Dubrovnik

The 1913 grande dame on the Ploče cliffs — sea terraces with the definitive old-town view, a serious spa and a five-minute walk to the walls.

A white modernist hideaway carved into the cliff beyond Ploče — every room faces Lokrum island, and a boat shuttles guests to the old harbour.

A grand 1897 hotel right at the Pile Gate — indoor pool, stately rooms and the Stradun beginning literally across the street.

Nine art-filled suites in a 15th-century palace on Prijeko street — each room styled by a different artist, deep inside the walls.

Just eight rooms in an aristocratic townhouse off the Stradun — breakfast on the rooftop terrace overlooks a sea of terracotta tiles.

Directly on Lapad bay's pedestrian promenade — indoor and outdoor pools, pebble beach out front and excellent buffet breakfasts.

A dependable four-star halfway between the old town and Lapad's beaches — outdoor pool, generous rooms and honest shoulder-season rates.

A small family-run hotel at the end of Lapad's seaside promenade — friendly owners, balcony rooms and the beach less than a minute away.

Bright, modern three-star between Gruž harbour and Lapad — a solid-value base with buses to the old town stopping right outside.

Directly opposite the ferry terminal in Gruž — plain, practical rooms that make early sailings to Mljet and the Elaphiti islands painless.

A rare budget bed inside the walls, in a 16th-century stone house — dorms and small privates with the Stradun two minutes downhill.