Where to stay in Dubrovnik
Hilton Imperial
This hotel started life as two palaces in 1895. It subsequently served as a hospital during the two world wars. A shelter during the Balkan conflict, it was almost destroyed by shelling in 1991. But Hilton refurbished the hotel in 2005 and it is now an ideal base close to the Old Town.
How they rate it
The Hilton Imperial is a "striking Art Nouveau building", says The Independent. The rooms are decorated in a "subtly Croatian style", with warm colours. You need to specify if you want a sea view – and those rooms are worth the extra expense. If you can afford it, book the Presidential Suite as it offers a "wonderful view" over the Old Town, says Condé Nast Traveller.
The menu
The breakfast buffet is vast with practically everything you could ever imagine eating for breakfast. The hotel's Porat restaurant serves a mixture of international food alongside signature dishes from the Dalmation coast, including Adriatic sea bass.
The cost
A double room costs from €165 and the Presidential Suite costs from €1,145. For more information visit www.hilton.co.uk/dubrovnik or call 00 385 20 320320.
Hotel Bellevue
This is a modern glass hotel that clings to the cliffs overlooking the Adriatic. The owners have spent millions transforming the place into a modernist dream.
How they rate it
Hotel Bellevue is "like something from an old James Bond film", says The Guardian, thanks in part to its lift down the cliff face to a private beach. This is a "design-conscious haven", agrees Sally Avens in The Daily Telegraph. All the rooms have a sea view. They also boast olive-wood furniture, granite and marble bathrooms and works by local artists on the walls.
If you opt for a room in the old part of the hotel you can have a four-poster bed, but you won't get a balcony. Make the time to have a swim in the indoor pool as it has "spectacular views through its glass wall over the sea", says Avens.
The menu
Vapor specialises in seafood and has been voted one of the best restaurants in Croatia. As well as the amazing food, the cockails are "very special" and the terrace offers "a wonderful view" says The Guardian. For a less formal dining experience, try the hotel's other restaurant, Nevera, which is built into the cliff.
The cost
A double room costs from €205. Find out more at www.hotel-bellevue.hr or call 00 385 20 330 000.
What the travel writers are saying
If you fancy a trip to the seaside, stay in one of three hot new coastal venues, says The Guardian. First up is The Village at Watergate Bay in Cornwall, which offers fantastic views of the ocean through the huge windows. "A balcony the size of a second living room, furnished with wicker sofas and sun-loungers, runs the length of the apartment and natural light floods the living area… Short of being able to walk straight out onto the sand, this is just about the perfect beach pad." A two-bedroom apartment costs from £670 a week (Beachretreats.co.uk).
Meanwhile, Chicoutimi in Thorpeness, Suffolk, offers you "lots of house for your money" – there's sleeping space for six people. "The recreation of an Enid Blyton-ish adventure is pretty complete here." The sitting room has a wraparound sunroom, and one of the bedrooms has a balcony. But the best feature is the fact there is nothing between the house and the sea. So you can just wander down to the beach. A week in September costs £1,070 (Bestofsuffolk.co.uk).
Finally, Y Garth in Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire, has "statement walls", chandeliers and rich fabrics and is situated on a "spectacular" stretch of headland. A double room costs from £80 B&B (Bedandbreakfast-pembrokeshire.co.uk).