Kalamota Beach House

I so wanted to give this hotel 5 stars as this is an immaculate and special island hotel, beautiful location, the rooftop pool, the weather, the friendly staff and activities locally and all that was indeed fab, but, the food here let it down a little for us (a family of 4 with two tweens) staying 10 nights. Breakfast (that was included) was fine (with eggs to order but missing family faves that I would have expected like eg french toast) but it was lunch and dinner that was lacking. The hotel aims for fine dining which is not what you want every night for a family. And it wasn’t nice enough to be truly fine dining if that’s what you did want. The restaurant was quite often empty showing they don’t have it quite right. There is a kids menu but there are 4 choices, pizza being one which is dependent on the boat bringing the supply which it regularly didn’t. For lunch we genuinely struggled to be able to order anything that we liked which was really disappointing for us. The rooms do have a small kitchen to help solve the food issue. Dishwasher was a welcome luxury! And microwave and hob. But where to buy your ingredients! There is a tiny shop on the “Tui” side of the island - a doable 15-20 min walk or hotel buggy ride (for E20 charge tho). But it’s “entrepreneurial” prices and very limited fresh produce. The only real choice is Dubrovnik. The ferry from the island (either the early morning ferry from the hotel bay or the later ferries from the TUI bay) take you to Gruz port in Dubrovnik in about 30 mins. Just outside the harbour is a large supermarket. Strongly advise buy all you can carry to stock up and which allowed us to cook meals and snacks without breaking the bank. But it is an effort! Otherwise there is a restaurant opposite the hotel but it’s limited, simple but fresh and mainly fish. Not cheap and cash only! Also a nice cafe restaurant on the TUI side for a change of scene. We did have a wonderful time and we truly loved exploring the island and Dubrovnik. We felt very looked after and the staff were so welcoming. Our favourite activity was a quad safari - booked through TripAdvisor - at Kojan Koral - which is a simply epic and we all agreed our best day ever!

Kalamota Beach House in early May was the perfect getaway place for our holiday. The suite was airy, spacious, well maintained with a great balcony from which to hear the sea lapping and watch fishing boats in the small harbour. The staff without exception were really friendly, helpful and professional. On the quieter side of the island it is an easy 30 min walk across to the busier main port where there is a small shop and two bars. On other lovely walks on rockier paths there are amazing views and a stunning natural wild flower meadow. Sturdy footwear recommended for these routes.

This is a little piece of heaven on earth. Starting with the island it is small and you can easily walk from the Hotel to the village which doesn't contain much but has a nice fish restaurant and a quirky little shop. It also has a very nice beach. The hotel is in a small sandy bay. It is super safe for young children. We played in it every morning and had a ball. The hotel is fabulous. Small number of lovely rooms. Having now been twice we have experienced different ones and both lovely and large. Fabulous rooftop swimming pool. Cold in the morning in a refreshing way and like a lukewarm bath in the afternoon. So quiet my daughter decided it was our private pool! The restaurant has changed from last year. Not in structure but in menu. It is not cheap but you get what you pay for. Every meal we had was beautifully presented and full of flavour. There is also a good selection of local delicious wine. Breakfast is exactly what is required. Good selection of hot and cold food. As with so many places what makes it special is the staff. The manager Mario is very hands on. This was our second visit and he had gone to the bother of remembering our names and was always available to talk to. Valentina, his assistant is the consummate professional. Anything you need she gets. Special mention for Katerina in the restaurant. My 9 year old daughter had broken her wrist a week before we went and Katerina was especially sweet to her. However a great worker as well. Superb English and super keen to help. My daughter wants to go there every year. Who knows she may get her wish!