Maistra Select Island Hotel Katarina in Rovinj

The Island Hotel Katarina is situated a short boat ride from the beautiful Croatian coastal town of Rovinj. Unlike some island resorts Katarina doesn’t feel crowded at all and it is very easy to find some personal space and piece and quiet in one of the many small coves that are dotted around the edge of the island. I have read a number of reviews of Island Hotel Katarina that pick up on the need for a bit of TLC when it comes to site maintenance. It is true that it does look a little frayed around the edges here and there, especially when you wander around the extensive grounds but personally I found this slightly faded look rather charming. It feels a bit like stepping back in time. Other travellers have commented that the hotel bar just feels like an afterthought, tacked onto the main hotel reception and that it closes far too early. The lack of a proper a-La-Carte restaurant open in the evenings has also been noted several times. Both of these things are true but with a regular free water taxi service giving guests easy access to the dozens of excellent restaurants of Rovinj, why would anyone want to dine at the hotel? Hotel Katarina would have to provide something so special that travellers staying on the mainland would be queuing up to take the ferry to the island if they wanted to compete on a sustainable basis. There is a buffet in the evenings but it put us in mind of school dinners when we decided to try it out when we needed an early night. The breakfast, on the other hand, is very good with a wide selection of options and well worth opting for every morning. A small a-La-Carte restaurant called “Batimar” is a good option for lunch if you don’t want to leave the privacy of the island but it closes at 6pm. So if I found the hotel to be charming rather than scruffy and the island peaceful and was impressed by the regular free ferry service on and off the island why only 3 stars? The reason for my hesitation to award more stars troubles me and it relates to the staff. The staff were, on the whole, courteous and friendly in the normal insincere way that it is only fair to expect from people who work to live rather than live to work. I have no problem with that whatsoever. What bothered me is the fact that most of the staff, especially the waiting on staff, seemed so unhappy. Most of them only ever smiled when talking directly to guests, the rest of the time they looked sullen in their work as they laid tables or disposed of rubbish. They didn’t even seem to banter with each other. This was particularly obvious at the Batimar restaurant but throughout the resort it was rare to find a team member who was in a genuinely good mood (other than the people on the front desk). For this reason, my plea to the owners of Hotel Katarina is not to invest in the buildings or services but in the people. Your investment will return a hundred fold if you can make the island a paradise to work in and not just relax on. I would love to return one da

As you arrive to the hotel on the ferry it is very exciting and attractive looking property. Unfortunately there is an immediate let down when you deal with reception. We arrived on a Saturday and they were inundated dealing with ferry queries and ticket requests from day trippers. The reception staff themselves, whilst pleasant enough, seemed to not be very organised. A separate queue for arriving guests would be a good idea. The rooms were large with lovely balconies and great views, although the decor and facilities were rather basic. However the bathroom was very small. The shower cubicle was tiny and borderline unusable. On one evening the bar was closed for hotel guests, yet the staff were serving drinks to guests at a wedding reception, which made us feel very second class, which is unacceptable given how much we had paid to stay there. The bar also closed very early by normal hotel bar standards, and always before the final ferry had returned from the mainland. The pool area is lovely with fantastic views. However there is no pool bar area where you could get drinks or snacks, instead having to walk back into the hotel in your swimwear to get refreshments. Despite everything I’ve said above we actually had a lovely trip. Rovinj itself is beautiful. We were comfortable in our rooms and we enjoyed our days around the pool and the island. The potential for this property is enormous. The location is amazing and stunning and travelling to and from via ferry is a unique and wonderful experience. The seclusion of being on your own island is fabulous. But the property and the staff are clearly in need of major investment. Do that and they will have a real gem on their hands.