Hotel Ostrea: "Oysters anyone?" Top 5 Page for this destination Croatia Hotel Tip by TheWanderingCamel

We detoured off the Split-Dubrovnik road to visit Ston, a walled town about 60km north of Dubrovnik on the Peljesac Peninsula famed for its long history of salt production and its miles of city walls - far longer than those of Dubrovnik. They're still producing salt at Ston but the area is more famed these days for the oysters of nearby Mali Ston. We'd already had lunch and it was too early for dinner so, on our first visit, we decided the oysters would have to wait but we would return another year and stay at one of the two small hotels sitting by the small harbour - it all looked so peaceful and a million miles from the tourist hordes of Dubrovnik.

What a good decision! Our choice, the Hotel Ostrea. proved to be every bit as charming as it appeared at that first sighting. A family-run hotel with just 9 rooms and one suite, it has been the family home of the owners for generations and so fits perfectly into the surrounding townscape of old stone buildings that occupy the lower slope of the high hill between Ston and Mali Ston. The whole town is a listed monument and the Kralj family pride themselves on the way their hotel and restaurant has added to the amenities of the of the town - people travel for miles to eat at the renowned restaurant - without in any way intruding on the harmonious ensemble.

Unique Qualities: Being on the top floor - once the attics of the house, our corner room did have rather a low ceiling but it was big, extremely comfortable and well furnished with a delightful view over the harbourfront from the green-shuttered windows.

Dinner in the Kapetanova kuca (the Captain's house) restaurant - also owned by the Kralj family - was as good as we had anticipated it would be and when it began to pour with rain just as we were leaving, the sheltering umbrella proffered by the maitre d' was just what we needed for the quick dash back to the hotel's cosy lounge. We were glad of the hotel's thick stone walls as the rain turned into a savage storm later that night and delighted to wake to a bright sunny morning and to find a copious breakfast served in the downstairs hotel restaurant - both were just what we needed to set ourselves up for walking the walls of Ston before a little later in the day.

2011 update - we stayed at the Ostrea again in June this year, just for one night. Another delicious meal, the same comfortable room, breakfast under the arches of the large loggia this time - how nice to find everything just as charming and the welcome just as warm as our first visit.

Address: Mali Ston
Comparison: more expensive than average
Directions: Situated near the southern end of the Peljsac Peninsula, 60km from Dubrovnik, Mali Ston would make a great place to stop for a night for driver's planning to visit the Peninsula and the island of Korcula.
Price: US$80-120
Theme: Hotel
Website: http://www.ostrea.hr/en_tradicija.html