Villas Arbia - Margita Beach hotel

There is a proper sense of place here: Villas Arbia occupies an early-20th-century palace in the Art Nouveau style, with Villa Margita forming part of the group. Historic architecture, Mediterranean planting and the view towards Rab's old town give you rather more to look at than another anonymous white hotel block.

This is a useful base if you want the coast close by, a town within walking distance and enough room to live normally rather than merely sleep between excursions. The accommodation is made up of apartments and studios, so you can sit down, make a coffee and keep the evening at your own pace. The hotel's website is available in English, Croatian, German and Italian.

You are in Banjol, on the island of Rab in Croatia, beside the sea at Padova I cove. The beach is 30 metres away, while a sandy beach is about 200 metres away. Padova II Beach is roughly 300 metres away on foot, and several other beaches sit within about a mile. No heroic expedition is required; sandals will do.

Rab town centre and the marina are around a five-minute walk from the apartments, with the old town reached in a 15–20 minute stroll along the sea. A grocery shop is 70 metres away, and restaurants such as Villa Padova, Konoba Riva and Agatini Vrtovi are within roughly a mile. The historic bell towers of Rab appear in the view from most rooms, giving the walk home a useful landmark.

The practical difference here is the apartment layout. Each studio or apartment has a seating area with a sofa, a dining table and a fully equipped kitchenette, including a hob, microwave, refrigerator, coffee machine and kitchenware. That gives you somewhere to put together a quiet meal, keep cold drinks ready and avoid treating every evening as a restaurant booking.

For two people, the Superior Studio keeps things compact but properly usable, with its sleeping and living areas arranged around the kitchenette. The Premium Apartment gives you more room to spread out, which is the sensible choice if you prefer not to live out of a suitcase. Family rooms are also available, and cots can be requested for children aged up to two; there are no extra beds.

Air conditioning matters when the day has involved heat, salt and too much sun. You also have a flat-screen satellite television, free WiFi throughout the property, a minibar and a private bathroom with either a bath or shower, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer. A mosquito net is included, and most rooms add the old-town and sea view. Upper floors are reached by stairs only, so keep that in mind when choosing a room and carrying dive bags.

Breakfast is included and served as a buffet, with continental, vegetarian and gluten-free choices. The format is useful for a day that starts early: you can take what suits you rather than wait for a complicated order. Evening meals are served at Padova Restaurant, where the cooking follows a Mediterranean line built around fish and meat, with local and international dishes arranged as a buffet.

Dinner brings cold and hot starters, salads, desserts and vegetarian dishes, so you can keep it simple or build a plate with more ambition than your post-dive appetite strictly requires. The restaurant is also a place to try the island's Rab Cake, made in Rab for more than 800 years, alongside local olives, figs, grapes and honey.

There is one nearby caffe bar, about 25 metres from the property. Room service is not available, so the rhythm is straightforward: breakfast or dinner at Padova Restaurant, a short walk for a drink, or the kitchenette when you would rather stay put.

The sea is the main outdoor feature, with the beach just beyond the property and a sun terrace, patio and Mediterranean garden for the periods when you want to sit somewhere that is not wet. Outdoor furniture and barbecue facilities add a little flexibility to the evening, while the old town offers an easy change of scene without requiring a taxi.

If you want to keep moving on a non-diving day, cycling, walking and cultural excursions are available on the island. The organised programme includes city tours, boat trips around Rab and to neighbouring islands, fishing trips, island tours and visits to Goli otok, Zavratnica and Northern Velebit National Park. Boat excursions can also take you towards Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Pag.

A fitness centre and wellness centre are both about 50 metres away, and a swimming pool is around 60 metres away. These are nearby facilities rather than features inside the accommodation, which is worth knowing before you picture yourself wandering downstairs in a robe. For a livelier evening, Santos disco bar is about 15 minutes away by car.

Private parking is available on site, and the property has free WiFi throughout. There is a 24-hour reception, luggage storage, daily housekeeping and private or express check-in and check-out. Laundry is available as a service. Cash is not accepted, and pets are not allowed.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 23:00, while check-out is from 07:00 to 10:00. You need to give the property your expected arrival time and present photo identification and a credit card at check-in. Quiet hours run from 23:00 to 07:00, a useful detail if your room faces the garden or you intend to sleep with the windows open.

Rijeka Airport, on Krk Island, is about 68 miles away. Reaching Rab involves a ferry from Stinica to Mišnjak, a route that takes about 15 minutes and runs continuously in summer; alternatives include the Lopar–Valbiska ferry, a catamaran from Rijeka and regular buses from Rijeka or Zagreb. An airport transfer can be arranged through the hotel. The ferry is part of the journey, not a footnote, so allow time for the crossing and your onward drive.