Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik is the classic answer to the question of where to stay for that view. It sits on the water in Ploče, just east of the Old Town. The best rooms look straight back at the walls, the old harbor and the green hump of Lokrum Island. The Ploče Gate is about a five-minute walk away, so you can be on the city walls at opening time and back on your balcony before the cruise crowds arrive.
The hotel has two parts. Villa Odak, the original building from 1913, holds the more traditional rooms. A modern tower beside it carries most of the sea-view rooms and suites, an indoor pool, a spa and terraces that step down to swimming platforms on the rocks. It is a big, polished, full-service hotel rather than an intimate boutique, with four places to eat and drink and a staff used to anniversaries and proposals.
It suits couples who want the Old Town on foot, a serious breakfast and a swim from the rocks without leaving the property. Couples who want a small, quiet retreat may prefer something farther along the coast.
Highlights at a glance
- Five-minute walk to the Ploče Gate
- Balcony views of the walls and Lokrum
- Swimming platforms on the rocks
- Indoor pool and spa
- Original 1913 Villa Odak wing
Why Couples Love the Excelsior
The view does most of the work. From a sea-view room you watch the walls turn gold in the evening, the lights come on along the harbor and the tour boats head home. Few hotels in Dubrovnik give you that panorama while still letting you walk into town in a few minutes.
The location also solves the town's biggest problem. Summer days in the Old Town can be crowded from late morning. Staying this close means you can go early, retreat for a swim and a nap, then wander back in after dinner when the lanes empty out. You never need a taxi or a bus.
The hotel has a long history as Dubrovnik's grand address. Service is formal enough to feel like an occasion without being stiff. The Abakus Piano Bar with live music gives evenings a slightly old-fashioned glamour.
Rooms and Suites to Book
For a honeymoon, book a sea-view room in the tower. The Deluxe rooms are the practical sweet spot, with balconies facing the Old Town and Lokrum. Superior rooms come in city-view and partial-sea-view versions, so read the description carefully if the view is the point.
The suites are where the hotel gets memorable. The four Excelsior Signature Suites are individually designed. The Deluxe, Junior and Executive Suites add living space and larger terraces. The Presidential Suite sits at the top of the list for a once-in-a-lifetime splurge.
Villa Odak, the 1913 villa, has Classic, Superior and Deluxe rooms plus a suite with more period character. They suit couples who love older buildings. If you want to wake up to the walls framed in your window, stay in the tower and ask for a high floor.
Food, Drink and the Spa
Sensus is the fine-dining restaurant, open for lunch and dinner. It is the natural choice for your big celebratory meal. Prora, the beachside restaurant, sits right on the shore and runs from late morning to early evening between June and October. It is the place for grilled fish and a cold glass of Pošip after a swim.
Breakfast is a buffet at Salin, served until 11 a.m., which helps if you were out late. Abakus Piano Bar opens from morning until midnight all year, with sea views and live music in the evening.
The spa has treatment rooms, a fitness center and an indoor pool, useful in spring and autumn when the Adriatic is still cool. Book treatments before you arrive in summer, since slots fill with wedding parties and conference guests.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do
Walk the city walls first thing in the morning, then take the cable car up Mount Srđ for the view down over the rooftops. From the old harbor, a short walk from the hotel, boats run to Lokrum Island, a nature reserve with pine woods, peacocks and rocks for swimming.
Sea kayaking around Lokrum at sunset is a favorite with couples and one of the best ways to see the walls from the water. A day trip to the car-free Elaphiti Islands gives you sandy coves and long lunches. Foodies can drive about an hour north to Ston for oysters straight from the bay.
For a quieter afternoon, take a boat to Cavtat, a small harbor town to the south. Back at the hotel, the swimming platforms are your easiest beach day.
Getting There
Fly into Dubrovnik Airport (DBV), about 23 km from the hotel. The drive takes roughly 30 minutes, longer on summer afternoons, along the coast road with views over the sea. Taxis and pre-booked transfers wait at arrivals; the hotel can arrange a car if you prefer to be met.
Most US couples connect through a European hub, since direct flights from the US are seasonal and limited. Split (SPU) is a 4-hour drive or a scenic catamaran ride up the coast, which makes it easy to combine Dubrovnik with Hvar or Korčula.
You do not need a car in Dubrovnik. The Old Town is car-free and parking near Ploče is scarce. Rent one only for day trips, or use drivers. Bring comfortable flat shoes, since the walls and lanes involve many polished stone steps.
Is It Worth It?
For couples who want the Old Town on foot plus a full-service hotel with sea swimming, yes. You pay a premium for the Ploče location and the view. In July and August sea-view rooms are expensive. Expect roughly $600 a night and up for an entry room in high season, with shoulder months often much cheaper. These are approximate figures and vary by date.
It is less suited to couples who want seclusion or a sandy beach. The hotel is large and busy in summer. The swimming is from platforms and rocks. Villa Dubrovnik, a little farther east, feels more intimate. Hotel Bellevue, on the other side of town, has its own pebble cove. If you plan to spend most of your time on islands, a cheaper base for one or two nights in Dubrovnik may make more sense.
Insider tips
- Ask for a high floor in the tower for the clearest Old Town view
- Walk the walls at opening time, then come back for a swim
- Book the kayak trip around Lokrum for the sunset slot
- Check whether a Superior room is city view or partial sea view before booking
