Villa Ariston
www.villa-ariston.com
(2009) Small hotel, with a quirky old elegance to it, overlooking the Bay of Kvarner. on the Opatija Riviera. The hotel has very nice grounds, tiered down to the water so a swim is possible. In past decades, when Opatija was considered a very fashionable resort, it boasted a steady stream of people either political, famous or royal including the Habsburgs family, Kennedys and Coco Chanel to name a few. The staff were friendly and making reservations over the internet was easy.
The hotel’s interior dining room is a little formal for our taste, so we were lucky to have a lovely dinner on the outdoor terrace. The food was excellent and the friendliness of our waiter made it a special treat. Breakfast was a nice buffet. It was here that we got our first introduction to Croatian bacon which has bone-like fragments…definitely not our favourite.
We had two standard, very nicely furnished and clean rooms up in the attic with no view. When on the water we usually like to have a view, but since we were only there one night it was not a problem. There was air conditioning so noise from the road was not a problem.
There is the Lungomare (seaside promenade) that stretches 12 kms between the towns which was established in the late 1800’s. It is about 20-30 minute walk to Opatija.
We were a little disappointed in Opatija but in all fairness, it may be due to the short time that we were there. Opatija was a good stopover after spending the day on the Istria Peninsula and we found it to be well situated before heading off to Split the next day.
The Villa Ariston is lovely, has beautiful surroundings, and is a good value.