Nestled amongst a forest of lush pine trees, with a view looking out to the Adriatic sea and rich woodland behind it, lies Croatia’s first Design Hotel, The Lone. Like a futuristic cruise ship that has decided to dock on land, it looks out of place but at the same time like it was always meant to be there.
Part of the Maistra group of luxury hotels in Rovinj, the Lone is a blend of blend of luxury, beauty, style and cultural heritage and TLE got the chance to experience everything that this simply stunning hotel had to offer on a recent trip to Rovinj (read our guide to the town).
What to Expect
From the moment you arrive it is clear to see that The Lone is all about design; from the communal areas right through to the finishes in each bedroom, virtually everything has been designed specifically for this hotel.
The hotel is set across six floors with three restaurants, a wellness spa (more about this later on) an outdoor pool area and beach.
To the left of the Lone is the Eden and to the right the Monte Mulini. A ten minute walk and you are in the centre of Rovinj. (read our guide to Rovinj town)
Check In and Welcome
Walking through the main entrance you are immediately met with the wow factor that this building oozes. arriving on level two the entrance foyer provides views up to the top of the building and right down to the
I was greeted by two members of staff, given a thorough brief of everything in the hotel, you receive two towel tickets with your stay which you need to use to get a beach towel outside and also those magic words were spoken “free wifi throughout the hotel and no login needed” (why can’t every luxury hotel do this!!). In fact the wifi worked right down at the beach as I sat sunbathing on a lounger. Millenials you will be happy in The Lone.
The Room
The hotel has 236 rooms and 12 suites. Rooms come in 4 styles; Premium, which we stayed in are 33 sqm with a generously proportioned bathroom; Grand rooms are 37 sqm. If you want something extra special book a Jazz room which includes its own private balcony and pool on the balcony! The last room type are the family class rooms.
We had a premium room on the 5th floor which presented a view out to sea and the forest behind (if you want a sea view take a room on the right-hand side of the hotel) although every room in the hotel has a view the right has slightly better ones.
The bedrooms are finished in wood and stone with fabric finishes across the bed wall and sidewall. There is a separate reading area with two bespoke chairs and each bedroom includes its own balcony.
Some of the little finishing touches I liked
I love, love, love (Malin + Goetz) products so I was super excited to see that the hotel stocked them as their bathroom amenities and they don’t cut corners there were 8 large tubes of the brand in the bathroom.
On arrival there was fresh fudge, fresh orange juice, in a lightbulb shaped bottle and two bottles of mineral water.
Some of the sensible stuff I liked
The wall to wall mirror in the bathroom is super useful when you are getting ready and for taking selfies….
Mentioned already but there is free wifi in the rooms and there is a plug point on each side of the bed/s!
The room also has a well stocked mini bar, laptop safe, the lighting isn’t super complicated to use, but you can change the lighting in the room to suit your mood.
The bathroom is larger than a regular bathroom given the size of the room, the oversized sink is good if there are two of you fighting for the sink and there is a seperate shower and bath. The whole bathroom is finished in rich dark tiles.
Rest of the Hotel
Wellness Spa – I was told the Croatians are not prudes and this is certainly true in the spa department. The wellness spa is a large complex 1700 sqm, which Monte Mulini guests can also use. With indoor pool, and substantial gym as well as hydropool centre there is plenty to choose from. My prudish British senses kicked in when I realised that the spa area must be done in the nip, however I went for it and let the wind beneath my wings and after a few mins forgot I was sitting in a sauna with nothing on talking to my friend.
Spa – If you are looking to peel back the years the Wellness spa also has a range of massage treatments to unwind.
Outdoor Pool – The hotel has a large outdoor pool area (in fact it is a few pools on various levels with an outdoor bar a brief two min walk past the pool area and you are at the beach.
Dining – The hotel has three restaurants ‘L’ ‘On’ and ‘E’ as well as a bar and deli. We tried out ‘On’ when we were there, which is on the ground floor and opens out to the terraced outdoor area. Food focus is on ‘slow food’ using Central-European recipes and is reasonably priced and a thumbs up for having a number of vegetarian dishes.
Breakfast – Anyone that knows me knows I am a greedy pig, so a substantial buffet breakfast makes my eyes light up and the Lone doesn’t let itself down. As you can see from the pics there is a massive choice of food breakfast food, being veggie I like the fact that there was a big selection of veggie options too – they have a chef that cooks eggs to order and i though what was quite nice was that they had tofu as well, not something you normally see in a hotel breakfast.
What made it special?
Staff are friendly and helpful, but it is the hotel’s unique design combined with stunning location that makes it extra special. You won’t find many hotels with this standard of contemporary finish set next to crystal clear water (and I mean crystal clear) and a stunning historic town a stones throw away thrown into the bargain.
The Finances
A night at the Lone start from €110 per night (approx. £78), including breakfast and VAT.
Would I recommend it?
The Lone hotel is out of this world. It won’t suit everyone, in my option it is more for couples than a family. Paired with its easy access to the town centre and extensive pool area its perfect for a complete chill out.
Address: Ul. Luje Adamovića, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Phone: +385 52 632 000
Web: www.lonehotel.com/en/
