"Having stayed in the Valamar chain of hotels in Croatia a few times before it was a natural choice when looking for accommodation. Expectations were high and the Marea Suites certainly delivered.
Location - transfer from Pula airport took around 45 mins Hotel is in prime location … close enough to porridge to enjoy the town, but far enough away for a peaceful stay Its about a 20 minute walk to the harbour/old town. The access to the coastal path is literally outside with a few bars, cafes, along the way. Alternatively there is a small tourist train which runs every 40 minutes, takes 15 minutes, and cost €2.50. Having said that it’s a nice walk to the harbour with some great views, especially when the sun sets. There’s a small supermarket, and a couple of gear shops within a five minutes walk.
Check In - all very efficient and welcoming and reception took time to give details about the hotel. We were given a voucher for a welcome drink with our choice, and this could be used at any time during our stay.
Room - room was fabulous and being on the top floor no noise at all. I really good size with a large balcony giving a great view bathroom all very clean with a really good. Mini fridge in the room helped to keep your drinks cool and there is also a safe.
The air conditioning was good and lots of power sockets . WiFi excellent in room and across the hotel, even down to the beach .
Cleanliness - very good. Room service very good and hotel public areas were spotless
Food - buffet style … breakfast with good choice of fruits, cereals, breads, pastries etc. Also had oysters and Prosecco for a touch of luxury Dinner buffet quite similar in style with a good choice with meats, fish, pasta, pizza. Lots of local Croatian style dishes to try Tasty fresh salads were delicious and always different mixes/combinations. Nice desserts and cheeseboard. Choice of delicious gelato every night with at least six different flavours on offer Water and fruit juice included in price.
The food itself was delicious but the one thing that let it down was temperature especially if eating around 8 pm. Many of the dishes were at best warm, rather than hot.
Pools - spoilt for choice … main pool (salt water), beach club with infinity pool and a warm 24c Adriatic Sea to swim in. ice pool area with infinity pool looking out to the beach/sea. Also a great kids pool for the little ones including two water slides. Numerous sunbeds, no reserving and all so relaxed no matter what time of day. Our favourite area was the beach club.
Outdoor areas … lots of seating and all very nicely laid out. Cold drinks and snacks available free of charge and don’t miss the bubbly hour for free Prosecco and ice cream.
Entertainment - only available two nights but guess that’s as we were nearing the end of the summer season. Lots available for little ones though.
Drinks - similar price to outside hotel which is always a good thing. Good choice of beer, wines and cocktails which we really enjoyed. If you are on a budget then there is a supermarket just down the road so you can cut costs by purchasing and keeping cool in the mini fridge.
Staff - so welcoming, helpful and professional … a real highlight of our stay. Valamar definitely have it right when it comes to customer service.
Concierge - we booked two trips … Istrian Highlights and Sparkling Wine Tasting. Both were excellent and a huge thank you to Petra who was so so helpful. We emailed a few weeks before our holiday with a number of questions and she went out of her way to ensure we had the best possible experience. Her advice allowed us to both organise a couple of trips, and do our own thing. Her warmth and friendliness shone through and she is an absolute credit to the hotel.
Important to add that ALL of the staff were totally customer focussed and did all they could to ensure an enjoyable stay.
Porec - fabulous little town with a great mixture of shops, bars, restaurants and sight seeing. Don’t miss the basilica a UNESCO world heritage site.
In summary … we had a great stay and loved Porec. We found the hotel so chilled, and the town and surrounding area fabulous. One highlight was sitting out each evening with a cold beer, watching the stunning sunsets. We would highly recommend the Marea Suites."
