After spending the first 3 nights in Dubrovnik, it is time to make my way up the coast. I am touring along the coast up the country. Next up on my list would be Split. It is a gorgeous drive up the coast and the views are excellent. Split is rather boring for Hilton and I wasn’t sure where to stay until news of the SLH collaboration comes out. That brings up Vestibul Palace nicely into my plans since it is right in town. I will also be able to use my elite status and enjoy my benefits. This will also be my first ever stay in a Small Luxury Hotel. I certainly appreciate having the addition of SLH which allows me to check out these boutiques and special hotels. Rates don’t go cheap over here, especially in high season. I will just be staying here for 1 night before heading up north. The central location and free parking work well and I could make the most of my short stay to check out the city with the prime location. Do note that as a boutique hotel, there isn’t much towards facilities. It is more of a very personalised and cosy bed and breakfast that you enjoy with elite benefits. Let’s check out my very first SLH stay with Hilton Diamond!
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I booked directly with Hilton and got the Superior Room for 70,000 points. I will just be staying here for one night. The rates are ridiculously high given that it is the peak of the summer season. This room would have cost around 620 Euros a night. With points, I am paying about 350 USD which seems slightly better than the cash rate. It is a splurge but that is just how things go in the summer over here. I got some information from the hotel prior including the directions for driving and parking. Hotel guests enjoy complimentary parking at their private garage and they offer valet parking. We were told to come to the Riva parking and the staff will be on hand to help us with our bags and with parking. Since the hotel is right in the city centre and part of the Diocletian Palace, there isn’t a driveway or something that you just drive to. It is a tiny boutique hotel. Hotel Vestibul Palace Split features 7 guest rooms and suites in the main building and another 4 in the annexe. You can check out the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Bathtub | No.of Rooms |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | No | 2 |
| Superior | Maybe | 3 |
| Junior Suite | Yes | 1 |
| Luxury Suite | Yes | 1 |
Checking In
I drove from Dubrovnik where I was earlier and we stopped by a winery while on the way here. We did a little of the coastal route before we decided to take the highway with tolls since the drive would be faster with the higher speed limit. The tolls cost us 7.30 Euros. We were told to call ahead about 10 minutes before letting the team know that we were arriving so they could meet us at the Riva Carpark to help us with our bags and the car. We soon found two of the hotel staff meeting us when we pulled in. The arrival service is excellent and polished. We had really heavy bags and the staff took our bags up the stairs. This is handy as the property is located in a historical area with plenty of steps. That was awesome because it took 3 flights of stairs and then it was another two levels up to where my room was.
Mija warmly welcomed me at check-in. It’s a tiny reception area since this is a tiny boutique hotel. It feels like some of those Airbnb or bed-and-breakfast. We were provided with some information about the city and the hotel. Check-in is very informative and there isn’t any form etc.
We provided our ID and were offered a welcome drink. You can have anything you want. We got a rose wine and an orange juice. There are only seven rooms over here, so it is very personalised.
Right by the reception area, you can also find the restaurant area where you’ll be having breakfast. They also serve lunch and dinner here from Tuesday to Sunday. There is also an outdoor sitting area. There is only a total of four levels and seven rooms over here in the main building. Do not expect one over here since it’s non-existent given that they have such a small amount of rooms over here, I was in the base level standard room.
I was then shown up to my room by Ivan and Brane. My room was on the second floor, the highest floor. The hotel location is impeccable and you can start exploring the moment you step outside the hotel door.
Superior Room
I was assigned room five, located on the second floor. This is the third level since it starts with 0. We were ushered over to the room and helped with our bags before they passed us the metal key. The room is definitely on the smaller side and only good for 2 pax. The bellboy gave us an introduction to the place before leaving us to freshen up and rest. The room comes with a short and small entranceway with some hooks on the side and a full-length mirror. It’s located in a historical building and as such the configuration is quite weird.
There are a couple of steps before you head up to the room itself. You can see the entire place in one look and it is just how it is. By the side of the wall, you have the air conditioning and a connecting table. This acts as the working desk in the room. The power outlets are found within reach and the wifi connection is very good over here. The accompanying chair offers decent back support for a short period of work. You can also find some reading materials and a welcome amenity consisting of some water, a cheese plate and a fruit bowl. That is very generous of them. This is accompanied by a personalised welcome letter.
In the mini fridge below you can find two bottles of water and two coke. This is complimentary. There are also some glassware. I am surprised by the lack of a coffee machine, a kettle and even packaged tea. This shouldn’t be tough for a property commanding this price unless they offer all-day complimentary drinks at the bar/restaurant.
The bed makes up the centrepiece of the room. It comes with high-quality fittings and bedsheets. I love that the bed is on the firmer side which is quite nice. The pillows were top-notch notch too. It offers great neck support.
On the other side of the wall, you have a luggage rack which is purely non-existent. I am not sure what kind of baggage can be fitted here!
The wardrobe next to it comes with hangers, a safe and an extra blanket. We surely do not need it during this season. Bathrobes and bath slippers are also provided.
You can find a small TV mounted on the wall. It comes with a number of local TV channels. The TV is decent but not great in quality.
The bathroom was decently sized with a single sink. Amenities from Molton Brown are provided and they are lovely. They smell so well. There is also a hairdryer set on the wall. Surprise to find such a hairdryer here? This speaks nothing of luxury! For a Small Luxury Hotel? That markets itself as luxurious? A hotel that charges 400 to 500 Euros a night, I expect to see a Dyson and not Valera!
The bathroom comes with a toilet and shower combo. This is not my ideal combo but at least the water pressure and temperature control is excellent. It also comes with a glass screen rather than a shower curtain. I am not a fan of the towels provided. They were so coarse that it felt like floor mats instead.
I would be alright and ok with this room with the exception of the air conditioning. That is the main issue with this room. The air conditioning was barely there and insufficient to cool the room in this Croatian summer. The location of the placement was bad and it was not strong enough. Many areas of the rooms remain warm even when we max it out at 19 degrees.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served at the restaurant downstairs from 7am to 10am daily. You can choose to sit indoors or outdoors by their foyer. The ambience is very cosy and homey given how small this property is. I got breakfast included in my rate as part of my elite benefits. This is extended for both Gold and Diamond members when you book SLH properties through Hilton.
We choose to have it outside to enjoy the fresh air and weather while it isn’t too warm in the morning. We also had classical music in the background from the cappella singing nearby. That is rather charming.
You can find the menu for breakfast here. You can order anything you want!
The staff first brought over a tiered stand consisting of cold cuts and cheese. There is also a fruit plate and some pastries.
We also got some coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice. This was top-notch. I love that they offer freshly squeezed juice and coffee made from a proper barista machine.
I got some scrambled eggs with trimmings. Everything was so delicious and freshly cooked. I love the bacon. This is so much better than any buffet. I love an ala carte breakfast. You can order additional items if you fancy and additional drinks as well.
Conclusion
This is more of a personalised and cosy bed and breakfast that you can enjoy with elite benefits rather than a hotel. This is my first-ever SLH stay. I have rather mixed feelings about it. While I enjoyed the personalised service and informal style, it also had some negative aspects. You do not get the usual comfort and style of a huge chain. Things are not standardised. There aren’t any facilities. My main quirk with it would be the weak air conditioning which is a disaster. This would also not be the right property if you can’t deal with stairs. With the rate they are charging, it is a great use of points. Did I feel it was worth 350 USD? Probably not but this is due to the peak summer season. It is nice to stay right in the heart of Split. I certainly appreciate having SLH under the Hilton umbrella currently which opens up more choices for us to earn and enjoy our status. Luxury is a stretch and I can’t say that I will be back despite the good service.
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