Boutique Hotel Marco Polo — lostwithlina.com

Against a backdrop of sapphire seas, olive groves and pine forests on Mount Biokovo, Boutique Hotel Marco Polo is arguably the most untouched, intimate and laidback hotel in Gradac.

Marco Polo is a boutique-style, family-run hotel situated directly on the seafront of the well-known Makarska Riviera. It is so much more than a boutique hotel; it is an entire experience. From the cosy, comfortable and authentic accommodations to the finest Dalmatian cuisine served at the hotel’s restaurant, Nicolo Polo; Boutique Hotel Marco Polo oozes relaxation and stands out as the ideal place to spend your summer holiday.

The owners of Marco Polo have invested a piece of themselves in every detail of the hotel and have created an atmosphere more akin to your family beach house, steeped in warmth and tradition, rather than your average boutique hotel. The owner goes out of his way to interact and mingle with the guests, and all the staff are extremely friendly, hospitable and treat guests as if they’re family members.

With only 25 guest rooms, Marco Polo offers the highest of standards at normal prices, coupled with unique and personalised guest services. The owner devotes a day a week to accompany guests on private excursions and outings that he personally tailors to meet the guests’ wishes, including private tours of historic Dubrovnik and lagoon tours, visits to the wine regions, boats trips over to the Peljesac peninsula and to the oyster farms.

With the Adriatic right on its doorstep, guests not only have private access to the hotel’s floating beach pontoon and its sun-beds, but they can also make use of the hotel’s many inflatables. The beach itself is long, narrow and covered in pebbles with water so clear I could see the fishes in front of me. The hotel also features various leisure areas where you can soak up those Croatian rays, including a rooftop sun terrace, an outdoor swimming pool with views overlooking the sea and an outdoor jacuzzi.

LOCATION & HOW TO GET HERE

A stay at Boutique Hotel Marco Polo will place you in the centre of the picturesque Gradac, the heart of Dalmatia, along the Makarska Riviera. A beautiful seaside town, perched right on the edge of the Adriatic, Gradac has been welcoming visitors for centuries. Accustomed to such visitors, it is now a justly popular tourist destination. Gradac is the centre of a namesake municipality consisting of five settlements - Brist, Drvenik, Gradac, Podaca and Zaostrog. The southernmost municipality in Split-Dalmatia County, it lies 40km south of Makarska and just over 100km north of Dubrovnik. It is famed for its mouth-watering presentation of sumptuous Mediterranean cuisine, pristine waters for swimming and some of the best beaches in Dalmatia to soak up the sun.

Gradac is conveniently located between Split and Dubrovnik airports, and is approximately 15-minutes from Drvenik Ferry Port. You can reach Marco Polo by car, however, during high season the road along the main Riviera through Gradac is closed. If you’re driving, follow the signs towards the hotel and temporarily park your car on the Riviera in front of the beach, and after the check-in, the staff will either park your car for you or show you the different parking options.

SUITES & ACCOMMODATION

Built in 2000 and having undergone a renovation in 2004, Boutique Hotel Marco Polo consists of 25 comfortable rooms, made up of 3 different room categories: no balcony, balcony street view and balcony sea view. Our room, a mini suite, was spacious and airy with high ceilings and furniture in natural sandy shades opening up to a balcony that gave us the perfect view of Gradac riviera, which spans 16km. All rooms feature air-conditioning, free WiFi, minibars, complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.

CULINARY DELIGHTS

Fall hook, line and sinker for Marco Polo’s restaurant, Nicolo Polo, which offers superb Dalmatian cuisine paired with local Croatian wines. The laidback restaurant sits pretty on the seaside, and is the ideal spot for people watching and has knee-weakening views: come for sunset and stay put until your thirst is quenched and belly is satisfied. The menu features delicious local ingredients and unless you’re cursed with a seafood allergy (poor thing), you can’t bypass the local mussels and oysters – they’re famous for good reason. The just-plucked-from-the-sea fish is another obvious highlight.