Hotel Kompas

,We made the right choice and really enjoyed our stay here ,all the staff go out of there way to make you feel welcome. The hotel is very clean , fresh and modern with a relaxed quiet atmosphere, with the most amazing views of Lapad Bay. Our room 609 a superior twin was very clean, had every thing you could possibly need, super comfy beds, very quiet and of course the fantastic view of the bay and beautiful sunsets. The little touches made it all the more special, chocolates delivered to your room every evening and a cake as I was celebrating my 60th Birthday. The food was of a good standard, plenty of breakfast options, evening meal was either from the menu ( 4 options for each course) lovely dishes and well presented and the service was exceptional ,(in particular Felix and Justin, just great always there to help, a pleasure to have our meal served by them), or from the buffet, lots of varied choice, allergies all catered for. My husband had developed an unusual food intolerance just before our holiday, the restaurant staff and chef went out of their way to help ,nothing was too much trouble for them, particularly the Restaurant Manager, possibly called Laura, sorry didnt get her name. Enjoyed the pool area and bar, very clean and quiet, always plenty of sunbeds when you returned from Dubrovnik. The Spa / indoor pool area is lovely. and offer lots of lovely relaxing spa treatments. Lapad itself didnt offer us much, a few bars restaurants, Tomys supermarket and a few beach/ ice cream shops, but we were only using it as a base for Dubrovnik and surrounding areas. The beach is just outside the hotel, very clean, had a swim but didnt spend much time there. Take the coastal walk and enjoy one of the many bathing areas along the route or walk to the harbour, you will find a few nice restaurants there. Catch the number 4 bus (turn left out of the Hotel Beach exit, pass the beach take next right, past the beach shop, turn left up the hill bus stop on your right, much quieter than the number 6 on the main road.( No queuing system though) Thank you, we had a really nice holiday at the Kompas and would definitely return if we visit Dubrovnik again.

My experiences at the Kompas Hotel I'm a regular guest at the Kompas Hotel, and over the years I've noticed quite a few changes during my stays, especially in the restaurant. Five years ago, the restaurant management seemed rather unstructured, but over the past five years, several managers have come and gone, helping to bring more structure to the way things are run.

These improvements were thanks to Kate (who left to join another company, which was a real loss, as she was the friendliest senior waiter I've ever met in Dubrovnik), Željko (who used to work only the dinner shift but has retired now, I believe) and Danijel (who works only the morning shift).

Željko and Danijel are both real people people. They know how to strike the right balance between what guests would like on the one hand and what is practically possible to ensure the restaurant runs smoothly on the other. Both are helpful and understanding in a professional way, without going over the top.

A special thanks to Mirijana, too, for making the effort to come over and say hello every morning. I'm autistic (I have what used to be known as Asperger's syndrome), and even such a small gesture of attention makes a big difference to me. Because I struggle with social skills, I'm not very good at the give-and-take of everyday conversation. So, for me, these little moments of contact really matter.

Another special thanks goes to Felix and Justin, who have to work away from home and are always helpful to the guests. I really hope the Croatian members of staff look after them just as well as they look after the guests.

Music. I still wonder why more Croatian music isn't played in restaurants and bars in Dubrovnik. Croatians are rightly proud of their heritage, yet I suppose economic considerations sometimes take precedence over promoting their own culture. There are so many excellent Croatian artists whose music suits all sorts of occasions. From the sing-along classics of Doris Dragović, Mišo Kovač and Oliver Dragojević to Natali Dizdar's jazzy, sweet coffee music, there's something for every mood and every setting. Surely, all these artists could find a place somewhere in Dubrovnik's restaurants and bars! Tourists visit a place to experience the local way of life, don't they? I find it difficult to understand why some travellers go abroad on holiday only to eat the same food, see the same things and listen to the same music they enjoy at home. I believe tourists should show respect for the local culture and make an effort to discover what makes a place unique. And what better way to do that than through its music?