Boutique Hotel Casa del Mare Mediterraneo

The secret is finally out: from a traveler’s perspective, one side of the Adriatic is as good as the other. Croatia’s hotels have come to rival Italy’s, and for the international traveler, Montenegro is just getting started. With impressive results, we might add — Casa del Mare Mediterraneo, set on a spectacular little beach deeply sheltered within the Bay of Kotor, is living proof.

With just 17 rooms and suites it’s truly boutique-sized, and thanks to a recent (and thorough) refurbishment, it’s a luxurious experience as well. All of its rooms, suites, and apartments have balconies with views of the sea — some more direct than others — and the in-room comforts are reliably state-of-the-art. The style is contemporary, but with plentiful echoes of the past, including weathered stone walls.

The Michelin-starred Milanese chef Eros Picco was on hand to open the hotel’s restaurant, a summertime pop-up that’s expected to last for multiple years, located on the top level by the rooftop bar. A more casual restaurant presides over the lovely beach club, and the spa is an extravagant one, featuring an indoor pool alongside its sauna, steam room, and ice shower.