Hotel Marina - Liburnia

We stayed at Hotel Marina for five nights in mid-October and had a generally pleasant stay – but there are a few things to be aware of. Location: The location is truly excellent: just a few meters from the sea, a beautiful beach, and a quiet village – perfect if you want to unwind. Unfortunately, the parking price is less relaxing: €15 per day seems excessive for the off-season. For that price, I almost expected the car to be read bedtime stories in the evenings. Hotel & Rooms: The building itself is showing its age, which is clearly visible from the outside. However, the interior is lovely and well-maintained, which was a pleasant surprise. Our room was okay, but the cleaning could have been more thorough – despite freshly made beds, we found hairs in the shower, and one drinking glass wasn't clean. The bed was very comfortable, but unfortunately, the room was extremely noisy; you could hear practically every cough in the hallway. The bathroom is tiny; two people feel like they're in a movement-limitation workshop. On top of that, the water temperature constantly fluctuated between hot and cold – making showering a bit of a gamble. Food: In the evenings, there was a generous buffet, most of which was really good. While some dishes could have used a bit more seasoning, the pizzas were delicious. We thought the Green Card was fantastic: if you skip room cleaning for one day, you get a free drink per person – a really nice idea. Breakfast was very varied, and everything was constantly replenished – except for the coffee cups, which seemed to have gone on a secret mission and disappeared permanently. Pools & Wellness: The outdoor pool was closed as advertised, which is fine for October. However, at least a few loungers would have been nice, as the sun was still quite pleasant. There were loungers in the courtyard, but you had to get them out of the winter storage yourself. The indoor pool is large, but it's clear it's seen better days; the ceiling, in particular, is in dire need of renovation. The sauna area is nice, but far too small for such a large hotel. Especially when it gets cooler, many guests want to use the spa – so it quickly becomes crowded. Unfortunately, there's no quiet area, as the whirlpool runs continuously and is quite noisy. That's not exactly relaxing. Atmosphere & Staff: We really liked the autumn decorations and the little themed areas in the hotel; they created a lovely atmosphere. The staff were always friendly, helpful, and took care of everything. Conclusion: Great location, good food, and very nice staff – but there's definitely room for improvement in the room details, spa area, and pricing. It's okay for a short autumn break, but for a truly relaxing stay, the hotel needs to make some improvements.

"A rich entertainment program" - this is the sentence that made us decide to spend Halloween weekend with the kids at the Marina Hotel. However, the entertainment program wasn't rich, it was non-existent. Whenever we looked at what was going on in the playroom, nothing was happening. A few children would be playing at the table while their parents were with them. The animator was either not there or was sitting to the side and was totally uninterested. He didn't entertain the kids in any way, in fact the kids were looking at him in amazement. We were waiting for something to start happening the whole time, but we didn't. On Halloween day itself, a Kids Party was planned. Children gathered, wearing masks and makeup, they probably spent the whole afternoon preparing for that party, but it didn't happen either. We brought the kids to the room where the party was supposed to take place, but the kids were sitting to the side, there were no effects that would indicate a party or what is at least necessary for a party - music. My friend and I took the initiative and told the animator to play some songs. We started dancing with our children and a few more joined us. The animator played three songs and said that the program for today was over. To say the least, it was sad. The children, who had been preparing masks for perhaps the whole afternoon, could only go to the hotel lobby and sit, go to dinner and that was it. Unfortunately, this is not the only disappointment we experienced. Our room and the other family's room were separated by a door through which absolutely everything could be heard, neither we nor they had any privacy. The waitress at the bar was most of the time unfriendly and angry that she was too busy. Parking in front of the hotel in the post-season costs 15 euros. Although, all these shortcomings did not affect us as much as this part with the children's program because that is what we came for. The only plus is the location and food. You are far compared to other 4-star family hotels (we asked at the reception if you were a family hotel and we got a positive answer).

Unfortunately, our stay at this hotel was far below expectations, especially since it advertises itself as a family hotel. Apart from the marketing gimmick, it has nothing to do with a family hotel. The first disappointment was the rooms. Instead of being separated by a wall, they are divided by thin doors through which you can hear literally everything. There is no privacy, and if you have small children who cry, the neighbors can forget about peace. What made us choose the hotel was the rich content for children. The playroom has three old, damaged motor wooden boards and that's it. There are no crayons, paper, or any creative materials. The playroom, if you can call it that, closes at 6pm, even though dinner starts at 7pm, so parents have nowhere to take their children at that time. At the end of the evening, the only option is for the children to run around the hallways, because there is simply no other content. An even bigger disappointment was the "animator", who is supposedly in charge of the children's program, seems completely unprofessional and unsuitable for working with children. When we asked him why he didn't entertain the children who were waiting for some events (as stated in the program), he replied: "What should I do, the children are not interested". That was not the case, because we then asked him to play some songs and he started dancing and entertaining the children, and they had a great time for the last half hour (I volunteer for the Association that deals with children's entertainment). As for the service and staff, the situation is equally bad. When we asked for the welcome gift that was listed in the offer, we didn't get it until the second day, and only because we asked for it at the reception. In the cafe, we were served by a lady who was obviously overworked, nervous and tired. I don't blame her, you can see that she is trying, but the organization of the hotel is disastrous. They receive more guests than the staff can handle. In the end, for 300 euros, we expected much more than marketing gimmicks and empty promises. Instead of a family hotel, we got a disorganized facility with no facilities. We wouldn't return and wouldn't recommend it to others for another reason, which is that the couple who checked out were given a 10% discount on their next stay at one of the hotels in the Liburnia group, but not us. It seems that the dissatisfaction with our stay there was mutual! P.s. 2 stars are for the delicious food, at least the restaurant met our expectations! :) Lp