Croatia’s hotels used to have a reputation for being a little dated — a collection of hulking, sad-looking resorts with dreary décor, bang-average service and lacklustre food. Maslina Resort is the antithesis of all of this. It is architecturally stunning, as well designed as any boutique hotel you’ll find in Europe and sustainable to boot. It’s what they call ‘Mindful Luxury’ – code for cool and unstuffy with decent eco credentials. Owned by a French family, the hotel is the passion project of daughter Maude Truchi. Her five-star hotel boasts an enviable location on Hvar, overlooking Maslinica Bay, a forward-looking wellness programme and blissful interiors.
Maslina Resort is camouflaged by pine trees on a verdant hillside north of Hvar, overlooking the glassy Adriatic waters of Maslinica Bay. The sleepy, picture postcard harbour of Stari Grad, one of the island’s oldest towns (its name means Old Town) is around 30 minutes by foot. Here, you’ll find Lod Barba Luke, a sweet local restaurant with excellent service and even better fresh seafood and local wines. Hvar town, the liveliest town on the island, is around a 15-minute car ride away. Looming above the city is the Fortica Fortress, an ancient citadel open to the public and offers spellbinding views over Hvar and beyond. Logistic-wise, the closest airport to Maslina is Split on the mainland, so guests must take a ferry (around two hours) or private boat (around one hour) to reach the island.
All of Maslina’s 50 rooms and suites (including its three villas) have minimalist, earthy-hued, laid-back luxury interiors more reminiscent of Bali than Croatia – white drapes, local terracotta stone, monochrome boho rugs, sunken beds, and blonde Japandi rattan furniture. Chic pendant light fixtures, with various dimming settings, look the part, but lamps would do a better job dialling up the ambience. The sound of the ocean provides a gentle meditation, but Marshall speakers are on hand if you want to play your favourite tracks or podcasts.
Rooms also have large desks complete with mid-century Scandinavian-style lamps and direct views out to sea. However, the raison d’être is that the first round in minibar is complimentary. It contains everything from beer and wine to Coke, Sprite, fruit juice, and San Pellegrino. Candied lemon rind and roasted sugary nuts are a sweet touch unless you’re allergic.
TVs have few English channels and no screen mirroring, but the views over the Adriatic from the balcony trump any movie. Bathrooms incorporate beautiful Brač stone sinks, wooden bathtubs, and thunderous rainfall showers. Cafetieres are preferred over coffee machines (to fit the hotel’s eco credentials), and there’s a range of teas, from green and black to orange and ginger rooibos – all served in dainty black Japanese-esque teapots.
If there were an area Maslina could improve, it’d be its culinary offering. Breakfast is fine. There’s an à la carte menu with avocado and poached eggs, an exceptional truffle mushroom omelette, chia seed pudding and porridge. Plus, a slightly underwhelming buffet with smoothies, fruit, cheese and ham.
The onsite restaurant, however, which comes Michelin-recommended (with high prices to match), needs a little work. Dishes look exceptional, and the turbot in Beurre Blanc sauce with fennel truly is, but elsewhere, there are issues with consistency. Credit must be given for the hotel’s dedication to sourcing local ingredients and focussing on seasonality (Maslina has its own organic garden just a few hundred metres away). On another positive note, desserts are a cut above. The lemon meringue tart, a zesty, sugary celebration, is divine, and the pistachio cheesecake received rave reviews from fellow diners.
Most team members at Maslina Resort are engaging, charming and ready to help at any opportunity. Front desk staff greet guests with big smiles, offer suggestions and local knowledge, or tell them where Garfield is (the rotund, ginger adopted house cat). The service in the restaurant can be a tad slow, with waiting staff forgetting to take orders occasionally. Endearing French waitress Cara, however, is a breath of fresh air – knowledgeable, efficient, keen and passionate about providing quality dining experiences. The upbeat spa staff are a pleasure and appear to enjoy hearing about your day.
You’d struggle to find comfier sunbeds anywhere in the world than at Maslina Resort. The luxurious, soft doubles come with adjustable pillows and overlook either a large pool framed by pines or a smaller infinity pool with jets and sea views. There’s also a small sandy beach open to the public – a few minutes walk away, plus plenty of places to plunge into the clear sea.
Wellness is part of Maslina’s DNA. Pharomatiq, which pays tribute to Pharos (Stari Grad’s old Greek name), is the hotel’s serene spa incorporating aromatic scents of pine and lavender – Hvar was once one of the world’s biggest exporters. Treatments are available at extra cost, ranging from deep tissue massages to reflexology foot treatments.
Maslina also offers a range of complimentary experiences, including sound baths, yoga, tours of its organic garden and intensive running classes. The fancy gym, in the same building as the spa, has eco, wooden treadmills, water-powered rowing machines and knockout views across the bay. Guests can access a steam room, Scandinavian sauna, hammam and warm dipping pool with water jets downstairs. Shuttles to and from Stari Grad are also available until around 10 p.m.
The forward-thinking hotel is a blend of adult well-being and family-friendly. The Playground is a children’s club that teaches young ones about science and the environment.
Fact Box
Rooms: Double rooms from around £345 per night, including breakfast (low season)
Website: maslinaresort.com
Address: Uvala Maslinica 11, 21460, Stari Grad, Croatia
