What is it like to have a hotel on a private island, where there are no cars, with all the comforts, and with a view of Poreč or the open sea?

Address: Isabella Island Resort, Valamar Collection, Otok Sv. Nikola, 52440, Poreč, Croatia

Web: www.valamar.com 

Do you want a 100 Euro discount to this or any other Valamar hotel in Croatia or Austria? Read HERE!

Isabella Island Resort is part of the most luxurious brand of the Valamar Hotels group - Valamar Collection. You will find the best 4* and 5* hotels that Valamar has to offer. Valamar is one of the largest hotel chains in Croatia and is expanding into Austria, where it currently has 3 ski hotels in Obertauern in the Alps.

The hotel is very interested in the environment and sustainable tourism, trying to use natural resources for energy production, planting Mediterranean plants, and composting suitable waste.

Isabella Island Resort, Valamar Collection 4*/5*

Location

What impressed me most about this hotel was that it is located on a small private island (directly opposite Poreč, Istria) of St. Nikola where there is nothing else but this resort. You cannot get there by car. Valamar has its own parking lot on the mainland at:

Žatika parking lot, Karla Huguesa 26, Poreč

You park at the parking reception, check in, unload your luggage, the attendant will tag your suitcases and load them into the car. If there are a lot of people there, the suitcases and all your belongings that you want to take to the hotel will be loaded into a van and then you will be taken to the port in multi-seater cars. If there are not many of you, they will load your suitcases into multi-seater cars at the same time as you. The disadvantage is that if your suitcases are not with you, you may have to wait longer for them upon arrival and departure. In the meantime, you can park your car for 5 euros per day. Those who have accommodation in the more luxurious part of the V-level resort have a parking lot with a barrier and covered parking spaces. Make sure you don't leave anything in the car, it's a bit out of hand. It's about 2 km to the port. They will drop you off at the pier and show you which boat to take. The boat is free for a few dozen foot passengers and runs between the mainland and the island of St. Nikola, where the hotel is, every 15-20 minutes all day until midnight, and then from six in the morning. The cruise takes less than 5 minutes. You can easily go to Poreč and back all day :)

Accommodation

The resort offers several types of accommodation:

- 4* hotel

- 4* villas

- 5* V-level suites and villas, the best ones even have their own pool

- 5* castle hotel

Be prepared that the main hotel building is primarily intended for families with children and there were a lot of them here in June. If you are traveling as a couple and want more peace, I recommend the V-level accommodation, which is not adults only (pity), but there are minimal children here.

The main hotel building overlooks Poreč and is closest to the ferry. The villas are set on a hill with beautiful views. The V-level area is on the other side of the island and overlooks the open sea, it is a quieter part of the resort.

The hotel offers rooms for 2 to 6 people with sea or garden views.

I had a 2+1 sea view room with a comfortable double bed and a sofa bed overlooking the sea and Poreč. The room was spacious enough for a comfortable week's stay, with a balcony and seating area and a spacious bathroom, in which, in addition to cosmetics, a beautiful fresh rose was waiting for me upon arrival. You also get a free bottle of water upon arrival. The room has 2 wardrobes, a TV, wifi (throughout the resort, including on the beaches), a safe, air conditioning, a small fridge, an electric kettle with a selection of teas and instant coffee, mugs, glasses.

Bathroom equipment: towels (you can get beach towels by the pool), a large package of hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner, tissues, a hairdryer.

Food

You choose a room with breakfast, half board or all inclusive. We had a room with breakfast and we went to Poreč for dinner. If you choose all-in, don't count on everything being included in the price like in Turkey or Egypt. In Croatia it's more of a light all inclusive, where you have breakfast, lunch and dinner, soft drinks, beer, wine and about 4 cocktails, all spritzes. Other cocktails or hard drinks are extra, a cocktail costs around 9 Euros.

The main dining room is located in the hotel building, breakfast is buffet style, the selection is really big, you can find everything you need here, including food for allergy sufferers or omelets according to your wishes. Coffee from a machine, good. I would like the juices to be better than powdered.

V-level guests have their own restaurant, and in addition to the buffet bar, breakfast and a multi-course dinner are served there. Otherwise, there are several other restaurants and bars in the area, which are mainly open during the day if you want to have lunch or a drink. There are also cafes and ice cream. If you have all inclusive, you can also get coffee from the machine in the lobby bar, but the paid one was significantly better.

When you check in, instead of a room card, you get a rubber watch on your wrist, which is used to open the room, but it also has a chip and you can use it to pay in bars and restaurants, so-called per room. You then pay your expenses at the reception upon check-out. However, if you have money or a credit card, you can of course pay this way too.

If you want to enjoy a bit of luxury and enjoy the sunset over the sea (and maybe even spot dolphins), I recommend booking a table at the resort at the Miramare restaurant by the infinity pool with Italian cuisine. It is not in the all inclusive variant.

Beaches, swimming pools, wellness, fitness

The hotel has a large main heated pool with slides and a smaller pool for small children. There is an infinity pool in the V-level section. If you want to enjoy more peace, you can go here even as a non-V-level guest. There is a separate part for all guests, but you won't get to the sea. However, I recommend it for couples and adults. There were a minimum of people here, you have a beautiful view of the sea and the sunset and there were no crowds of screaming children. Towels are available at each pool on a card.

You will find all types of beaches here: concrete, pebble (I recommend water shoes), sandy and grassy. There are plenty of sun loungers everywhere, so you don't have to worry about not getting one. Sun loungers on the beaches and by the pool, including umbrellas, are free.

In the wellness area you can enjoy several different types of saunas, a relaxation area and a small swimming pool. You can also order a massage or one of the beauty treatments.

If you want to exercise while on vacation, there is a well-equipped fitness center for you. You can also rent paddle boards or pedal boats at the hotel, you can play football, beach volleyball, mini golf on the island, for teenagers there is a games room with game consoles, table football, billiards, for children there are various playgrounds and an interesting adventure path through a fairy-tale forest in the middle of the island. There are various inflatable water castles at sea.

Tips for trips

I probably don't need to remind you that you have to visit historical Poreč, but you can book boat trips at the port (or directly at the hotel reception with the concierge). I recommend the fishpiknik to Rovinj, Vrsar and the Lim Fjord. Along the way, you will get lunch on board, you can choose between mackerel or chicken steak, plus pastries and salad, soft drinks and wine. You can buy other drinks on the boat. It is a full-day trip for 50 Euros per person. And then you can transfer to another boat in Poreč or take the same one and buy a dolphin-watching trip (30 Euros, soft drinks included). You are guaranteed to see them, and if not, you can go again the next day for free. We saw them. From Poreč, you can also buy a full-day trip by fast catamaran to Venice. It leaves early in the morning and arrives around ten in the evening, the price is around 100 Euros per person.

Summary

Luxury island resort directly opposite Poreč with free boat transfer. Spacious comfortable rooms, many restaurants and bars, evening entertainment. 3 swimming pools in total, all possible types of beaches with free sunbeds and umbrellas and plenty for everyone. Dogs are also welcome, they have their own beach and run area. Activities especially for children, but adults will also find peace in the V-level section. Romantic evening walks around Poreč. Boat trips around the surrounding historic towns. And with a bit of luck at sunset you can even see dolphins in the open sea right from the island. You will definitely enjoy it here.

I would like to thank the PR management of Valamar hotels for allowing me to visit this resort and write this detailed article for you.

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