Private Accommodation: What to Expect

Kitchen in Apartment Lukre, Dubrovnik

Private accommodation in Croatia is heavily regulated, categorized and rated. Rooms and apartments are awarded one to four stars depending on size, amenities and service (although the one-star category is being phased out, now applying only to older accommodation units). The goal is to enforce a certain standardization and to coordinate apartment categories with hotel categories. That is, a three-star apartment should roughly correspond to a three-star hotel.

Whether you book private accommodation online or opt for on-the-spot accommodation, it helps to know what to expect. Consider the following:

Size

Size certainly does matter when you're on holiday and the difference between the categories is significant. The following is for two-person studios:
Two-star: minimum 19 sq m. (204 sq feet)
Three-star: minimum 22 sq m.
Four-star: minimum 25 sq m

For three and four-person apartments, add another 5 sq m per person.

Bed Linen

Bed linen is always included and is changed for each new guest (thank heavens!). You can request extra pillows in three and four-star accommodation. In two-star rooms and apartments the linen is changed once a week. In a three-star apartment, linen is changed every three days and in four-star accommodation every other day.

Kitchen Facilities

All studios and apartments come with basic dishes, glasses, silverware, pots etc. plus at least a two-burner cooker and a fridge. A four-star unit will provide an oven, microwave or grill plus a cooker hood.

Bathroom Facilities

An en-suite bathroom is required. Although a hair-dryer is only required at the four-star level, as a practical matter, you'll find it at all levels. Soap is provided but shampoo and a shower cap is only required at the four-star level.

Other Comforts

Satellite TV with international channels is not required for two-star apartments but nearly always provided. Air-conditioning along the coast is also fairly standard for two-star apartments although not required. Some apartments provide wireless internet access but this feature seems to have no relationship to any category. A telephone line is not provided; it is highly advisable to arrive with a mobile phone. Breakfast is entirely optional and rarely provided.

Miscellaneous

Most owners tack on a supplement for a short stay (less than three nights)
Apartments often are rented on a Saturday to Saturday time frame
Payment is always in cash--even if you reserved online with a credit card
Airport transfers can often be arranged with the owner--for a fee

Related Pages

Private Accommodation in Croatia

Index of Croatia Traveller's Private Accommodation Pages

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