Laguna Istra

The Hotel Istra in the Plava Laguna is a very well-maintained and beautiful property in a prime location. We had booked a room with a sea view and half-board: The food was good, varied, and offered something new every day – both at breakfast and at dinner. The restaurant is pleasantly large, so you can always find a seat without any problems. A compliment to the mostly very nice staff! The rooms are in some need of renovation, but they are clean and absolutely acceptable for a vacation. Beautiful surroundings – we would love to come back!

Bad experience with this hotel. The worst place we've ever stayed. Food gets worse by the day. Breakfast means nothing to every day the same. Bread is rock hard every day. Unfriendly staff. Bed is made every day and towels are replaced, so everything is said with this. Small pool with ice cold water. No poolside bar. For this you have to go to Bove the bar and no swimwear is allowed. Swimming pool and bar is usually just empty. Animation is not there. Location is great but that is the little positive thing I have to say about this hotel. Urgent need for renovation and restructuring.

Absolutely the WORST hotel I have ever stayed in!! Rooms are tiny, dated and stiflingly hot (air con presumably turned off for winter despite temp outside consistently above 21c), no safe, and cobwebs and dust in every corner. Whilst towels were replaced daily, bedsheets weren't changed in 8 days. Our room, being within touching distance of the bar, made for a noisy environment and we were repeatedly awoken by the cleaner vacuuming at 06:30 (the irony!!). The restaurant was an “experience” with the food becoming more bland and inedible by the day, overseen by the unsmiling, unwelcoming and intimidating “host” who objected every time one helped themselves to a drink, or indeed when one tried to leave the restaurant with a drink purchased from the hotel bar. It was so appalling that despite being half board, we chose to eat out at every opportunity. Unfortunately this lack of customer service (with one or two exceptions) was not isolated to those working in the restaurant and was a feature of reception and bar staff too. There were steps galore and not a working escalator in sight, making the hotel very inaccessible. And to top it off, on departure day, hubby fell down the (freshly mopped!) marble steps injuring himself in the process. The location is exceptional however, fortunately there are plenty of alternatives from which to choose.