I stayed at ‘Croatia’s best hotel’ — this is my honest review

‘Cheap as chips’, ‘a budget alternative to the south of France’, ‘Europe’s most affordable beach holiday’ — these are just some of the ways the Balkans are often described. Growing up in Bulgaria, I take it personally. This is a region full of culture, spectacular landscapes and architectural wonders that deserves more than to be seen as an inferior alternative to mainstream European destinations.

Proof of Balkan exceptionalism is the Grand Hotel Brioni, a five-star Radisson property in Pula, on the tip of Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula. The hotel was voted the best in Croatia in 2023, following an extensive £30 million renovation. But it also played a pivotal role in the country’s history. It’s not just luxury that attracts me to Brioni. The hotel is synonymous with Croatia’s political past, particularly during the era of Josip Broz Tito, the president of former Yugoslavia from 1945 until his death in 1980.

The de facto dictator – who ruled the territory of six republics with an iron fist – was often seen there, sipping whiskey with his entourage. Throughout the 1970s, the hotel also played host to Hollywood and music royalty including Sophia Loren, Boney M and Abba, as well as dozens of politicians — even Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi. Today, the Sophia Restaurant is named after Ms Loren. Getting to Pula has never been easier. Low-cost airline Jet2 has just announced a new route from London Stansted, with flights launching in May.

EasyJet also operates direct routes from London Gatwick from April to October, with one-way fares from £47. The hotel unfurls into a sprawling reception filled with natural light, courtesy of floor-to-ceiling windows. A palette of Mediterranean blues and whites flows throughout, with natural materials like stone and marble incorporated into columns and straight-edged coving. On the roof is a terrace bookended by an infinity pool that captures sweeping views of the Adriatic.

Walking through the spa – which extends over two floors, with an indoor pool and whirlpool, three saunas and six treatment rooms – I’m so swept up by the soothing vibe, I book an Ayurvedic massage. In keeping with the communal spaces, soft, neutral tones colour the 227 rooms. Spaces are uncluttered, with king-sized beds and luxury touches like bathrobes doing the talking. A notable perk is the choice of seven different pillows to suit guests’ preference. Standard rooms will set you back about £250 per night, depending on the season.

If marble floors are the defining feature of the hotel’s decor, meat is the star of its culinary offering. I am vegetarian but I can still appreciate the plates piled high with tomahawk steak and Kobe beef from the Josper grill. The biggest surprise are the hors d’oeuvres: bread, butter and two types of salts, one infused with Jack Daniels and one with lime. It might be my new death row meal. Standouts from the drinks list are a sparkling wine from Istria, Misal Blanc de Noirs Brut, chosen by the sommelier, followed by another local jewel, Medea Montiron.

As the sun sets, I spot a pod of dolphins in the distance, not far from the Adriatic coast. Within seconds, the entire restaurant has jumped to their feet to photograph the rare sighting. Ancient traditions run deep on the Istrian coast, and few places have more to offer than Pula. A must-do is the guided tour of the Roman amphitheatre, the only one with its remaining four side towers entirely preserved.

Constructed between 27 BC and AD 68, it is one of the six largest surviving Roman arenas in the world, and was designed to host gladiator games. Despite a history of bloodshed, the venue is now used for concerts; Dua Lipa, Avril Lavigne and Lenny Kravitz all performed there in 2024. After working up an appetite, head to aROMA gelateria and try the local specialty Istriano, vanilla gelato with lemon and extra virgin olive oil made in Istria.

Hidden bay with the clearest bluest water near Pula, Croatia 🇭🇷 Beach George . . . . . . . . . #travelcroatia #croatia #pula #bay #hiddenbeach #geheimtipp #traveltiktok #traveleurope #traveladvice #travelalberta #fy #fyp #df #foryoupage #foryou #fürdichpage #fürdich #trending #viral #reisen #strand #kamenjak #ViralBeauty. Lining Pula’s charming promenade are boats that will ferry you to the nearby Brijuni Islands, one mile from mainland Croatia. Tito was fond of them, and made them his personal state residence in the summer.

From there, he hosted almost 100 international heads of state, as well as film stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Gina Lollobrigida. Anyone fascinated by how communism shaped the Eastern Bloc after World War II should visit the museum, which houses an unsettling exhibit on the Yugoslav ruler’s life. In this building, Tito met with Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, and India’s prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, to discuss their opposition to the Cold War in 1956.