Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik

From the road, the small glass exterior belies the hotel's true grandeur and hidden beach cove. The lobby's contemporary decor continues the ruse, though the stone floors and walls of windows make it inviting enough. It's not until one glances out the back that it becomes apparent the hotel is carved into the cliffs above the Adriatic. An elevator leads down to an outdoor terrace with the pebble beach and crystal blue waters visible beyond. 

The hotel is located off the busy road that leads into Dubrovnik's Old Town -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- a little more than a mile away. It's about five minutes by car or a 15-minute walk to the nearest part of Old Town and the main tourist attractions. Apart from the hotel's own private beach, it's a short walk along the road in Miramare Bay to other beaches, as well as to restaurants and bars. The Dubrovnik-Cilipi Airport is situated around 15 miles away, it's about  25-minutes by car, while it's about 20-minutes on foot to the Gruz harbor and main bus station.

Each of the hotel's 91 rooms has views of the sea. Hardwood floors and cream walls give them a warm ambience with great natural light. A combination of rich, elegant natural wood furniture and plush sand-colored chairs and couches make up the work desks and sitting areas. Minibars are in every room, but coffeemakers are absent. Many rooms have small balconies that have a glass railing for unobstructed views of the sea. The modern bathrooms are tiled in varying shades of light marble with heated towel racks and shower tub/combos. Some are on the small side with tiny vanities, but they're all stocked with L'Occitane toiletries. 

There is a lot packed into this hotel, including a full-service spa with a steam room and an attached modern fitness center, but even more interesting are the on-site the hair salon and florist. The latter two help the Bellevue cater to wedding parties, but the three event rooms are usually geared for business meetings with a top capacity of 200 people. The bar and two restaurants each have their own outdoor terrace, maximizing the best feature here, the view. The fine-dining restaurant, Vapor, serves an innovative Mediterranean menu with some traditional Croatian influences, while the beachfront restaurant serves slightly more casual fare and a free breakfast, either on its terrace or within a man-made cave cut into the cliff. For those looking to soak indoors, the indoor pool and hot tub are housed in a relaxing space with rattan loungers and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the bay.