Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi

"Amazing stay with breathtaking views! The Iberostar Montenegro offers truly stunning scenery that takes your breath away. The food at the main restaurant was incredible, and we loved the snacks available at the pool bar. The staff were absolutely brilliant — couldn’t have been more helpful or friendly. We enjoyed a lovely boat ride taxi to the charming town of Herceg Novi, which was a highlight of our trip. While we didn’t catch the evening entertainment, there were various options every night for those interested. The resort seems more suited to couples, as it didn’t appear to have many activities for children, although they do offer a kids club (we didn’t sample it). The night-time bar was quite small, but very nice and cozy. Overall, a fantastic place for relaxation, wonderful views, and great service. Would highly recommend for couples looking for a peaceful getaway!"

"We only stayed one night (booked very last minute - same afternoon - due to not being allowed into Bosnia in our Albanian rental car) and it turned out to be the last night of their season!! I could have done without being told that several times by the receptionist as it really wasn't my fault. Nonetheless, having told me that they might not have a room after all, she soon found one. The beds weren't made up (they had already closed half of the hotel so this was understandable) but this was immediately rectified after a quick visit to reception. The room was lovely, the view was incredible, the food was very nice and a great selection. Hard to judge much more as it was October (the pool bar was open but we were the only guests there) and our stay was brief and unplanned. I would happily pay to return here for a proper holiday though. I just think the receptionist could do better by internalising her thoughts about a certain hotel booking website allowing a last minute booking rather than moaning about it to the customer...I had had a long enough day as it was! I suspect that this is not the usual service received here however reading through other reviews."

"A nice hotel overall, up to the usual good Iberostar standards, Positives: Hotel is in an attractive location, directly on the bay. It feels peaceful and pleasantly remote. The waterfront area is well managed, with plenty of sunbeds, access to the water for swimming, and a pleasant beach bar. There is also a large main pool area with pool bar. The rooms and bathrooms are modern, relatively spacious, fresh and up to date (even if the buildings have a bit of a flavour of Soviet-era concrete blocks). The beds are comfortable, and there's a mini fridge (and water filling stations in the hallways). The food in the restaurant was very good. There's a wide choice at every meal, with special themes and treats from time to time (such as a big cheese display or free shots at dinner). The show cooking area is used for making fried eggs and omelettes at breakfast, and for cooking a selection of fish and meats at lunch and dinner. I particularly enjoyed the extensive salad bar, the choice of fruit and the opportunity to have freshly cooked calamari or roast lamb at some meals. There is gluten free bread and cereal available, and some (but not all) dishes are clearly labelled as vegan/ gluten free. Drinks including wine on tap were fine. The staff were nearly all helpful and engaging. The maitre d' welcoming guests at dinner is a nice touch. There is also a rep who can advise on daytrips and make bookings with their partner agency, Trend Travel. I enjoyed the trips I made in the area. The full day boat tour of beautiful Kotor Bay with Petar Boats was excellent and I'd highly recommend it. I also enjoyed taking the local taxi boat to the sleepy nearby village of Rose across the bay one afternoon. Winetasting at the Savina Winery was also really enjoyable. Finally, I'm glad I went to Budva by bus as the old town was lovely, but the public bus service there and back was late, slow and rather painful. Room for improvement: While I was happy with everything overall, there are a few points to bear in mind. The location, while lovely and peaceful, is about 10km by road from the centre of Herceg Novi, and the walk isn't walkable to all intents and purposes. The local bus service is extremely limited, so you are forced to use the Petar Boats ferry service from the hotel jetty, which is great and runs hourly, but is rather steep at €15 per day. Or the hotel is happy to book a taxi (which comes quickly) at around €12 one way. So there is effectively a daily "location tax" when staying here, which you need to factor into your budgeting - and to build into your timings too. Also, the hotel staff were unwilling to suggest an alternative travel company when their partner Trend Travel cancelled a trip I was booked on. I get that's their partner, but to not help guests in this sort of situation felt off. Although the restaurant space itself is very pleasant, it was also vey busy at peak times (one night the staff were turning people away saying it was full). As this was October and off-peak, I'd worry what it must be like in peak season. The resort is rather spread out and it felt strange that there was no large central bar and entertainment area. Instead they use the outside poolside area. This was less than ideal in October when the nights were very chilly and there was rain some days. Finally, by nature of geography, the resort is very hilly with lots of steps and the 'beach' area is rather small, narrow and lacks sand - none of this was a problem for me but it may be relevant for others."