Best Luxury Hotels in Hvar 2026: Island Stays

Hvar at a Glance: Where to Base Yourself

Hvar is a long, narrow island in central Dalmatia, a short trip from Split. Its hotels are mostly in three areas, and each feels different.

• Hvar Town: the stylish centre, with a Renaissance square, a Spanish fortress, a superyacht harbour and the island’s best restaurants and bars. Most luxury hotels are here.
• Stari Grad: one of the oldest towns in Europe, founded by Greek settlers on a deep bay on the north coast. It is calmer, more cultural and close to the car-ferry port.
• Jelsa and Vrboska: low-key harbour villages with family-run restaurants and easy beach access, best for slow travel and villas.

If nightlife is not important to you, stay just outside Hvar Town or in Stari Grad. You can still get to the bars easily without sleeping next to them.

Visitors have come to Hvar for their health since the nineteenth century, drawn by the mild climate and sunshine. You can see that history in the old buildings turned into hotels, alongside newer resorts along the pine-lined coast.

Palace Elisabeth: Heritage Luxury on the Main Square

Palace Elisabeth, Hvar Heritage Hotel, is in a historic palace on Hvar Town’s main square, a few steps from the harbour. The building is centuries old, much older than Hvar’s modern tourism, and it is regularly rated one of the island’s best five-star hotels.

Rooms are elegant and fairly small, as you would expect in a historic building, and the best ones look over the square and the sea. People choose it for its location and character: you walk out into the old town and can be at a restaurant table within minutes.

Best for: couples who want history, walkability and a classic grand-hotel feel. Consider: the square is lively on summer evenings.

Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel: Harbour Views and Wellness

Adriana is on the marina just west of the old town and is the island’s main spa hotel. Its rooftop terrace has a pool and bar with views over the harbour to the Pakleni Islands, and the spa is one of the most complete on Hvar.

The location works well: it is a five-minute walk along the waterfront to the main square but a little away from the busiest bars. Many rooms face the sea and the yachts coming and going.

Best for: spa lovers and couples who want harbour views with town on the doorstep. Consider: summer harbour noise in front-facing rooms.

Rixos Premium Hvar: The Full-Service Resort

If you want a resort rather than a town hotel, Rixos Premium Hvar has the most facilities on the island. The review site Hotelier’s Choice puts it first on its list of Hvar luxury hotels, mentioning its private bay, several pools, a thalasso spa and all-inclusive dining.

All-inclusive is unusual in Croatia, and it suits families and travellers who would rather not plan every meal. The downside is atmosphere: it feels like an international resort rather than a Dalmatian village.

Best for: families and travellers who want everything on site. Consider: less local character than Hvar Town’s boutique hotels.

Maslina Resort: Design-Led Calm Near Stari Grad

Maslina Resort is on a pine-covered stretch of coast near Stari Grad, right on the Adriatic. It covers about two hectares of forest, and its design uses natural materials and soft colours with a focus on wellness, very different from the energy of Hvar Town.

It has a calm pool, a spa offering holistic treatments and a restaurant that cooks with local produce. Stari Grad’s waterfront cafés and the UNESCO-listed Stari Grad Plain are a short drive or bike ride away.

Best for: honeymooners and wellness travellers seeking quiet. Consider: you will need taxis or a car to reach Hvar Town’s restaurants.

More Stylish Options Worth Considering

• Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort: a large resort a short walk west of town with a cascading pool and private cabanas, close to the Bonj les Bains beach club. Good for families and groups.
• Riva Marina Hotel: a boutique hotel right on the harbour, ideal for travellers who want to be in the thick of Hvar Town’s social scene.
• Private villas in Jelsa or Milna: stone houses with pools for families or friends who prefer independence and a slower pace.

Wherever you stay, spend a day on the Pakleni Islands, a chain of pine-covered islets opposite Hvar Town. Water taxis take you there, and Palmižana has beach restaurants and quiet coves for swimming.

Food is one of the best parts of a Hvar trip. Hvar Town’s lanes have konobas serving grilled fish, peka (meat or octopus slow-cooked under an iron lid) and wines from local grapes such as Plavac Mali and Bogdanjuša. In July and August book popular terraces a day or two ahead, and have at least one long lunch on Palmižana, where some restaurants can only be reached by boat.

Comparison: Hvar’s Best Luxury Hotels

When to Go and How to Get There

Hvar’s luxury season runs roughly from May to October, and many hotels close in winter. July and August have the warmest sea, the most yachts and the highest prices. June and September give the best mix of weather, sea temperature and calm.

Most visitors fly to Split, then take a passenger catamaran to Hvar Town (about an hour) or the car ferry to Stari Grad (about two hours). Operators such as Jadrolinija publish timetables. Private speedboat transfers from Split are popular with luxury travellers, and most five-star hotels can arrange one.

For wider trip planning, the Croatian National Tourist Board lists events such as the early-summer lavender season. It is easy to add the walled city of Dubrovnik (see our Dubrovnik luxury hotels guide) or to continue south to Montenegro’s Adriatic coast.

Booking tips for Hvar’s luxury hotels

• Book July and August four to six months ahead. Sea-view rooms at the small heritage hotels go first.
• Ask about minimum stays, since some hotels require three nights or more in high season.
• Check whether rates include breakfast and the local tourist tax, which is charged per person per night in Croatia.
• If you plan to explore the whole island, a hotel near Stari Grad plus a rental car is often more convenient than staying in Hvar Town.
• For a quieter experience, avoid weekends around major sailing regattas and festival dates.

Pack for the streets. Hvar Town has smooth limestone steps and steep lanes, so flat, comfortable shoes are better than heels on summer evenings.

Key Takeaways

• Hvar Town is the hub for luxury hotels, dining and nightlife; Stari Grad and Jelsa are quieter.
• Palace Elisabeth is the classic heritage choice, and Adriana is best for a spa and harbour views.
• Rixos Premium Hvar offers a full resort experience with its own bay and all-inclusive dining.
• Maslina Resort near Stari Grad suits honeymooners who prioritise calm and wellness.
• June and September deliver the best value and atmosphere; many hotels close in winter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

On Hvar, choose your base carefully. Stay in Hvar Town for glamour and restaurants you can walk to, in Stari Grad for history and quiet, or at a full-service resort if you want everything on site. Add a day on the Pakleni Islands and you will see why sun-seekers have been coming here for more than a century. For more Mediterranean islands, compare it with Capri’s luxury hotels or Menorca.