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April 25, 2026President Hotel, Valamar Collection: Dubrovnik From the Water’s Edge
There are hotels that place you near a destination, and hotels that seem to understand its rhythm before you have even unpacked. President Hotel, Valamar Collection belongs to the second category. Set on the green-edged Babin Kuk Peninsula, at the quieter coastal side of Dubrovnik, this five-star address looks outward to the Adriatic and the Elaphiti Islands, offering a stay shaped by salt air, long terraces, pale stone, and the changing theatre of the sea.
The first impression is one of spaciousness. Dubrovnik’s historic centre is famously beautiful, but also compact, enclosed by walls and polished by centuries of footsteps. Here, just outside the ancient pulse, the mood is more expansive. The hotel opens itself to the horizon. Rooms and suites are designed around sea views, the beach lies directly below, and the day is naturally divided by swims, terrace breakfasts, spa rituals, and sunset drinks. It is Dubrovnik with room to breathe.
A Seafront Address on Babin Kuk
President Hotel occupies one of Dubrovnik’s most appealing positions for travellers who want both coastal calm and access to culture. Babin Kuk is not the Old City, and that is precisely its appeal. Rather than sleeping within the evening crowds, guests return to a resort-like seafront setting where the Adriatic takes precedence over traffic, souvenir shops, and sightseeing schedules.
That historical core needs little embellishment. The Old City of Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised as the “Pearl of the Adriatic” and noted for its Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces, and fountains. From the hotel, the Old City is close enough for morning wandering, late-afternoon museum visits, or dinner within the walls, yet distant enough for guests to reclaim quiet afterwards.
Rooms Made for the Horizon
At President Hotel, the guest rooms are not merely places of rest; they are viewing platforms. The hotel lists ten room types, with sea-view categories including rooms for two or families, V Level rooms, suites, and larger accommodation such as a Room for 4 Seaview with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two balconies. The recurring element is the Adriatic itself, framed from balconies and terraces.
The entry-level sea-view rooms begin at around 30 square metres, while V Level rooms and suites add further space and enhanced amenities. Official room information notes details such as Valamar mattresses, 100% cotton bedding, pillow menus, coffee and tea facilities, minibars, free Wi-Fi, and beach essentials. V Level accommodation adds touches such as Nespresso coffee sets, daily bottled water, welcome kits, Rituals cosmetics, a scent menu, and V Level beach sets.
These are practical details, but in a place like Dubrovnik they matter because they support the rhythm of the stay. A balcony becomes the first destination of the morning. Coffee is taken slowly. The city can wait. The sea, already present and unhurried, becomes the true measure of time.
The Beach Below
One of the hotel’s strongest assets is its direct relationship with the water. President Relax beach sits right at the hotel, while Coral Beach Club is also part of the seaside offering described by Valamar. The hotel’s beach and wellness page refers to President Relax beach, Coral Beach Club, outdoor and indoor pools, poolside loungers and umbrellas, and Balance Mediterranean Spa.
President Relax beach offers Valamar service, deluxe sun loungers with parasols, and a diving centre. This makes the beach more than a scenic backdrop. It becomes a genuine part of the stay, especially in the warmer months, when guests can move easily between room, breakfast terrace, shoreline, and pool without the need to plan a full beach expedition.
Coral Beach Club, meanwhile, brings a more styled atmosphere, with Valamar describing it as one of Dubrovnik’s best beaches, with facilities, boho design, and a relaxed seaside soundtrack. For travellers who prefer their beach day with a little more theatre, it offers a sociable counterpoint to the hotel’s more private-feeling relaxation spaces.
Pools, Spa, and the Art of Slowing Down
The pool scene is carefully balanced. The indoor pool is freshwater, heated to 28°C, and measures 20 by 10 metres, while the outdoor freshwater pool measures 10 by 28 metres and comes with a terrace, sea views, deck chairs, parasols, towels, showers, and seasonal poolside service. In practice, this gives the hotel year-round appeal. On bright summer days, the outdoor pool becomes part of the Adriatic panorama; in cooler seasons or quieter hours, the indoor pool offers a gentler retreat.

The Balance Mediterranean Spa is another important part of the experience. Its spa zone is adults-only for guests aged 16 and above and is free for hotel guests, with features including a Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, Turkish bath, relaxation rooms, an outdoor whirlpool, Kneipp foot bath, and an organic bar with fruit, nuts, tea, and water. Treatments, massages, beauty rituals, and spa packages are available at an additional charge.
What is appealing here is not extravagance for its own sake, but the sense that wellness belongs naturally to the setting. A sauna session before an evening swim, a massage after a day walking the city walls, a quiet hour by the indoor pool when the weather changes: the spa supports the broader pleasure of travel, which is to feel restored rather than merely entertained.
Dining With Sea Views
The hotel’s culinary offering is built around view, variety, and the pleasures of Mediterranean dining. Valamar describes the restaurants and bars as including a premium buffet hotel restaurant, an award-winning gourmet breakfast, sea-view dining, à la carte restaurants, Dine Around for V Level guests, and terrace, poolside, and beach bars.
The main buffet restaurant serves Mediterranean and international specialities on a sea-view terrace. La Mar restaurant offers à la carte dining and fine wines on a seafront terrace. Momenti restaurant is positioned as a top-tier à la carte experience with panoramic sea views, while Oliva Grill focuses on Mediterranean specialities and drinks on a poolside terrace.
The result is a dining programme that suits different types of evenings. One night may call for an easy dinner after a long swim. Another might be reserved for La Mar, with the sea darkening beyond the terrace and Croatian wines carrying the meal into a slower tempo. V Level guests also have access to Dine Around, allowing them to exchange a half-board meal for selected restaurant experiences, according to Valamar’s stated conditions.
The bars are equally tied to setting. The Piano Bar serves drinks and à la carte dishes in a lounge and restaurant area, with a sea-view terrace, while the Wellness Bar offers light lunches and drinks by the pool with views towards the sea and the Elaphiti Islands. These are the kinds of spaces where a hotel stay becomes memorable not because of one grand gesture, but because of repeated small pleasures: the first espresso, a glass of wine before dinner, the quiet sound of cutlery on a terrace after sundown.
V Level: Personalised Comfort
For guests seeking a more tailored stay, the hotel’s V Level concept adds another layer of service. Valamar describes V Level benefits as including personalised arrivals, concierge assistance, gourmet dining, top-tier accommodation, and reserved sun loungers. The service also includes elements such as airport transfers, valet parking, refreshments at check-in, and a late check-out option, subject to the hotel’s terms.
This is particularly suited to travellers who want the ease of a resort stay without surrendering the individuality of the trip. Dubrovnik is a destination rich in excursions: island-hopping, wine routes, private boat days, Old City walks, and coastal dining. A strong concierge can transform those options from a list into an itinerary.
Dubrovnik Beyond the Hotel
President Hotel is most compelling when it is understood as both retreat and gateway. The Old City deserves time, but it also rewards patience. Early morning is ideal for wandering Stradun before the day thickens; late afternoon softens the stone and brings a gentler glow to the city walls. Between those hours, returning to Babin Kuk for a swim or spa treatment feels like a privilege of location.
Dubrovnik’s UNESCO-listed centre is celebrated for its preserved architectural fabric, including churches, monasteries, palaces, and fountains in Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. Yet the city’s appeal is not confined within the walls. From the hotel’s side of town, the sea opens towards the Elaphiti Islands, and the coastline encourages a more leisurely form of discovery.
This is where the hotel’s position becomes especially valuable. A stay can be designed around contrast: history in the morning, beach in the afternoon, dinner by the water, then perhaps a final drink on the terrace as the lights begin to mark the shoreline.
A Considered Approach to Sustainability
Modern high-end travel increasingly demands environmental responsibility, and Valamar publishes several sustainability initiatives for the hotel. These include on-site solar energy generation, electricity from renewable sources, energy-saving LED lighting, Blue Flag and Travelife certification, and composting food waste for plant nourishment.
For guests, these measures may not define the visible experience, but they do matter. A beautiful coastal hotel has a particular obligation to the landscape that gives it value. The Adriatic is not a decorative element; it is the reason people come. Responsible energy use, waste management, and certification frameworks are part of the contemporary expectation for properties operating in places of natural and cultural sensitivity.
Who Should Stay Here?
President Hotel is an excellent match for travellers who want Dubrovnik without feeling enclosed by it. Couples will be drawn to the sea-view terraces, beach, spa, and sunset dining. Families can look to larger room categories, including accommodation designed for four guests. Wellness-minded travellers will appreciate the indoor pool, adults-only spa zone, and easy access to the water. First-time visitors to Dubrovnik will find the Old City close enough for effortless sightseeing, while repeat visitors may appreciate the quieter, more restorative side of the destination.
It is also a strong choice for guests who prefer contemporary resort comfort over historic boutique intimacy. This is not a small townhouse hidden in the Old City’s lanes; it is a polished seafront hotel with multiple restaurants, pools, spa facilities, concierge services, parking, EV charging, 24-hour reception, room service, a 24-hour gym, and diving among its listed services and amenities.
The Final Impression
The beauty of President Hotel lies in its command of perspective. It does not compete with Dubrovnik’s Old City; it complements it. Where the city offers stone, history, and drama, the hotel offers water, space, and ease. Where Dubrovnik dazzles with its walls and towers, the hotel draws the eye to the open blue.
A stay here is not about choosing between culture and coast. It is about having both in graceful proportion. Morning can begin with the Adriatic from a private balcony, continue with marble streets and medieval façades, pause for a swim below the hotel, and end with dinner facing the islands. That sequence is the essence of Dubrovnik at its most seductive: ancient, sunlit, maritime, and deeply restorative.
For travellers seeking a refined Croatian escape with verified five-star credentials, sea-view accommodation, direct beach access, wellness, polished dining, and easy access to one of Europe’s great historic cities, President Hotel, Valamar Collection stands as one of Dubrovnik’s most persuasive seafront addresses.





