Recommended Dubrovnik hotels

Opening up the lesser-known Dubrovnik Riviera, the stretch of resorts mainly frequented by locals halfway between the Old Town and the airport, the five-star Sheraton runs from surprisingly affordable classic double rooms to a presidential suite. Attractions include the Shine Spa, pools indoor and out, a gym, the Leut restaurant, a piano bar and a cocktail lounge.

The Villa Dubrovnik is a stunningly located, superbly appointed five-star, set on a rocky outcrop a complimentary boat journey from the Old Town. Breakfasts and sunset cocktails take in the magnificent view. Far enough away (1.5km/one mile) from the Old Town crowds to warrant a handy water shuttle service there and back five times a day, the summer-only Villa Dubrovnik allows tranquillity and isolation. All of the property’s 56 rooms, set on descending terraces, have sea and Old-Town views, and all are beautifully appointed with access to a stretch of private beach, and pools indoor and out. For many, the most attractive facility, at sunset at least, is the Bar Giardino, a verdant, panoramic terrace and the ideal spot for a cocktail before the last boat to town. The Mediterranean flavours of the Restaurant Pjerin may just force you to stay, all the same. In the end, it comes down to detail: the bed linen of Egyptian cotton, the teakwood sea terrace and the goose-liver terrine with fresh black truffles on the room-service menu.

This ten-floor, 308-room luxury hotel is set in woodland paths at the tip of Lapad, in full view of the Elafiti Isles. This is what everyone sees from their balcony, from the Maslina Tavern restaurant, Lanterna Glorijet poolside bar and the Sunset Lounge cocktail bar, not to mention the expansive, panoramic spa area, with its selection of massage treatments and beauty procedures.

At the waterfront of Gruz Bay and an easy stroll to the fine-shingle beaches of Lapad, this five-star boutique hotel provides a palatial stay with a dozen beautifully furnished rooms, set in the converted Zamanje family villa (1573). The terracotta-roofed mansion features an attractive outdoor pool with a bar beside it. Breakfast is made to order, prepared freshly and served to guests on the hotel patio, an enclosed stone courtyard studded with Mediterranean potted plants. The restaurant offers genuinely gourmet food with caught-that-day fish and seafood alongside Adriatic specialities served beneath a shaded canopy. Breakfast and dinner reservations are also possible for visitors - check with the hotel for availability. Five-star luxury doesn’t get more lavish than this - Kazbek’s stately rooms include king-size beds with Egyptian cotton bedding, gorgeously soft bathrobes and slippers and a range of posh toiletries. A speedboat and yacht are on hand for guests' use.

What is arguably Dubrovnik’s most prestigious hotel has been accommodating discerning visitors since 1913. Back then a private villa converted into a hotel in 1930, it has seen royalty and A-list movie stars come and go. Acquired by the Adriatic Luxury Hotels group in 2000, it now features three restaurants, a spa area with Roman and Turkish baths, a fresh-water pool and a piano bar. Note also valet parking and limousine service at your disposal.

The award-winning four-star Valamar Lacroma Dubrovnik caters equally to those visiting for work or pleasure. Surrounded by the pine-tree forests of Babin Kuk and white-pebble beaches, the Valamar Lacroma allows you to relax in picturesque tranquillity as well as organise your conference, meeting or exhibition without having to move from the site. With the most extensive MICE facilities in the area, the Valamar Lacroma also features the gourmet restaurant Langusto, a wine bar with a panoramic terrace and top-quality treatments at the in-house Ragusa Spa. Contained within a health complex extending over one square kilometre, you’ll find saunas, pools indoor and out, a private spa, lady-spa Afrodita and cardio-fitness.

Fantastically located, Klarisa Palace offers a palatial stay in the centre of town for an affordable price. The stylishly-renovated townhouses are decorated in neutral tones with exposed wooden beams. Rooms come with private bathrooms, all mod cons and air conditioning. The main draw is the unbeatable location: set in a historic stone building, the Old Town is on your doorstep and the beach an easy ten-minute walk away. Room rates vary from attic rooms to deluxe doubles.

This five-star villa-and-hotel complex centres on the deluxe Hotel Argentina opened in the 1950s and long considered one of Dubrovnik's most stylish addresses. Within the same complex and surrounded by lush seaside gardens are the Villa Argentina, housing intimate luxury apartments; and Villa  Sheherezade, a mock-Oriental palace in which up to 12 people can relax in opulence for €6,000 a day. Indoor pool, gym, beauty centre and private beach are all part of the package.

This leading lodging of the Valamar group has its own excellent section of beach; each of the 181 rooms has a balcony view of the sea and Elafiti islands beyond. There's also an indoor pool, children's entertainment and access to good-quality nearby tennis courts.

Dubrovnik is literally surging with backpackers, although the only officially registered hostel within the Old-Town walls for the past few seasons has been Fresh Sheets (now renamed as the City Walls Hostel), run by an engaging Croatian-Canadian couple. The hostel is squeezed into a tall thin house at the top of several flights of steps. It has three floors of (mostly bunk-bed) dorms, with a shower/WC on each floor. Private doubles can also be arranged in one of the buildings nearby. The reception-cum-common room makes socialising easy, and you can forage for breakfast ingredients (included in the price) in the communal kitchenette. Watch out for the launch of Fresh Kathedral [sic] later this year, an atmospheric former nunnery behind Dubrovnik Cathedral holding a selection of double rooms (from €88) and a fancy apartment (€150), all sharing communal kitchen and dining area.