Hotel Excelsior

The Croatian coastline is no longer a secret; it’s no longer reasonable to describe Dubrovnik as “underrated.” But even though travelers’ expectations are high, this gem on the Adriatic is perfectly capable of meeting them — all the more so now that the Hotel Excelsior is back in business. In an earlier incarnation it played host to guests like Queen Elizabeth II and Elizabeth Taylor; in an even earlier incarnation it was a royal villa. And now, after a renovation that’s brought it up to 21st-century luxury-hotel standards, it’s poised to retake its place in the top level of Dubrovnik’s hospitality scene.

It’s proudly placed on the waterfront, just outside the historic old town, and it’s divided between two very different buildings: the 1913-vintage Villa Odak and a late-20th-century tower. The architectural details are necessarily different, but the atmosphere and the experience are more similar than you might expect — rooms and suites in both buildings are contemporary in style, and their spa-like bathrooms are stocked with L’Occitane products. An extravagant spa with a stunning indoor pool provides plenty of reasons to stay in, as do the hotel’s three restaurants: Salin, on the terrace, Sensus, with its open kitchen, and Prora, down by the rocky beach.