Boutique Hotel Alhambra and Villa Hortensia on Losinj

Today we took a close-up look at two more five-star hotels that are part of the six hotels owned by Jadranka, a Croatian company, here in Mali Losinj.

They are both located on either side of the big Bellevue Hotel, and were both built around the same time, 1912.

The Villa Hortensia is made for big groups.  Big groups with a person who has a big checkbook and can pay the $7000-8000 Euros per night that they’ll need to stay in the three-story former private home.

It’s quite opulent digs, located smack-dab on the sparkling shore of Čikat Bay, with a large cement patio right on the water where chefs can prepare barbecues for the 20 pampered guests.

The swimming pool has heated salt water, and inside, there are smaller pools to soak in along with a full gym and two jacuzzi tubs. Ten en suite bedrooms provide all your guests could want, while the master suite resembles an elegant stateroom aboard a luxury yacht, with windows curving around the round walls facing the bay.

You not only get an ultra luxe house and all of the gourmet food you and your 19 additional guests could want, but you get something even better–a butler.

Viljam Zuklik will take good care of everyone in the house, he’s the butler in charge of the residence, and he showed us around. The views are spectacular and the old structure has been renovated just like the hotel next door, with a combination of respect for the old and some very fine Italian furniture and decor.

The Boutique Hotel Alhambra, on the other side of the Bellevue, was built in 1912, but like its sibling hotels, has been extensively renovated and improved, while retaining it’s original look.

Rooms here are named for dignitaries from Mali Losinj, as well as for some of the mistresses that the very randy Franz Joseph of Austria, who frequented this part of Croatia for his many romantic rendezvous with his reputed stable of mistresses.

The Alhambra has only been open since 2015, and work continues. As we toured the hotel, workers were adding lights embedded into the granite on the walkway on the sea.

There are 51 rooms in the Alhambra, it’s part of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World. We dined in the Restaurant Albert Keller, and savored some delicious food and wines–five luscious courses in all.  The veal filets melted in our mouths, and the first course of pasta wrapped crab with a light sage sauce was terrific.

I asked one of the owners of the hotel who dined with us where most of the foreign visitors to this five-star property come from, and he said that Germany, Italy and Austria follow Croatia as the prime sources for guests. So far, Russian oligarchs haven’t discovered these fantastic hotels yet–but given time, I’m sure they’ll be coming soon.