We decided against going into a large Hotel in the Opatija Town Centre and how right we were to do so. The Villa Ariston is ideally situated just on the outskirts of the town right on the coast. A very small hotel with just seven room; we decided to take the Junior Suite and were not disappointed. Perhaps the most memorable part of our stay was the service we received from every single one of the staff team from the very hands on Director, Cynthia, through to the Waiters, Reception, Cleaner and the Chef - they could not have done more for us. Always meeting any small off–the-cuff suggestion or wish -- We felt like VIPs!

The Junior Suite is very spacious and whilst it does not have a balcony it does have tremendous views of the Adriatic and the gardens -- a very peaceful setting with good air conditioning and an amazingly strong shower. The bathroom is bigger than most hotel rooms itself and it all just gives a sense of space.

As I said the location of the Villa is just on the outskirts of the main town, but is just 20 minutes casual walk along a very extensive promenade, which was used by Emperor Franz Josef I (Austro-Hungarian Empire) for his daily exercise - this promenade extends for around 10 miles. This promenade stretches along the coastal region and takes you past some wonderful villas constructed during the Austro/Hungarian Empire period. Many are dilapidated now through lack of use and development, but are nevertheless a worthwhile study. If you are not up to walking back, a Taxi will cost you about 40 Kuna (less than £5) and takes 5 minutes.

Opatija is a very vibrant and busy city that has a history of elegance and grandeur although, as stated before, some of the larger Hotels and Villas have sadly been left to deteriorate -- probably due to a diminishing tourist trade during the Balkan wars. Whilst there is no swimming pool at the Ariston hotel, they do have their own private access to the Adriatic, though it's important to point out that there are many steep-ish steps to get down to the man-made platform where the swimming pool style steps take you into the sea (we are both recently retired, but found no real difficulty in negotiating these steps). However, we were there in May and for us the sea was too cold to undertake this particular venture.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the five-day visit was our stay in the Hotel itself with the range of amazing food on the menu -- presented in a most attractive way and always with the option of personalising what appears on your plate. Ante, the senior waiter has a wealth of knowledge of local wines and happy to talk about all of the food that is on offer. The impression was, they wanted to provide you with what you desired rather than what might be the most expensive; whether that was for food or wine.

We will certainly consider returning to the Villa Ariston and can certainly recommend it to those who want to visit Opatija and yet appreciate a tranquil environment where the quality of service and cuisine is top of the shop. We would suggest that the Junior Suite is a best option if you would like to have sea views and a real sense of space -- if you have a little more money and also want a balcony then the Presidential Suite is something to consider - particularly if you want to follow in the footsteps of (as we understand it) famous visitors such as the Habsburgs, Coco Chanel, and President John F. Kennedy & Jacquie Kennedy -- you can't get better recommendation than that can you?)
(the father of King Josef II, whose assassination instigated world War one)