very nice touch, I thought.

There is also a Japanese restaurant, which looks very fun, but I didn't have time to visit it.

So that's 3 restaurants (the main Turquoise restaurant, the Japanese one and the Fish restaurant on the beach) and 3 bars in total, if I'm not mistaken.

Beach

I was incredibly lucky with the weather! It was very warm and I got to swim in the sea on all days (including 1 November - unbelievable!). There weren't many sun loungers outside because there weren't many guests, but I imagine it is packed in Summer. The sea was wonderful, 22 degrees and the water crystal clear. It was just like a dream.

There is a beach bar there, but it wasn't open anymore. And there is also a fish restaurant next to it, but again, it's only open in the season.

Pool

There are two outdoor pools (one for adults and one for children), but again, they weren't in use in late October.

And there is an indoor heated pool.

Gym

The gym is well equipped.

Spa

The spa is fantastic. Two saunas, a steam room, a heated pool (36 degrees Celsius), two cold plunge pools (20 degrees), a salt room, an igloo with ice mist, a hammam (not operating at the moment due to covid) etc. The use of the spa is free for hotel guests, you only have to pay for treatments, of which there are many. I had an anti-stress message and it was heavenly.

There is also a room with over a 100 different sorts of tea and the staff are happy to make you a tea of your choice (free of charge).

Bars

There are three bars, of which two are open out of season.

The lobby bar with a terrace, with live piano music in the evening:

And a sports bar:

Location

Location is very good. It depends on what you're interested in. I wanted a combination of sightseeing and swimming in the sea (which in Dubrovnik is particularly beautifu and for that the location was ideal. As you can see from the pictures, the hotel is on the waterfront and it's only a 15-20 minute walk to the Old town. Most of it is downhill on the way to the Old town, but uphill on the way back. And there are some very nice views on the way.

Service

The staff were absolutely incredible! Genuinely friendly, polite, professional. Most of them knew who I was when I arrived because I had written to the hotel prior to arrival to ask if I could get a faster internet connection for an online business meeting and to request transfer etc. and they made sure I had everything I needed. Instead of the usual internet speed offered by the hotel, which is 5 Mbps, they gave me 65! Whenever staff members saw me in the lobby or the restaurant, they wanted to know if I had everything I needed, whether they could do more to make my stay more comfortable... Simply wonderful! I am aware that it's probably due to the fact

that there weren't many guests staying in the hotel, but still, it felt nice and I felt really appreciated. Especially after my previous experiences in Dubrovnik, which were not that good. The staff here more than made up for that! 

I had housekeeping every day, as well as turndown service, which you don't see that often nowadays with the pandemic and what not. Turndown service was a bit underwhelming, they basically just made the bed and replaced the towels, but still, I appreciate the effort because I can't remember the last time I had turndown service in a hotel.

Overall

Overall I had a fantastic time. If we only have one Accor property in Croatia, then I am really happy it is this one. I can't wait to go bac. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. Highly recommended!