Tui Blue Makarska - Adults Only

This was our second visit to Croatia and the comparison to our first visit, to Rovinj was inevitable. The hotel calls itself TUI Blue Makarska but it isn’t, it’s at Igrane, a small village which, although charming, has few facilities. Makarska is a, generally, 30 minute ride away. We had arranged, through the hotel, a private transfer from Split airport and our driver was a mine of information and very proud of his country, with good reason. The countryside is spectacular! We arrived at the hotel about 1.0pm local and were able to check in immediately after being warmly welcomed with a pleasant, alcohol-free cocktail. We were shown to our room which appeared well equipped and had a balcony overlooking the shore. As we gradually settled in, over the next few days, we found several irritants though. The air conditioning is set to a minimum temperature of 24C which was a bit warm and the fridge, likewise, did a good job of keeping drinks tepid at best. Exploring further, as the hotel is built on multiple half-floors, there are stairs everywhere, including 49 steps down to the swimming pool from the bottom floor of the elevator, it’s not really suitable for anyone with mobility problems. On the subject of the swimming pool, there are the usual sun loungers but unlike our previous hotel, there is no provision for the staff to hand out parasols, it’s just a free for all and as the parasols are not large enough for the usual 1/pair of sun loungers, there aren’t enough to go around and they’re generally of poor quality. There are signs stating that towels will be removed from sun beds unoccupied for more than an hour but this isn’t observed at all and was a continued source of frustration for many guests. Two of the pool staff were rather more interactive with guests , particularly the Brazilian aqua aerobics instructor who was outstanding daily however others were happy to remain behind the pool bar all day. This though was an attitude not shared by other hotel staff who were most welcoming and helpful. Well done! We had taken the breakfast-only option and these meals were most enjoyable with a large variety of foodstuffs on offer, either freshly cooked or chosen from a selection of buffets. We found that we had several evening meals at the hotel as well as there were not too many restaurants to choose from in the small village. Evening meals were generally good as well with plenty of choice and this was followed most evenings by live entertainment. In summary then, the hotel benefits from the quality of its staff but is let down by the fabric of the building which can only be described as “tired”. We signed up for two TUI excursions. The first was described as a Morning Shuttle Bus to Makarska but in the event, as there were only two couples, a taxi minibus was provided. The other couple sat in the first row of seats behind the driver and we were in the rear. The driver spoke only Croat and he appeared to be attempting to explain something about the

We arrived at Split airport and even though the minbus transfer was rather long, the views were incredible. Hotel is in the sleepy town of Igrane, which is south of the more lively Makarska. Hotel was superb. We stayed in a quiet bungalow type of accommodation at the end of the complex (above the quiet area of the infinity pool, which we preferred more than the main pool). Huge selection of food at breakfast and dinner, which we couldn’t fault. Water dispenser was available at breakfast but not with dinner, so had to pay for bottled water. This was only downside and as a non alcohol drinker, think it should have been made available each meal time. Really friendly & helpful staff and a great Tui rep, who recommended a great boat trip to Brac island (this place was beautiful)! We hired a car for a couple of days and drove to Dubrovnik. Long drive but again, stunning views and the old town of Dubrovnik and the GofT tour is a must. Will definitely return to Croatia as we’d love to explore Split and the region north of the county.