Valamar Koralj Hotel

Excellent location, excellent services all around

The hotel has a top location; it is truly a place to feel good and relax. The rooms are very nice; unfortunately, the shower was a bit too small, but it was still a super great vacation; I can only recommend it.

A few days ago, I had one of the most awkward and humiliating experiences I have ever had at any hotel, despite being a guest in numerous hotels across Europe and around the world over the years. Throughout the summer, I regularly visited this hotel as an external guest, often almost every day, simply to enjoy a coffee on its beautiful terrace. I deliberately chose this hotel over nearby cafés and competitors such as Manuel, Punta di Galetto, or Hotel Dražica, even though a coffee here costs around 30% more. I was happy to pay the difference because I enjoyed the atmosphere and expected a certain standard of service. On the last day of my holiday, I came with my small Maltese — as I had done in previous years — intending to have a €12 cocktail on the terrace. The waitress, Emanuela, took my order without mentioning that dogs were not allowed. She accepted the order, charged me, and there was no indication whatsoever that there was a problem. I had not even reached the terrace or had the opportunity to sit down when a security guard from Storm abruptly stopped me and, in front of other guests, loudly ordered me to leave immediately. His manner was unnecessarily aggressive and disrespectful, as though I had committed some serious offense rather than unknowingly entered with a small dog. I was then sent to reception while being spoken to loudly in front of other international guests, who were watching the entire situation. As someone who had been a regular external guest throughout the summer, I found the treatment genuinely humiliating. Before coming, I had actually checked online whether dogs were permitted, and the information available to me indicated that the property was pet-friendly. At reception, I was even told to “prove” where I had found this information, and I did. In addition, there are dog-related facilities around the property, including waste-bag dispensers, and I had visited the hotel with the same small Maltese in previous years without any issue. Most importantly, I could not find a single sign at either the main or secondary entrance indicating that dogs were prohibited. If the hotel has introduced a new no-dog policy, that is entirely its right. The problem was never the rule itself. The problem was the way the situation was handled. A professional response would have been very simple: approach me discreetly, explain that the policy had changed, acknowledge that I had already been served without being informed, and say something along the lines of: “We apologise for the misunderstanding. Unfortunately, dogs are no longer permitted on the terrace. Since we have already taken and charged your order, the drink is on us, and you are welcome to take it with you.” Instead, the customer service was astonishingly poor. After being spoken to rudely by security and reception, I was told that I could drink my cocktail from a plastic cup in the parking area outside the hotel. When I requested a refund — because I had not come there simply to purchase a cocktail, but to enjoy it on the terrace — this somehow became another problem. The waitress initially said that a refund could not be processed without the head waiter, Mario. What should have been a completely routine solution then turned into several minutes of confusion and arguing between members of staff. At one point, the waitress even said she would reimburse me out of her own pocket. Eventually, the refund was processed, but the entire scene was chaotic and deeply unprofessional for a hotel associated with a group like Valamar. What was perhaps most disappointing was being told by both reception and security that they had “never seen me before in their lives” and that I should simply leave. Whether they personally recognized me is completely irrelevant. I had been choosing this hotel almost daily for drinks, particularly during the morning shifts when Mario was working, rather than spending my money at numerous other nearby establishments. I was perfectly happy to pay slightly more precisely because I associated Valamar with a better level of hospitality and service. I never asked for special treatment or any privilege as an external guest. I was usually the kind of guest who came, ordered, paid, and quietly enjoyed the terrace. This is not about ego, money, or even the prohibition of dogs. It is about how a guest is treated when a misunderstanding occurs — particularly when that misunderstanding was partly created by the hotel itself through inconsistent information, lack of signage, and the fact that I had already been served and charged. Having worked professionally in the tourism sector, I have some understanding of hospitality and customer service standards. I know that mistakes and misunderstandings happen. What distinguishes good hospitality is how staff resolve them. A guest should never be publicly embarrassed, confronted by several employees at once, made to feel as though they have done something outrageous, or treated in a way that leaves them feeling disrespected — regardless of whether they are a hotel guest or an external visitor. The situation could have been resolved discreetly and professionally in less than a minute. For a hospitality group that places such emphasis on its reputation and service standards, this experience was extremely disappointing. The issue was not that I could not bring my dog onto the terrace! The issue was the complete lack of tact, professionalism, coordination, and basic customer care in how the situation was communicated and resolved. Had something like this happened at Maistra Hospitality Group, Bluesun, Plava Laguna, or Aminess Hospitality Group, I strongly believe the entire team involved would have faced an immediate formal warning. A beautiful terrace can justify paying 30% more for a drink. Being treated this way certainly cannot. I am not a demanding guest, and I rarely have the time or inclination to write reviews — let alone negative ones. However, I felt that this particular experience requires the attention of the hotel management.