Lone Hotel

Lone Hotel looks a bit like a spaceship — a spaceship made by some of the top Croatian architects and designers, anyway, with a serious dedication to comfort — and it’s parked at the edge of the forest on the outskirts of Rovinj. It’s not the first place you’d expect to find such a striking modern hotel. Rovinj, after all, is famous for having the look and feel of an Adriatic fishing village from days gone by, with its Venetian-style villas crowded along the shore, its towering Baroque church presiding over the narrow streets. Set on a peninsula and surrounded by islets and the blue Adriatic, it’s perhaps the most picturesque town on a coastline that’s liberally sprinkled with picturesque towns, from postcard-perfect medieval villages to impossibly pretty beachside fishing hamlets.

Though it’s an easy five-minute drive to town, the location puts the emphasis on the natural surroundings more than the famous nearby townscape. And if you’re going to be the tiniest bit isolated, with little but forest and beach in the immediate vicinity, it helps to stay in a hotel as well-equipped as Lone. Three strong restaurants and just as many bars, some with excellent views through walls of glass and all with light seafood-centric Adriatic fare, make it easy enough to stay on site. The pools, too, are marvels, one indoor and one outdoor, fitted out with all sorts of gizmos — hydromassage chairs, whirlpools, waterfalls, geysers — and surrounded by an enormous terrace for sunbathing.

Of course, you could just as easily sunbathe from the privacy of one of the guest rooms. They’ve all got furnished terraces, and even indoors, they’re awash in light. In fact the hotel is quite clever in its play with light, glass walls and mirrors and open spaces keeping everything sunny. A pared-down style and natural materials — wood and stone — keep everything feeling both modern and in keeping with the forest-and-sea surroundings.

When it comes time to explore the area, there’s no end to the activities on offer — truffle-hunting, hiking and biking, olive oil and wine tasting, diving to the wreck of a 1914 passenger ship, and of course exploring the nearby towns and beaches. There’s even a surprisingly rich local arts scene, with summer festivals and concerts in town. The hotel itself is full of worthy art installations, too, and hosts regular jazz shows in one of the bars. It’s all proof that even the quaintest old towns can transcend their reputations.

How to get there:
Rovinj is approximately one hour by car from Trieste and 2.5 hours from Zagreb. Ferries from Venice run biweekly and are just under 3 hours.

Booking Details: Lone Hotel requires additional information from guests to ensure the best stay possible. As such, reservations can only be confirmed through our customer service team. Contact us for assistance. Rates begin at 150 EUR per night.