Royal Princess Hotel

We chose the Royal Princess because it has only 54 rooms, so we expected a more personal experience and a good level of service. Unfortunately, that was not what we experienced.

We booked a sea-view room and the view really was fabulous. The room was also very clean.

However, the overall experience did not meet the standards we would expect from a 5-star hotel. For us, it felt much more like a 4-star experience.

From the moment we arrived, there was no warm welcome. We were essentially ignored at check-in until we were eventually asked, “Passports please, have you booked with us?” There was no friendly greeting or sense that our arrival was particularly valued.

The breakfast was disappointing, with the hot food being tepid. We reported this to the hotel, along with our concerns about the check-in experience. The buffet area was also chaotic. If you’re looking for the porridge, it’s in the container next to the baked beans! We also felt the orange juice tasted as though it was from concentrate.

The bedroom, although large, had a strange and impractical layout. There was a kitchenette, but no utensils or useful equipment. In reality, all you really need is a fridge. The wardrobe my partner used was actually positioned in the kitchen area. We joked that we could bring breakfast back to the room and warm it up in the microwave!

There were no USB charging points in the room, which seems surprising for a refurbished room in a 5-star hotel. The room could also have benefited from some pictures or artwork to make it feel more welcoming.

Only one bottle of water was provided during our stay, which was disappointing for a hotel of this standard.

The bathrooms have poor lighting. The L’Occitane toiletries sound like a lovely luxury touch, but be aware that they contain SLS, which some guests may be sensitive to. We are, although fortunately we always bring our own toiletries.

The bed linen itself was nice, but one of the sheets had a hole in it. Again, this is not something we would expect from a 5-star property.

There is also no mirror in the bedroom, which makes getting ready rather difficult. There is a large TV in the bedroom, backing onto another TV in the lounge, but no suitable mirror where you can sit and do your hair or makeup.

The wall-mounted hairdryers in the bathroom were another issue. They would cut out after about a minute. Fortunately, we eventually found a handheld hairdryer in the wardrobe.

We also experienced an issue at the Ariston one morning while sunbathing. My partner politely asked a group of staff who were having a meeting and talking loudly to please be considerate of guests. Perhaps it was simply because the season was coming to an end, but there seemed to be a lack of awareness of guests around them.

Overall, a lovely sea view with a fabulous sunset view, and a very clean hotel, but in our opinion the service, and attention to detail do not consistently reflect a 5-star standard, but are all relatively quick fixes.

The resort is beautiful! We were in the royal princess hotel suite and everything was perfect, the view especially. We were even provided with a kaut for my toodler which was great! Everything was clean and peaceful. And the Food was amazing:) I would for sure recommend coming here with your family even little ones Because it was just paradise and everything was perfect.

What an incredible experience at the Royal Princess, made even better by the interaction & guidance from Leona Simovic who was friendly ,charming & informative. Dubrovnik has to one of the best cities we ever visited.