Hotels in Makarska
Makarska is a harbour town on Croatia's central Dalmatian coast, backed by the limestone wall of Mount Biokovo and facing the islands of Brač and Hvar across the channel. Hotels line a roughly two-kilometre pebble beach and the palm-shaded Riva promenade around the old Franciscan harbour. It works as a base for beach time, ferry hops to the islands, and day trips into the Biokovo hills.
Hotels in Makarska sit between Mount Biokovo's cliff wall and a curving pebble bay, which decides where you should stay before star ratings even enter the picture. The Riva promenade holds harbour hotels within walking distance of the Franciscan Monastery and the ferry quay for Brač, while the beachfront strip running south toward Osejava puts swimmers closer to the water than anywhere else on the promenade. Families lean toward the pavilion-style resorts spread along the pine-backed shore north of town, couples toward the smaller boutique addresses near Kačić Square. Split Airport sits roughly an hour's drive north, and the Makarska–Sumartin ferry runs straight from the harbour for day trips to Brač.
Makarska at a glance

Boutique Hotel Ani - Adults Only
A quiet wellness centre, 200 metres from the sea
Why guests love itBoutique Hotel Ani is adults-only, so families with children cannot stay and should look at other hotels in Makarska. For couples and adult friends, it is one of the best-rated places in town, with 9.8 from nearly 300 reviews. The outdoor pool, sauna, hot tub and gym make a calm base, the nearest beach is 200 metres away, and bikes can be hired at the 24-hour front desk. I would recommend it to adults who want quiet after a day on the coast.

Apartments Naja - Makarska Exklusiv
A full kitchen and washing machine, minutes from town
Why guests love itHaving a full kitchen and a washing machine changed the whole rhythm of a nine-night stay, cooking most dinners ourselves and doing a midweek laundry load without hunting for a launderette in town. The 13-minute walk to the beach became routine by day three, and the free parking meant we never worried about finding a spot after a day trip.

Boutique Hotel Mirjam
A rooftop pool above the Old Town roofs
Why guests love itThe rooftop pool became the thing we planned our afternoons around, watching the light shift over the Old Town roofs before the short walk down to Biloševac Beach for an actual swim in the sea. The champagne breakfast felt like a genuine treat rather than a gimmick, and the indoor play area saved one particularly hot midday when the rooftop sun got to be too much.

Hotel Osejava
Three beaches and one sunset-facing balcony to choose
Why guests love itHotel Osejava is a newly built hotel on the Makarska promenade, surrounded by three separate beaches, so families can pick a quieter stretch of sand each day. Balconies look over the sea and the sunset, and the restaurant serves traditional Dalmatian food. It stays open all year, which helps families travelling outside summer. A 9.5 rating from more than 400 reviews is excellent. I would book a sea-view balcony room for a beach week in the centre of town.

Heritage Hotel Porin Makarska
A former palace, 500 metres from the ferry
Why guests love itSleeping in a genuine former palace on the Riva made the whole stay feel different from a standard hotel, especially with the night terrace as a spot to end each evening. The 500-metre walk to the ferry port meant we made an early Brač crossing without much fuss, and the homemade breakfast bread became something we looked forward to each morning before heading out.

Hotel Antonio
Family rooms with a pool and a diet-friendly breakfast
Why guests love itHaving proper vegan and gluten-free options at breakfast made mornings considerably less stressful for our group, and the fitness room gave us a way to burn off some energy before the kids took over the pool. Biloševac Beach turned out to be a genuinely short walk, quieter than we expected for how close it was to the centre, and the hot tub became a welcome end to most evenings.

Hotel Central Beach 9
A few steps from the beach, apartments included
Why guests love itHaving a real kitchen in the apartment made the longer stretch of our stay far easier, especially with the beach genuinely a few steps away rather than a marketing exaggeration. The walk to Kačić Square and St. Peter Lighthouse became a regular evening loop, and the airport shuttle from Split saved us the hassle of arranging our own transfer on arrival.

Hotel Maritimo
A pine-shaded promenade between the lobby and the sea
Why guests love itThe pine-shaded promenade right outside became our favourite part of the stay, an easy walk toward the marina most evenings with the islands lit up across the channel. The family-run restaurant felt personal in a way the bigger resort hotels down the beach didn't, and having the dog welcome alongside the adults-only quiet was exactly the combination we'd struggled to find elsewhere on this coast.

Aminess Laurel Khalani Hotel
Direct beachfront access with indoor and outdoor pools
Why guests love itThe kids' pool and the beach being right outside meant our children barely noticed the days pass, while the spa's steam room became our own quiet escape most afternoons once they were settled with the hotel's activity staff. The indoor pool covered one genuinely windy day that would have otherwise cancelled swimming entirely, which mattered more than we expected going into the trip.

Romana Beach Resort
Direct beach access with a year-round family pool
Why guests love itWe spent a week here with two young kids and the combination of the beach right outside and the kids' pool as backup meant nobody ever ran out of things to do. The kitchenette let us cook simple breakfasts most mornings before the beach, and the playground kept the children busy long enough for a proper adult coffee on the terrace at least once a day.

Valamar Meteor Hotel
Indoor and outdoor pools near Mount Biokovo
Why guests love itWe came for a mix of beach and hiking, and Valamar Meteor Hotel delivered both without much compromise, mornings on the outdoor pool deck and afternoons arranging a Biokovo trek through reception. The Dalmatian wine dinner at the exclusive restaurant became the trip's highlight, unexpectedly, and the indoor pool saved one otherwise wind-ruined afternoon entirely, letting the whole group carry on swimming without missing a single planned day.

Hotel Biokovo
Three minutes from the beach, right in the centre
Why guests love itThe location made the whole trip easier than expected, three minutes to the sand each morning and a short stumble home from the nightclubs each night without needing a taxi either way. The rooms themselves stayed simple and comfortable rather than luxurious, which suited a stay built around being out in town rather than lounging in the room during the day.

Hotel Park Makarska
Beachfront pools and a glass-lift sea view
Why guests love itThe rooms themselves are straightforward, air-conditioned and comfortable rather than showy, but the combination of the private beach lift and the indoor pool with sea views is what makes a stay here feel different from a standard resort room. Breakfast on the terrace looks straight over the water, and the spa's hydro massage bath became the highlight of an otherwise ordinary rainy afternoon during a stay that otherwise ran on beach time and long lunches by the pool.

Hotel Milenij
Regional cuisine served on a Riviera-facing terrace
Why guests love itThe balcony over the Adriatic became our morning ritual, coffee there before deciding what excursion to book through the ever-helpful reception desk. The regional restaurant served solid, unpretentious meals throughout the stay, and having secured parking on site removed one worry we'd had driving down from inland Croatia for the week. The 24-hour front desk also sorted a last-minute rental car for a day trip without any real hassle.

Aparthotel Miramare
Two minutes to the beach, sea views included
Why guests love itThe balcony view over the water became our favourite part of the stay, coffee there most mornings before the two-minute walk down to the beach itself. The barbecue night at the restaurant was worth timing a dinner around, and the seasonal pool covered the one cooler afternoon when the sea felt like too much effort for anyone in the group.

PLACES Dalmacija by Valamar
Sea-view balconies steps from the promenade
Why guests love itThe balcony view sold us before we even checked the room, and it held up through the whole stay, coffee looking out at Brač every morning before the pool got busy. The pool bar meant we barely left the deck some afternoons, and the short walk along the promenade into the centre for dinner became an easy nightly habit by the end of the week.

Sunny Makarska by Valamar
Pavilions among olive trees, tennis courts included
Why guests love itFor a family, Sunny Makarska by Valamar spreads its rooms across pavilions among olive trees, so there is space for children to run about. Kids' activities and tennis courts are on site, and a white pebble beach lies next to the resort. The centre of Makarska is 1.5 km away, a short drive. Boat excursions and Cetina River rafting can be arranged on request. I would choose it for space and activity rather than a walk to the Riva.

Hotel Rosina
Underground parking and a promenade walk to town
Why guests love itWe drove down from Zagreb and the underground garage at Hotel Rosina saved us the usual scramble for street parking near the centre. The 20-minute walk along the sea promenade each morning became part of the routine rather than a chore, especially with the islands visible the whole way, and the restaurant terrace's view toward Brač made even an ordinary dinner feel like an occasion.

Hotel Heritage Casa Blanka
Sea views in the city centre, five minutes from the sand
Why guests love itThe sea view from our room surprised us given how central the hotel actually is, and the five-minute walk to the beach meant we never felt like we'd traded location for outlook. Dinner on the terrace became a nightly habit, the Mediterranean menu working well with an evening spent watching the street below settle into its own rhythm, and the walk to the bus station made a day trip inland easy to arrange too.
What to expect
- Riva promenade hotels within walking distance of the harbour and ferry quay
- Beachfront strip toward Osejava for direct pebble-beach access
- Pavilion-style family resorts among pine trees north of town
- Old Town around Kačić Square for boutique and heritage stays
- Biokovo Nature Park rising directly behind the hotel strip
- Ferry connections to Brač departing from Makarska harbour
Local tips
- ✓Book Riva-side if you want the harbour, the Franciscan Monastery and the ferry quay within a five-minute walk of your room.
- ✓Choose the pavilion resorts north of town if you're travelling with kids who need a kids' pool and flat beach access.
- ✓Check the ferry timetable at Makarska harbour before booking near the port if a Brač day trip is part of the plan.
- ✓Pack proper water shoes, since most of the Makarska Riviera's beach is pebble rather than sand.
- ✓Drive up toward Biokovo Nature Park early in the day, the road gets busy with day-trippers by midday.
- ✓Stay closer to Kačić Square if restaurants and evening life matter more to you than direct beach access.
Where to stay
FAQ
What is the best area to stay in Makarska?
The Riva promenade around the harbour suits travellers who want the Franciscan Monastery, restaurants and the Brač ferry within walking distance, while the beachfront strip toward Osejava and the pavilion resorts north of town put swimmers closer to the pebble beach itself.
What types of hotels does Makarska have?
Makarska mixes beachfront resorts and pavilion-style family hotels along the pine-backed shore, boutique and heritage addresses around the Old Town, and aparthotels with kitchenettes near the harbour, covering everything from adults-only wellness stays to family resorts with kids' pools.
When is the best time to visit Makarska?
Late May through June and September keep the sea swimmable while leaving the Riva promenade and the ferry queues to Brač noticeably quieter than the July and August peak, when both the beach and the harbour hotels fill fast.
How do you get from Makarska to the islands of Brač and Hvar?
Ferries and catamarans leave from Makarska harbour for Sumartin on Brač, with onward road or boat connections toward Hvar, which makes a harbour-side hotel useful for anyone planning an island day trip from town.
Is Makarska walkable without a car?
The Riva promenade, the Old Town around Kačić Square and the harbour ferry quay all sit within a twenty-minute walk of each other, though hotels further along the pine-backed shore north of town rely on the coastal road or a short taxi ride.
What can you do near Makarska besides the beach?
Biokovo Nature Park rises directly behind the town for hiking and mountain driving, while the Cetina River inland is a common day trip for rafting, giving beach-focused stays an inland counterpart within easy reach.