‘It looks like a cruise ship sailing into the harbor,’ I say as we look at the fluid black and white design of the hotel Lone in Rovinj. ‘No,’ my kids interrupt. »It’s like a wave hitting the shore,« they say. While we might disagree on the what the distinct shape of the hotel reminds us of, after two days spent here, we all agree hotel Lone is one of our favorite hotels. Why?
Location, location, location
When it comes to location, I don’t think it gets better than hotel Lone : nestled in the thick pine tree forest, presiding over a bay dotted with tiny islands in the distance. And the picturesque town of Rovinj is only 15 minutes of leisurely walk away.
A weekend stay here gave us a chance to unwind, to escape the daily grind but with so much to do in and around the hotel there was no risk of being bored or lonely at any point. On the contrary, we wished we could’ve stayed longer. There was still so much left to explore of the hotel’s neighborhood.
Even though we started the second we arrived. We just dropped the luggage on the plush carpet of our room and headed out to wander the cobbled streets of Rovinj.
The room with a view
Hotel Lone, a uniquely modern hotel with a distinctive y-shape that makes the building seem fluid, has 236 spacious rooms and 12 suits. The best have a render-me-speechless view of the bay and pine tree forest. It was this view that made me wake up before seven the following morning.
I leaned over the fence on the terrace and soaked up the view, while a soft scent of lavender growing on the terrace filled my lungs and added the right touch to the already perfect picture.
I love how inconspicuously the hotel encompasses the best of its surroundings. It works with the elements: design fluid like the sea, trees growing on the ground floor, lavender, bay leaf decorating the balconies and open plan reception and the lobby where it’s hard to tell where the hotel ends and the outside begins.
Back in the room the rest of the family was stirring. The black and white might seem to be predominate colors used not just in the rooms but throughout the hotel. Yet the right touches of other colors and wooden objects and furniture make the rooms warm, homey and comfortable.
No wonder nobody was in a hurry to get up. The magic word – breakfast finally did the trick.
Breakfast is king
My favorite thing about hotels is the breakfast in the morning and hotel Lone doesn’t disappoint here either.
The hotel has three restaurants. Breakfast is served in the restaurant On. Floor to glass windows are the most distinctive feature of the aesthetically designed space. They let the morning sun stream in and it almost felt like eating outside on the terrace. Also an option – but it was still a bit too cold for comfort.
With an abundance of different types of eggs, croissants, donuts, variety of cheeses – I tried the local Istrian cow cheese , Illy coffee prepared to your liking, different options for juice , kids’ favorite cereals,…
They offer Čokolino – a type of chocolate cereal our kids love.
… three different types of honey. I’ve never seen honey with chili but I was too chicken to try it out. I did however try quail eggs.
Did I mention there were so many different egg meals I was so relieved we were here for two days and I’d have a chance to try a few. What can I say our favorite meal of the day is breakfast and if we can we start it with egg and bacon. Yep, you guessed it they had bacon too.
So, after the hearty breakfast – though you could have a diet one too – they have that option as well, but ooh poor you -if you had to skip the delicacies. It’s far better to just do your best to lose the calories with a walk, a swim, or use the gym the hotel provides than not indulge in the breakfast.
Plenty of activities
You guessed it, after breakfast exploring beckoned even though the kids were begging us to let them hit the pool.
We exited the hotel and in less than a minute we were at the pebbled lone beach. I bet it gets crowded here in the Summer but this time all of it was just for us. A short stop and ten stones thrown into the sea later, we decided to take a gravel path to the left.
Turn right and a paved pedestrian road leads you all the way to the old part of Rovinj.
Our path was perfectly lined with pine trees on one side and the rocky beaches on the other. We loved the quiet, with only our daughters’ voices interrupting the silence. Do note that we headed out for a walk early in the morning.
Can you believe that the gravel path made me wish I was a runner! Even though I hate it. I was severely tempted by the beautiful surroundings.
If for some reason you don’t want to venture out, the hotel has many amenities to keep you busy. A great pool, which we tried the second the walk was over and to my utter dismay the next morning too. I had packing to do . Then there are: a spa, sauna, whirlpool, gym… you name it.
It also has a lovely outdoor pool, but it wasn’t yet fully operational while we were staying there.
The kids can enjoy the little playground outside as well as the Mini Club on the ground floor.
and the food, again
And I can’t forget the food. On Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays after 6:00 pm The Restaurant E offers delicious Sushi. Restaurant L is perfect for dinning in the evening. But you know what? We did so much that day, that when we finally ensconced ourselves on the couch in our room, Room Service sounded the most appealing.
One burger and crunchy salad later, we were ready to call it a day. A perfect day.
Hotel Lone is certainly no lone star, it deserves its five and with the great location, smart design and diverse options it has plenty working in its favor. It is now one of our favorite places.
