If you’ll only be in Dubrovnik for a couple days, I advise staying in the Old City (or as close to it as possible) so as to maximize your time to explore. However, if your plans allow for an extended stay in the area, I highly recommend doing what we did and booking a room at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Dubrovnik Sun Gardens. This modern, comfortable and welcoming resort offers 201 guest rooms stretching along the Adriatic Sea coast, as well as premium residences, 16 restaurants and bars, a market and souvenir shops, three pools, beach access, and a spa. Our Club Room included sea views and access to the Club Lounge for complimentary breakfast on the top floor overlooking the resort grounds.
Our favorite restaurant at the resort was the Mediterranean-style Cilantro, though we also enjoyed excellent dinners at Italian-inspired La Pasta and The Butcher steakhouse. During high season, all restaurants and bars are open for business, but as occupancy wanes heading into fall opening times will vary. We were unable to visit the Vino wine bar during our stay, but thankfully every restaurant we patronized at the resort had excellent Croatian wines on the menu and a knowledgeable staff member who was happy to offer a recommendation.
With five days to explore Dubrovnik and its surroundings, the Radisson Blu was the perfect home base. Just 20 minutes from the Old City, the hotel offers regularly scheduled shuttle and boat rides into town for a small fee (which can be booked in advance to ensure your spot) and even has its own marina. The resort’s location made it an easy central point for day trips to the Old City and beyond and an excellent spot to relax by the beach or pool whenever we needed to take a break from exploring.
