Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Dubrovnik Sun Gardens

Class: First

Style: Modern design

Rooms: 408

The Croatian Riviera hasn’t been a Riviera for all that long, and you could be forgiven for thinking the evolution of the Dubrovnik hospitality scene might take place a little less quickly. But the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa ought to be all the proof you could want that things are moving along very nicely indeed. We’re not talking about some little villa with a pool on the terrace — this is a behemoth of a hotel, with four hundred rooms, suites and apartments, and no fewer than thirteen restaurants and bars.

By virtue of its sheer size the Blu could be a bit faceless, but fine service makes it feel smaller, and its visual style is anything but bland — this is the group, after all, that first made its mark with the Saarinen-designed Royal in Copenhagen, a monument to modern design. The Blu Dubrovnik might not be quite the icon, but its interiors are sharp and contemporary, with just enough bright Adriatic blue to make a point without belaboring it.

And of course the positives that come from the Blu’s large scale are welcome: the hotel’s spa is the region’s largest, the swimming options include three pools and a beach, and among the thirteen food and beverage offerings is a food market serving local products from pastries to fish to wine.