Hotel Milenij

Hotel Milenij suits divers who want the practical comforts of a small coastal hotel and the beach right outside. The setting is straightforward: air-conditioned rooms, a restaurant, a bar, a pool and a spa, with the Adriatic doing most of the visual work without needing a sales pitch.

English is among the languages used for the hotel's information, alongside German and Croatian. That makes the basics easier to navigate before arrival, while the 24-hour reception gives you a useful point of contact when your day does not run perfectly to plan.

The hotel has 21 rooms, so this is a compact property rather than a sprawling resort where finding your room becomes a minor land-based expedition. Couples can keep things simple with a king-size bed and a sea view; families or small groups have suites with more space to spread out.

You are in Makarska, Croatia, on the Makarska Riviera and directly beside the coast. Ratac Beach is about 0.01 miles away, while Makarska Beach is roughly 0.15 miles away. Biloševac Beach is around 0.25 miles from the hotel, giving you several nearby stretches of shore rather than one single option.

The beach beside the hotel is a pebble beach, with sun loungers and parasols available for the serious business of doing very little. St Peter Lighthouse is about 1 mile away, and Makarska's main square is roughly 0.9 miles away on foot. You can reach the town without organising transport every time you fancy a change of scenery.

There is also plenty of landscape behind the waterfront. Biokovo Nature Park is about 0.8 miles away, while Biokovo Mountain is roughly 3.3 miles from the hotel and Vosac peak about 2 miles away. The nearest bus station is around 0.6 miles away.

The room choice is mainly about what you want to see when you open the curtains. Standard rooms look towards the garden and suit a couple who would rather spend the day outside, while the sea-view options put the Adriatic directly into the morning routine. The sea-view room with a balcony is the obvious pick if stepping outside with the first coffee matters to you.

For a family or a group that needs room to breathe, the suites are the more sensible choice. The mountain-view and sea-view suites both accommodate larger parties, and the sea-view version includes a king-size bed. That is preferable to attempting to run a small expedition from a standard double room.

Every room has air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a minibar, a safe, a flat-screen satellite TV, a radio, a telephone and a private bathroom with a shower, toiletries and a hairdryer. There is also an electric kettle, a desk and a wardrobe. Room service is available, and breakfast can be brought to your room when the idea of appearing in public before coffee feels unnecessarily ambitious.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with regional dishes available in the dining room or on the terrace. The terrace is the natural choice when you want food with some Adriatic air around it; the dining room gives you the more settled option when the weather is doing its own thing.

Breakfast is served in continental and buffet style. You can also take it in your room, which is useful on a dive morning when the important sequence is coffee, food, kit and departure rather than a leisurely parade through the hotel.

There are two bars. Aperitiv Bar is the place for a drink with a view of the Adriatic, while the Beach bar keeps the shoreline within easy reach. The hotel also has a minibar in every room, so a cold drink does not always require putting shoes back on.

The outdoor pool gives you another place to cool off without going anywhere, while the direct pebble beach offers sun loungers and parasols. You can alternate between the pool and the shore, which is a perfectly respectable itinerary when the legs have had enough of carrying you around.

The spa is the more useful option when your shoulders have collected the usual souvenirs of a day in the water. Its treatments include massages, facials, a hammam, sauna, jacuzzi, mud bath and body wraps. That is enough choice to turn an otherwise ordinary afternoon into a deliberate recovery session.

The reception can arrange excursions involving boat trips, islands, waterfalls, markets and snorkelling. Car hire is also available if you want to explore beyond Makarska under your own steam. For something closer to home, St Peter Lighthouse, the main square and the surrounding Biokovo landscape all give you reasons to leave the sun lounger before it starts to remember your shape.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight, and check-out from 04:00 to 11:00. The 24-hour reception can handle express check-in and check-out, luggage storage and concierge requests, which helps when your travel timetable refuses to respect hotel hours. A wake-up service is available as well.

Brac Airport is about 16 miles away, Split Airport about 38 miles and Mostar International Airport about 41 miles. A shuttle service is available, and the hotel can also arrange car hire. Private parking is available on site in a parking garage; reservation is required and parking is paid.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Daily housekeeping is included, while laundry and ironing services are available as additional services. The building has a lift, the rooms are non-smoking, and children of any age are welcome. Cots can be requested for children aged from birth to two years, while extra beds are not available.