Best Hotel Bets

The Best Small Hotels & Inns

Villa Filipini (Porec): Despite its location a couple of miles outside Porec's center and the lack of a beach in the vicinity, the warmth of the hosts, the casual but elegant decor of this tiny inn set in the woods, and the innovative gourmet cuisine in Filipini's restaurant make up for any shortcomings. This is Istrian hospitality at its best.

Hotel Waldinger (Osijek): It packs a lot of elegance into its 18 rooms, each of which drips with class in the heart of a city that has not altogether recovered from war. From here you can walk to the banks of the Drava, the city market, and even medieval Tvra without even breathing hard.

Hotel Korana-Srakovcic (Karlovac): The Korana's sleek guest rooms are a nice surprise in Karlovac, which is still putting itself back together after the 1991 war. The hotel's big porch overlooking the river and riverwalk is a vacation all by itself.

Hotel Peristil (Split): Opened once more for business in 2005, Peristil's walls have witnessed 1,500 years of history. Peristil is tucked in a corner inside the walls of Diocletian's palace, and while its facade is respectful of the magnificent Roman ruin, its interior is brand new and comfortable. Staying here makes you feel as though you've gone back in time.

Valsabbion (Pula): This hedonistic experience is not to be missed. The hotel's seven rooms and three suites are decorated with flair in a breezy, romantic style that carries over to its exquisite restaurant, one of the best in Croatia. There is also a spa with a long menu of beauty treatments. You might come here for the beach, but you'll stay for the food and the pampering.

The Best Big Luxury Hotels

The Regent Esplanade (Zagreb): The most gracious hotel in Croatia compares favorably with luxury hotels in New York and Paris for a fraction of the cost. From rich furnishings in the guest rooms to a concierge who is a gallant treasure trove of Croatian history, a stay at the Esplanade is an experience you'll never forget.

Hilton Imperial (Dubrovnik): This is the U.S. chain's first foray into Croatia. Rather than build a hotel from scratch, Hilton had the wisdom to restore what was salvageable from Dubrovnik's historic 19th-century Imperial and graft a modern hotel onto the base. Every detail has been taken care of here, and whether you hail from America or Azerbaijan, you'll be treated as an honored guest.

Miramar (Opatija): Resembling a huge, ornate sand castle overlooking the sea, the Miramar was built at the end of the 19th century for swells who frequented Opatija for their health. But a 2005 face-lift has turned this stately grande dame into a modern spa hotel with every opportunity for pampering a traveler could want, including a world-class restaurant.

Diamant (Porec): Though it looks like one of those impersonal '70s package-style hotels from the outside, it is much more -- management has thought of everything, and the hotel has an activity to match guests' every whim. The Diamont deserves special kudos for its efforts to accommodate guests with disabilities. Every room can accommodate wheelchairs; even the pool and locker rooms are outfitted to accommodate the disabled.

Funimation (Zadar): The ultimate resort hotel. Funimation is elegant, all-inclusive with excellent restaurants, right on the beach, and scheduled up the wazoo with activities to keep kids busy and out of their parents' hair. This is as close as it gets to a Disney World hotel outside of the U.S. or Paris.