Bellevue Hotel

The only five-star hotel on Croatia’s Lošinj island, the new Bellevue is sleek and airy, loaded with natural light and textures. It is a complete revision of its former self, an iconic 1960s hotel, and is situated in the best beachfront location in Čikat Bay, secluded and nestled in a forest park of ancient Aleppo pines literally steps away from the sea.

Property Details

185 rooms and 21 suites feature private terraces with quiet stainless-steel hot tubs, welcoming sun decks, and ample seating areas. The custom pillow menu —choices being antibacterial, buckwheat, or feather— and the elegant marble bathrooms with heated floors and amenity line from Natura Bissé, a luxury skincare line from Spain, will leave any guest spoiled.

The restaurants are fabulous, including the a la carte Pin & Oli, the hotel’s signature Bava, the lounge bar Alto Rosso, and a spa bar. Fresh, succulent seafood include some of the best shrimp in the world from the Kvarner Bay, crabs, mussels, and whitefish, not to mention amazing local olive oils, homemade jams from the island grown citrus, honey liqueurs, and excellent wines and bubbly. All herbs used in the cuisine—basil, mint, rosemary, sage, and more—are grown in a garden located on top of the restaurant. Fruits and vegetables are sourced from organic local suppliers.

To work off all the indulgence, there are two seawater pools, one on the inside, one outside, fitness facilities, and of course, the beach is directly outside, nicely outfitted with parasols and lounge chairs. And then there’s the spa designed by Mojca Gradišek, renowned spa expert and former professional skier. Magically lit through translucent onyx walls, this is an elegantly sexy space equipped with vitality pool, dry and steam saunas, Turkish bath with a hammam table, and state-of-the-art experience showers. Treatments feature the latest cosmetic innovations from some of the best skincare laboratories—Cellcosmet, Diego della Palma, Natura Bissé, and Thalion.

The light, the gentle-scented air, the towering pines, the 1,200 indigenous herbs (230 of them are medicinal), the 155 miles of walking trails—and most of all, the sea with its abundance of dolphins—are a welcome retreat for any weary traveler.