Marmont Heritage Hotel

Located in the core of UNESCO listed Split old town, the name says it all - as in "heritage". Some of the original 15th century walls can still be seen in parts of the hotel including the restaurant. Since the original four exterior walls of the vast Diocletian's Palace form the centre of the old city and the Marmont is within these, this means that guests are technically sleeping "within the palace walls".

Owned by Dalmatia Luxury Hotels & Villas, the 4-star Marmont upholds the values of the company which are high levels of service with a touch of elegance. In our opinion this stylish boutique hotel blends funky chic with a kind of old-style glamour. It works beautifully. Style is modern minimalist, cleverly enhanced by stunning lights and glittering mirrors, exquisite fabrics in sofas and some eclectic artwork. It is very distinctive and there is nowhere else quite like it in old town Split. Unlike many hotels in heritage buildings, there is a lift.

The main restaurant serves breakfast and a la carte meals and there is a pretty outside terrace by an ancient wall providing a somewhat cloister-like feel and some welcome shade in the heat of the summer. The restaurant is popular with locals which is always a good sign and in summer, the big, full-length windows are left open, looking out to the narrow, charming streets. Breakfast is served from 7-11am which is unusual in small boutique hotels in Croatia. Drinks are served in the charming Pata Negra wine bar, or in the library-lounge.

A nice touch is the second-floor spa terrace where old walls have been reconstructed to provide an area which guests can pre-book for 45-minutes to just over an hour. There are white curtained cabanas plus jacuzzi and drinks can be served here. All this overlooking old town Split and included in the hotel price.

Around 15 years ago Split was a place that visitors mainly considered as merely a ferry port, a place from which to access the famous Dalmatian islands. Few people thought about staying in Croatia's second city for more than a night. That all changed around 10 years ago as people decided to use Split as a base, enjoy the historic core formed by Diocletian's Palace walls. Hotels like the Marmont were at the forefront of this change and now the hotel is open for 10 months a year, closing only for January and February. Split usually enjoys a very long autumn period with sunny days reaching into November and flights from the UK now extend beyond October.

Split's new found fame meant that well located, boutique style hotels were suddenly sought after and consequently hotel prices increased. It is a hugely sought-after destination with many repeat visitors from all over the world. In summer, Split airport is the busiest in all of Croatia.

The Marmont however, continues to offer quite reasonable rates, especially in April, May, part of September and October. Weather is usually good in October and the sea is still nicely warm, usually around 22C so perfect for swimming. The city's sandy Bacvice beach is around 15-20 minutes’ walk. Split is a vibrant city so it is never empty and there is always a buzz yet April, May, late September and October months are really enjoyable with the high season crowds long gone. Ferry and catamaran connections work all year and make day trips out easy.

Due to the number of repeat guests who return to the Marmont each year, we cannot emphasize strongly enough how important it is to book early to avoid disappointment.

Accommodation

• There are 22 double rooms and 2 suites.
• Three types of rooms - standard, superior and deluxe and the difference is the size. Standard room is the smallest although still a good size, superior is a little larger and deluxe is the largest room.
• Standard rooms have a bathroom with separate shower while superior and deluxe rooms have a mix of bath with shower over or a separate shower.
• All rooms are doubles with king size beds. There are no twin beds and the king sized beds can be prepared using separate twin bed linen.
• All rooms have robes and slippers.
• High quality bed linens and furnishing fabrics.
• Suite and penthouse are very spacious. The suite has a pretty outside terrace offering old town views, one double bedroom, a lounge area, walk-in closet, bathroom with jacuzzi bath and a separate shower. The Penthouse is even larger, also with old town views and both the suite and penthouse have sloped ceilings.

Amenities/Features

• A la carte restaurant serving breakfast for hotel guests and a wide selection of snacks and meals including both Dalmatian dishes and international cuisine. Selection of organic, local bio products feature at breakfast
• Breakfast served 7-11
• Pretty, walled outside terrace area of the restaurant for a la carte lunch and dinner Wine bar 'Pata Negra' with an extensive list of Croatian and international wines. Tapas style nibbles available depending on season, featuring Dalmatian prsut, (charge applies)
• Lift, hotel on four floors
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel
• Concierge desk for car rentals, excursions and theatre tickets
• Open-air, second floor spa terrace with views of the old town, featuring cabana type relaxing beds, jacuzzi with free personal use of approximately one hour
• Lounge-library with comfortable seating and large television screens

Standard Room with city view

Standard double room with king size bed, air conditioning, bathroom (shower plus hairdryer), telephone, satellite TV, safe, mini-bar. Robes and slippers.

Superior Room with city view

Superior double room with king size bed, air conditioning, bathroom (bath with shower plus hairdryer), telephone, satellite TV, safe, mini-bar. Robes and slippers. Larger than standard double room.

Deluxe Room with city view

Deluxe double room with king size bed, air conditioning, bathroom (bath with shower, plus hairdryer), telephone, satellite TV, safe, mini-bar. Robes and slippers. The largest of the room types.

Suite

Very spacious double room with king size bed, air conditioning, bathroom (jacuzzi bath, separate shower plus hairdryer), telephone, satellite TV, safe, mini-bar. Robes and slippers. Walk-in closet. Additional spacious lounge area with distinctive Barcelona retro chairs. Relaxation sofa. Stylish outside terrace with old town views.