Sometimes, we love to go all out and stay in the lap of luxury like in this story on the best palace hotels in India, while other times, we’re looking for the loveliest boutique hotels from Cape Town to Los Angeles. When we visited Split recently, we managed to find the best of both worlds at Hotel Vestibul Palace, one of the city’s only true independent hotels set amid the backdrop of Diocletian’s Palace. Find out why we fell in love with this little beauty that proves bigger isn’t always better and have a look at our full list of boutique hotels in Croatia where it also features. One last thing, in the interest of transparency, we’d like to mention here that while this stay was gifted by the hotel, all the thoughts and opinions are our own.

While this stay was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Hotel Vestibul Palace review

Walking through the alleyways and architraves of Diocletian’s Palace in Split is a magical experience for visitors, old and new. And just behind the Vestibule, close to where the royal apartments offered Diocletian himself views of the ocean in his later years is Hotel Vestibul Palace, a member of the distinguished Small Luxury Hotels collective.

Tucked away in a stone-walled corner, it’s home to just seven rooms, each offering guests the chance to live, eat, and sleep within the palace’s walls with a fine selection of creature comforts that the Emperor himself would surely covet.

We arrived mid day as the sun shone down on the courtyard where tables and chairs are set up for guests to enjoy breakfast, perhaps the best seat in town for history and design lovers alike. Coming just after the high season meant that: 1) we could actually get a room, and 2) the surrounding palace was not heaving with the crowds of summer. Definitely a great move if you’re not looking for a party holiday.

Welcome to your escape

“Room number six is the best room in the house. My colleague will show you the way.” During our time in the country, we discovered that Croatians are naturally warm and hospitable people, and the team at Hotel Vestibul Palace are no exception.

artwork at hotel vestibul Palace
The art on the walls across the hotel includes studies of various details of the surrounding palace

An old-school key unlocked our little slice of history, and what an absolute treat it was as we walked inside. Reaching from floor to ceiling, an exposed stone wall was the main feature in the apartment, lit from below at night so you can linger in its beauty a little longer and concoct historical happenings in your head of what might have happened here over the years.

Inside room six

An Italian Saba sofa and armchair set looked divine but my weary legs and I were worried it might be a case of form over function. I was proved wrong however when I collapsed into the stylish seating and the couch engulfed me. Music started playing out the window and soon we were hearing singing and cheers from a crowd below. It was a Saturday, and the national football team was playing, its supporters at surrounding bars and restaurants jubilant in the competition.

room six hotel vestibul palace
Inside the rooms at the hotel you’ll find modern touches sitting right next to slices of history

The artwork that adorns the room shows various Corinthian-style columns that can be (or at least could be) found in the remaining architecture that encircles the hotel. An architectural drawing of a section of the palace in its entirety from east to west sits on the opposite wall beside two square windows through which the cheers of excitement can be heard getting louder.

I need a bath after days of exploring towns and islands, and the deep offering at Hotel Vestibul Palace welcomes me with Molton Brown amenities and a giant robe. The water is hot, the bubbles high, and the footballers have transformed into live musicians singing in a square below: heavenly.

The princess and the p(erfectly formed bedroom)

Upstairs on the Mezzanine, the king-sized bed is flanked by marble and wood tables each nesting a modern light that appears to hover like a bubble. You might think these traditional touches have no home in an historic site such as this, but I loved it, as I did the mix of dark and medium-toned woods that warm up the spaces.

Another highlight is the pitched roof which not only adds a little drama to the suite, but also allows for artistic reflections on the ceiling from the glass barriers that enclose the bed.

Laying there on Sunday morning as the church bells rang out for the impending masses, I had one of those moments that only really great hotels can give, the moment where all the senses are excited along with that little touch of history.

The food situation

We take our breakfast in the courtyard, and even though it’s fresh outside, the sky is blue and the views are cathartic. Next to us is the Ethnografski Museum (a must-visit for traditional costumes and exhibits along with a trip to the annex offering some of the best views over old town Split) which makes its home in a former convent. It’s all very A Room with a View in its vibes; despite the film’s Florentine adventures taking place 400 kilometres to the east.

A selection of fresh vegetables, charcuterie, fruits, nuts, and cheeses are on offer, and I enjoy a glass of local apricot juice and smear fresh cottage cheese onto cucumber and tomato slices repeatedly. Eggs are cooked on request and the omelette and coffee set me up for a day of exploring.

That’s if we decide to leave the suite.

One final note on the service

From suggesting great restaurants (the food and ambience at Makarun was perfection) to going out and finding our food delivery driver who was lost in the palace rabbit warren the night we wanted to stay in and enjoy the spoils of the room; the team at the hotel were all delightful. And while you may think this was because we got special treatment as media, I spoke to other guests and they were all equally as enthralled.

Sign us up for a repeat performance next summer.

Find out more about Hotel Vestibul Palace

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