Villa Dubrovnik – a modernist cliff facing the Old Town

East of Dubrovnik's walls the coast turns to cliff and pine in the quiet district of Sveti Jakov. Villa Dubrovnik sits on that cliff in white terraces that step down to its own small beach, with the island of Lokrum straight ahead and the Old Town across the water to the west. The building began in 1961 as a modernist residence for the political elite of the day and became a hotel two years later; in 2025 it reopened after nearly two years of work by the Brazilian practice Studio Arthur Casas. There are 56 rooms, suites and residences, a spa with an indoor pool, the fine-dining restaurant Pjerin, recommended by the MICHELIN Guide, and Galanto, the city's only rooftop bar. The MICHELIN Guide gives Villa Dubrovnik two Keys, for an exceptional stay.

It is the place to see Dubrovnik from, rather than in – and the walls are still a short walk away.

01The house

The architect Mladen Frka designed the building in 1961 as apartments for members of the political elite. In 1963 it became an annex of the Hotel Argentina, and its rational, unadorned lines stood apart from the pre-war hotels of the city. By 1970 additions had turned it into a small hotel of around thirty rooms, known for its cooking and its unhurried welcome. In 2003 the architects Boris Fiolić and Mira Tadej rebuilt it on the cliff within a protected landscape, keeping the traditional Mediterranean herb terrace on the sea side and hiding a rooftop bar beneath clever roof lines; above, tall retaining walls give the entrance atrium a theatrical, almost de Chirico mood.

The hotel closed again on 2 October 2023. Studio Arthur Casas renovated it completely, an investment the hotel puts at €25 million, and drew on the city itself: a palette of white, sand and beige for Dubrovnik's pale stone, terracotta for its roofs, and motifs from the UNESCO-listed dry-stone walls and traditional Croatian lace. Paintings by Ivana Pegan and Dubravka Tullio, sculpture by Ivo Dimnić and ceramics by local studios run through the house, and the staff uniforms are by the fashion designer Juraj Zigman.

02Rooms and suites

The rooms look out over the Adriatic and towards the Old Town. Arthur Casas worked with the Croatian furniture maker Prostoria – the Dubrovnik lamp is one result – and set pieces by Gio Ponti, in solid wood and gilded metal, in each room. Floors and walls use Croatian stone, and cushions and throws carry a Dubrovnik pattern drawn from local folk costume and made only for the hotel. Superior and Deluxe Sea View rooms have balconies or floor-to-ceiling windows over the Adriatic; the Comfort Room has a terrace with its own jacuzzi.

Insider tip

Galanto opens 16.00–21.00 – be there for sunset over the Old Town.

The suites take their names from the old Dubrovnik dialect. Romantiko has 80 square metres, a living room and bedroom behind floor-to-ceiling glass and a 17-square-metre terrace looking at the sea and the Old Town; Amor has a 40-square-metre terrace with the same view; Beleca and Mirakul complete the set. The largest is the Villa Kolin Residence, in a secluded part of the grounds, reached through a small pine wood and with a private pool.

03Where to eat: Pjerin and Giardino

Pjerin is the hotel's fine-dining room and its terrace looks straight at the Old Town and Lokrum. The cooking is haute Mediterranean: traditional dishes from local produce, given a modern turn under executive chef Robert Račić. The MICHELIN Guide recommends it. Pjerin serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, with dinner from 18.30 to 23.30.

Giardino is the relaxed alternative, a Mediterranean restaurant set among century-old pines in the hotel's Mediterranean garden. For something quieter, Libero Bar is a library-lounge with books, afternoon tea, smoothies and a terrace, and displays replicas of historic costume.

04Galanto, the rooftop bar

Galanto, tucked under the roof lines of the 2003 rebuild, is Dubrovnik's only rooftop bar and the hotel's best address at the end of the day. It opens daily from 16.00 to 21.00, which is to say for the sunset, when the walls and towers of the UNESCO-listed Old Town turn gold across the bay. The list leans on Croatian wines and signature cocktails.

05Villa Spa and the beach

Villa Spa was redesigned around a living wall of plants and soft, adjustable light. Treatments use Mediterranean ingredients – locally grown immortelle for the skin, carob for scrubs, essential oils for deep-tissue massage – together with the holistic skincare brand Sodashi and local organic cosmetics, and there is a Welnamis bed that uses sound and vibration for deep relaxation. The heated indoor pool sits behind floor-to-ceiling windows with a sundeck facing Lokrum; it is open from 8.00 to 21.00. A gym, sauna and steam room complete the floor, with yoga and pilates on the schedule. Below the hotel, at the foot of the cliff, is its secluded beach.

06Making the most of a stay

Ask for the Romantiko or Amor suite if a terrace facing the Old Town matters most. Sveti Jakov Beach, Orsula Park and the city walls are all a short walk away: go in the morning, then come back for the beach and the spa. Book Pjerin for one dinner and Galanto for every sunset. The concierge arranges private boats to the Elafiti Islands and wine trips to the Pelješac peninsula. Check-in is from 15.00, check-out at noon.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.