Beach Bay Hvar Hotel - New in July 2022 ★★★★

On the Promenade Between the Town and the Monastery

Hvar town wraps around its harbour, and the walk that leaves it westwards along the shore is the part of it that stays calm after dark. That walk is Šetalište put Križa, and the Beach Bay stands on it, low and modern, with the sea directly opposite the front door and the Franciscan monastery a few minutes further on. Thirty-three rooms, most of them looking at the water, a terrace built out over it, and a restaurant that faces the same view. It is a short enough distance from the square to be in town and a long enough one to sleep.

Why It Works

Hvar is an island where the address decides the holiday, and this one solves the problem most visitors run into: staying close enough to walk everywhere without sleeping above a bar. The promenade is the town's own evening route rather than a tourist strip, and the beach below the monastery is where locals swim. Dogs are welcome, which on an island of steep stone lanes and boat transfers is worth planning around. The kitchen is the other reason. A hotel restaurant offering proper vegetarian and vegan cooking on this coast is still unusual enough to note.

Why This Location

Everything worth reaching is on foot. The main square and the cathedral are about four hundred metres back along the water. The port, and with it the ferries to Split and the taxi boats out to the Pakleni islands, is two minutes away, which matters because the sensible way to move around Hvar in summer is by boat rather than by car. The monastery and its beach sit just beyond the hotel, and the walk continues past them along the shore. Parking on Hvar is a genuine problem, and this address is the argument for arriving without a car at all.

Fast Facts

• Price: Upper mid-range

• Vibe: Modern, waterfront, quietly Dalmatian

• Rooms: Thirty-three, the best of them sea-facing with balconies over the promenade

• Best For: Car-free island stays, couples, travellers with a dog, swimmers

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The terrace built out over the water, which turns the hour before dinner into the reason you booked

• Dining: Restaurant with Mediterranean cooking and full vegetarian and vegan options, facing the sea

• Amenities: Sun terrace, beachfront position, restaurant and bar, dogs welcome

• Attractions: The Franciscan monastery and its beach, a few minutes along the promenade; the main square and cathedral, about four hundred metres east; the port and the boats to the Pakleni islands, two minutes away

Sea-View Rooms and Balconies Over the Walk

The rooms divide on one question: whether you are facing the water. The sea-view category with a balcony is the one to book, and on a promenade this narrow the balcony is effectively a seat above the evening passeggiata. Rooms are recent, plainly furnished in the current Adriatic manner, with a minibar and the usual island fittings. The building is new enough that the plumbing and the insulation behave, which on Hvar is not universal. If you are travelling with a dog, ask for a lower floor: the walk out is shorter and the promenade is right there.

A Terrace Over the Water and a Kitchen With Options

The terrace is the hotel's best room. It sits above the shoreline facing west, which puts it in the right place at the end of the afternoon, and it is used for lunch, for a drink, and for dinner in turn. The restaurant is Mediterranean in the honest sense, fish and vegetables from the island and the sea in front of it, and it keeps genuine vegetarian and vegan cooking on the menu rather than one token dish. Guests rate the place highly, and the reviews are consistent rather than clustered around a single season.

Hvar With a Dog, Without a Car

This is the practical case. From the door you are on a flat paved promenade with sea on one side, which is the easiest dog walk on the island and available at any hour. The ferries from Split take foot passengers and animals, so the whole trip can be done without driving. Two things to plan. Hvar beaches are pebble and rock and mostly restrict animals in high season, so the early and late swims are the ones to aim for. And the town gets busy from late June, which is worth weighing if your dog dislikes crowds.