Weekend at the Bellevue
by TripAdvisor Member MrsKP
Just spent three nights at the Hotel Bellevue to celebrate our anniverary. Its an impressive contemporary hotel. Stunning seaviews from every room - although you can't see the Old Town. The layout is a little confusing - we were on the 2nd floor and had to go up in a lift - along a corridor - and then down to the beach in a separate lift.
We had a few teething problems with our room, shower was so tightly turned off that we couldn't get it to work, the TV didn't work and one of the bedroom lights wouldn't turn off so we had to call maintenance to sort things out - which they did - very efficiently.
The other slight negative was that on the windy day the beach did get a lot of rubbish washed up on to it, and it wasn't cleared away until the following day (or perhaps it was washed back out to sea again..)
Other than that though we were very impressed with the beach and the hotel - very good breakfasts offering all you could ask for - including sparkling wine! Our room was lovely - huge bed and plenty of space in the bathroom etc. All the rest of the hotel was beautifuly done and it felt clean and new. The staff were extremely helpful.
Its a good ten minute hilly walk into the Old Town. We had dinner one night at the Villa Orsula (recommended from a Trip Advisor Forum) which was perfect - but we noticed how much closer that was to the town - although at night the traffic was whizzzing down the road as it was a one way street. (Would probably be only £3-4 in a taxi though)
Needs Improvement - Read this before you stay
by TripAdvisor Member LondonUSTraveller
June 2007 stay.
I read the reviews prior to selecting this hotel and all the reviews seemed to say it would be great when renovations done, but they were cutting them slack because of renovations - renovations done still not great.
The facility has just undergone a massive renovation, but an upgraded facility does not make a 5 star hotel - service and attention to detail does - and this hotel fell short. As a frequent traveler I average about one stay per month in a 5 star hotel around the world, this hotel does not fit anywhere near that category, they are trying to be something they are not. First it is clear they are cutting corners and second their staff would be more fitting in a 2-3 star hotel.
There are some specifics that may sound picky, but at these prices you should be picky.
1. Breakfast and the food overall are not up to standard(same runny eggs every morning, no choices). But, that could be overlooked if you didn't have to go get a staff person to fill your coffee or get you cutlery, they are present just not attentive.
2. The rooms, we had a suite, which was nice and spacious. I killed two bugs, housekeeping was dreadful, the hairdryer is attached to wall with no power, they turn the a/c down, overall, again it feels as though they are cutting corners. A great suite with a beautiful view was ruined because they don't pay attention to detail.
3. Service: This is my mantra, management should travel to some real 5 star hotels and experience good service.
Turndown in a Four Seasons anywhere in the world is one step short of a good night story. Turndown in the NY Palace, they lay out a robe, slippers, turn down the bed, etc - Turndown, if it happened at Bellevue was the cleaning person handing us two chocolates at the door.
But, turndown aside, there is an overall lack of any kind of real service at this hotel, the staff are what you would expect at a 2 star hotel, they have no real attention to detail or understanding of making the guest comfortable.
I have had older rooms in need of an update in better hotels and been happier, because the service was outstanding (i.e., Savoy in London).
5. The beach is small, which again is not a problem, but they don't have enough chairs and outside of someone helping you set up an umbrella and handing you a towel there is no service. If you want a drink you have to go inside and flag down wait staff and carry it back to your chair and at $7-8 for a bottle of water I want someone to offer it to me and bring it to me. Also, a beach front hotel should have beach services.
6. I paid $46 for a manicure fine, but no base coat and no top coat so it chipped in a day. Again, it is clear they cut corners with everything they do.
7. Check your bill, we had someone elses bar tab on ours, clearly a double mistake first made in the bar (when they inverted the number and put our name on top of the bill), but caught by the guest who signed their name and wrote in big numbers the right room number, but not corrected at the bar and missed at the front desk. No attention to detail.
8. It is about a 20 minute walk to old town and sits on a very busy road, if you want food you either need to walk to old town or take a 15 minute walk in the other direction along a busy road. Again, not a problem if the hotel were worth this, secluded, but in a busy area, my deck had the next door neighbor staring at me.
It is not about the price it is all about the value for the money. I have no problem paying for great service or for a little luxury (George V - Paris is worth every penny). Each thing on its own might sound insignificant, but when combined it shows a pattern. This didn't live up to any expectations of other 5 star hotels - a solid 3 star.
Aside:
We did have one incident, which is distinct from the review. The houskeeper throws things away. She threw away our toiletries bag, she acknowledged she saw it every day, but when it was next to the garbage she assumed it was trash. With a he said she said in the lobby, with the management translating saying "she says it was in the garbage...". Common sense here, why would we throw our stuff out? I told her where it was she acknowledged throwing it out, if it was really in the trash how would she have so vividly known she threw it out - do you pay close attention to what is in a wastebasket? But, here is what put me over the edge, I had a few Q-tips left and put them on the bathroom counter, thrown out, the case for my toothbrush also on the counter thrown out - was all this in the trash? I explained to management she is throwing out things in the bathroom, but two dirty glasses stayed in the living room for 2 days, empty bottles left when she "serviced the room", because she didn't actually clean the room. The management credited us with a fair value for the lost bag and items and we were fair, we did not charge for lost prescriptions, etc., just the cost of bag and one pricier item.
Enjoyed our stay
by TripAdvisor Member TheBurgers
There have been a number of useful reviews written about the Bellevue recently and I am unable to add much which is different. We enjoyed our 5 night stay but didn't spend too much time in the hotel as there is plenty to do and see in and around Dubrovnik. I think that the hotel has been very well renovated although there is much more which could be done with the beach area. All rooms do have a fantastic view and are again tastefully decorated. Service was good without being outstanding but that said I think the hotel was only half full during our visit. It does take approx 15 mins to walk down the hill into the town but it’s pleasant enough and there are plenty of buses / taxis if you would prefer not to walk. We didn't have dinner in the hotel as the restaurant always looked empty (although the menu looked good) and there are plenty of places to eat in the town at more reasonable prices. We enjoyed meals by the harbour in Vinaria Arsenal & Poklisar and a more up market meal in Proto just off the main street through the old town.
The hotel is only 30 – 40 mins from the airport and a taxi will cost you around 35 euros. We found that the taxi drivers were very helpful and were metered so no fears of getting ripped off. We did take a trip to Montenegro which we very much enjoyed – the scenery is fantastic. Having said this please be warned that it is a long day as we were picked up at 7.30am from the Bellevue and returned at 7.30pm.
Dubrovnik is a great place to visit and we will be going back some time in the future and probably to the Bellevue although it would be nice if they could just add those finishing touches and give the hotel a bit of atmosphere.
Great hotel
by TripAdvisor Member CasperKent
We have just returned from a 10 day visit to the Bellevue. We thought it was a great hotel, decor very smart and the hotel was spotlessly clean.
The bedrooms all had fantastic sea views and were more than comfortably furnished. We found the staff very helpful and friendly.
There are only 2 areas that caused concern. We found the drinks and food very expensive. Whilst we expect to pay a premium in a 5 star hotel it does not seem to make much economic sense to price the food and drinks at least twice that of the best restuarants in Dubrovnik. Consequently the restuarant and bar were virtually empty and as a result were not particularly enticing when returning from an evening out.
Secondly the beach is advertised as private but it isn't. At times the beach was almost overwhelmed by local children and families. We do not have any problem sharing the beach with locals, in fact that adds to the holiday. The issue for us is the advertising of the beach as private
These are really 2 minor points and should not detract from the hotel itself. The staff worked tirelessly and were always on hand to help.
All told the hotel was a great choice and one we would return to.
Finally Dubrovnik is a wonderful city full of history and spectacular to see. We went there to try something different and reaaly enjoyed every minute of our stay.
Lovely Lovely Lovely
by TripAdvisor Member TheIrishFella
Well where do I start, this hotel was newly completed when we arrived. There is a fabulous private cove/beach where the hotel is located. It is 15/20 mins walk to the old town with very pleasant views. The bus service is quite good in dubrovnik also. The hotel has a spa area whihc offers reasonably priced treatments and is very professionally run.
The breakfast is excellent and the rooms are well equipped (although no tea/coffee facilities) and we had a beautiful large balcony. The staff are very friendly and there is a full time lifeguard on the small beach where loungers and towels are free for hotel guests. This place was not cheap but then accommodation is surprisingly expensive in general in dubrovnik. Overall a super place to stay in a wonderful town.
