Valamar Isabella Island Resort

Valamar Isabella Hotel is one of the upscale properties making up the Valamar Isabella Island Resort, which occupies the entire island of Sveti Nikola (Saint Nicholas). This is a car-free private island of man-made pebble and sandy beaches, lush vegetation, manicured gardens, and scenic views of the sea and nearby historic old town of Porec. The island used to belong to the Polesini family -- an Italian noble family who built the Tuscan-style Isabella Castle as a summer home in 1888. Today the restored castle has been converted into one of the island's upscale hotels, and is a historic landmark. The Valamar Isabella Hotel underwent a complete renovation in 2015, and its public spaces have a fresh, modern look done up in the chain's trademark beige and blue color tones, with bright, contemporary artworks adding interesting accents. The hotel is popular with vacationing families thanks to its family-friendly features and many sports and children's activities, and can get crowded during the summer months. The setting may not be ideal for couples looking for a quieter scene, but the resort has other properties catering to them.

Valamar Isabella Hotel is located on Sveti Nikola (St Nicholas) island, and is easily reached by boat from Porec -- the hotel offers a free regular ferry service that takes about five minutes, or guests can take a private taxi boat. The hotel is one of the properties making up the Valamar Isabella Island Resort that encompasses the whole island. The island can be easily negotiated on foot and offers several lovely beaches. Porec's old town offers many restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, and tourist attractions, like the UNESCO Euphrasian Basilica Complex. There are regular bus services to towns and cities across Istria, and a daily ferry service to Venice. The closest international airport is in Pula, about a 45-minute drive away from Porec. 

The guest rooms at Valamar Isabella Hotel are roomy and bright, decorated in a pleasing color palette of beiges, soft blues, and grays. Minimalist pale wood furniture is paired with designer armchairs that cleverly double as single-size sofa beds. Oversized beige curtains match the gray and beige striped carpeting, pearl-gray walls, beige bed cushions, and light blue bed runners. The walls are decorated with interesting abstract artworks or photographic prints. All rooms have balconies or terraces, many with floor-to-ceiling windows and scenic views of the seascape, the old town of Porec, or the island's landscaped gardens.

In-room amenities include air-conditioning, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, minibars, safes, and free Wi-Fi. Electric kettles are available on request, and cribs are charged an extra fee. In the Classic Rooms, the bathroom is not a separate room; instead, large walk-in showers are enclosed behind partitions of frosted glass, as are the toilets, with double bathroom sinks in-between. In the Superior Rooms, the bathrooms are separate rooms with large walk-in showers, separate bathtubs, and double sinks.

The largest rooms at the hotel are the Deluxe Family Rooms that are made up of two bedrooms with connecting doors, each with a double bed and a sofa bed, sleeping up to six people. Upper-category suites, villas, and apartments are located in other properties on the island, including the Valamar Isabella Castle, Valamar Isabella Villas, and Valamar Isabella Miramare, which are being developed as luxury accommodation units for the 2016 season.

Rates at Valamar Isabella Hotel include breakfast and dinner, which are served buffet-style at the Isola Restaurant. Breakfast includes a variety of hot and cold items as well as live cooking counters with made-to-order dishes like omelets and pancakes. Dinner features a wide variety of dishes including local specialties, pastas, and pizzas. Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and diabetic diets can be catered to by informing the hotel in advance. Other on-site dining options include the Bistro Vista, serving Italian fare, and Oliva Grill, which offers snacks, light lunch, and cocktails. There's also an a la carte restaurant, Miramare, that's in a quiet, hidden part of the island and specializes in seafood. Guests can enjoy drinks in the lobby bar as well as at the pool bar and several beach bars.

The large on-site outdoor activity pool is heated and has two large slides, and there's a separate kids' pool for small children. The large spa is open to adults only and incurs an extra fee. Facilities include several saunas, a steam room, aromatherapy showers, a beauty parlor, hair salon, fitness center, and indoor pool. The island has several man-made sandy and pebble beaches with sun loungers and umbrellas (free for guests), plus water sports available for an extra charge. Guests are also free to use the relax pool, an infinity pool overlooking the sea located behind the Valamar Isabella Miramare property.

The free supervised children's activities are organized according to different age groups from toddlers to teenagers, and include a variety of games, activities, and amenities like playgrounds, a soft play zone, and a teens' lounge. Sports activities include beach volleyball, basketball, mini-golf, table tennis, boules, an outdoor gym, and a jogging track. During the summer season, nightly entertainment and live music is provided at the hotel, as well as a weekly gala dinner with fireworks. Other services available include reserved parking on the mainland (charged extra), transport from the parking lot to the ferry, a free ferry service to the island and back, a souvenir shop, currency exchange, Internet corner (charged extra), and free Wi-Fi throughout the island.