Best Beachfront Hotels in Makarska

Hotel 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.

The 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.

The 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.

Having 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.

We 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.

We 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.

The 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.

The 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.

The 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.

For 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.