Island Hotels Near Dubrovnik: Koločep or a Lokrum View
Only one of the four island-themed hotels near Dubrovnik on this site is actually on an island: TUI BLUE Kalamota Island, an adults-only resort on car-free Koločep, about 30 minutes by ferry from Gruž. The other three, Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, Hotel Excelsior and Villa Dubrovnik, are on the mainland, at the Old Town's gates or on the cliffs facing Lokrum, and work as bases for island days. Together they average 9.1 out of 10, with 2,413 reviews in all, and every one of them has a pool. I would sleep on Koločep for a week of doing little, and on the mainland if the islands are day trips and the Old Town is the point of the stay.
Seen from Ploče, Dubrovnik is a city that looks at an island: Lokrum sits a few hundred metres offshore, wooded and protected as a reserve, while the Elafiti line up to the north-west, reached from the working harbour of Gruž rather than from the postcard Old Port.
Where to stay
On the island or facing it
Dubrovnik's islands split into two kinds of trips: Lokrum, a nature reserve a short boat ride from the Old Port, and the Elafiti, Koločep first, served by Jadrolinija from Gruž. Where you sleep decides which of the two is easy.
TUI BLUE Kalamota Island is the only hotel of the four on an island. It stands at Donje Čelo, Koločep's main village, beside a small beach of sand and fine pebbles, with 144 rooms spread across nine low buildings around an outdoor pool. It is all-inclusive and adults only, from 16 years old. Koločep has no cars, so you walk everywhere, and the resort lies about 300 metres from the village centre. With 765 reviews and a score of 8.9, it is a well-tested choice for a quiet island week. It is seasonal, open from about early May to late October.
The catch on Koločep is the boat. Jadrolinija line 807 links Gruž with the island in about 30 minutes, then continues to Lopud and Šipan, and Sundays bring fewer sailings. An evening inside Dubrovnik's walls therefore depends on the last boat back, which rules the island out for anyone who wants the Stradun at night. The upside is that Lopud, with the sandy bay of Šunj, is one stop further on the same line, an easy day out without going back to the city, and a reason to pick Koločep over a mainland base.
For Lokrum, the closer island, the mainland hotels win. The official boat leaves from the Old City Port, and the ticket, sold at the Luža office, includes the reserve entrance and the return crossing. Hotel Excelsior, a five-minute walk from the Old Town on the Ploče side, looks straight at Lokrum and has an 850 m² spa with an indoor pool. Villa Dubrovnik, further along at Sveti Jakov, faces the island from the cliff and runs its own boat to the Old Town in summer, which saves the 15 to 20 minute road walk.
Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, built in 1897, stands at the entrance to the Old Town by Pile Gate, with an indoor pool, a wellness centre with saunas and a hammam, and pet-friendly rooms. From there, the Old Port and its Lokrum boats are at the far end of the Stradun, a walk through the whole town. I would choose it over the Ploče hotels if your days are about the walls and Fort Lovrijenac rather than the sea, and if you travel with a dog, as it accepts pets like Villa Dubrovnik.
A traveler's takeI would split the choice by the evening you want. If dinner inside the walls matters, sleep on the mainland: Hotel Excelsior for Lokrum and the sea at the door, Villa Dubrovnik for a quieter cliffside stay with its summer boat, Hilton Imperial for the Pile side and a dog-friendly room. If you want the island itself, with no traffic and a beach a few steps away, TUI BLUE Kalamota Island on Koločep, provided you are 16 or over and happy with ferry times. None of the four suits families with young children who want an island, as the only island hotel is adults only.
Hotel Excelsior
Beachfront luxury with a spa, sea views, and steps from the Old Town
Why guests love itHotel Excelsior is a landmark five-star hotel on the Dubrovnik waterfront, five minutes' walk from the Old Town, and I would recommend it to families and couples who want a refined stay with the sea outside. Most rooms have sea views and original Croatian artwork. The 850 square metre spa has an indoor pool, two hot tubs and saunas, and there are three restaurants. The guest rating is excellent.
Villa Dubrovnik
Luxury villa with beachfront access, spa, and Old Town transfers
Why guests love itVilla Dubrovnik is a five-star with access to a private beach and balconies facing Lokrum Island, and I would recommend it to families who want calm more than activities. Rooms are spacious, the spa gives parents a quiet moment, and two restaurants keep dinner on site. In summer, a free car transfer runs to the Old Town, which spares small legs the walk of around 15 minutes. Pets are welcome. A guest score of 9.2 supports the choice.
Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik
Historic elegance at the Old Town gates, with pool and spa
Why guests love itHilton Imperial Dubrovnik occupies an 1897 building at the entrance to the Old Town, and I would recommend it to families who want to walk straight into the walled city. The indoor pool is a welcome break after a hot morning on the city walls, and parents can use the wellness centre with saunas and a hammam. Pets are accepted. Expect a busy setting rather than a quiet one. A guest score of 9.1 from more than 900 reviews supports the choice.
TUI BLUE Kalamota Island - Adults Only
Adults-only island retreat with a beach, spa, and pool near Dubrovnik
Why guests love itTUI BLUE Kalamota Island is adults only, so it is not an option for a family with children. For couples, it offers something unusual near Dubrovnik: the hotel sits on car-free Koločep, a short ferry ride from the city, with its own beachfront, a pool, and a spa and wellness centre among Mediterranean gardens. Rooms have private balconies or patios. I would point parents towards family hotels on the mainland instead, where children are welcome.
Local tips
- 1Lokrum tickets are sold at the Luža office in the Old City Port and include the reserve entrance and the return boat, so one ticket covers the whole visit.
- 2Lokrum boats leave the Old City Port about every half hour and do not sail in bad weather; the last boat back leaves the island in the early evening (18:00 on the timetable from 28 September 2026), so check it at the Luža office before a late swim.
- 3For Koločep, Jadrolinija line 807 leaves from Gruž, not from the Old Port; from the Old Town hotels, allow time to cross the city to the harbour.
- 4On Sundays line 807 sails less often, so I would not plan a Koločep arrival with luggage on a Sunday evening.
- 5Villa Dubrovnik's own boat to the Old Town runs only in summer; outside those months, Ploče Gate is a 15 to 20 minute walk along the road.
- 6Šunj bay on Lopud, one stop beyond Koločep on line 807, has a fully sandy beach, rare around Dubrovnik and worth a day from Kalamota.
- 7Walking back into the Old Town from the beach in swimwear can earn an on-the-spot fine, with signs at the Pile, Ploče and Buža entrances.
- 8Since 2019 the city caps cruise calls at two ships a day; on those mornings, take the first Lokrum boat and come back in the afternoon.