By far the loveliest option on Brač. It comes with all of the contemporary accoutrements, WiFi, heated bathroom floors and massage bathtubs. But the 13 rooms also come with history – the hotel is older than the town’s church next door. As its name implies, this four-star is a renovated palace. A registered cultural monument, it has been in the family since its construction in 1467. On the outside, the Renaissance feel has held pretty steady. Inside, thanks to dedicated owner, Ružica, each spacious room is unique, with antique furniture and beds. In No.6, Secessionist furniture sits atop woven oriental rugs. Adorning the walls of the 13 doubles and two suites are Ružica’s paintings. At street level, the restaurant is also four-star, with dishes like angler fish wrapped in bacon. Out back a leafy, walled garden is perfect for breakfast or relaxing after investigating beautiful little town-hugging Pučišća Bay.
The list of Brač hotel options are slowly increasing, but at a quieter pace than neighbour Hvar. The exception is Postira, with major renovations of existing hotels and one shiny new four-star, Hotel Lipa. Supetar is also on the way up; the Villa Adriatica is an intriguing option, the Velaris group have been renovating their stock, and a four-star built from scratch, Amor, opened a while back. For the better hotels you need to commit and book early. In Bol, this is the antique-filled Villa Giardino and the modern, chic Bračka Perla. Elsewhere, you’d be hard pressed to find better anywhere in Dalmatia than the Hotel Palace Lešković.
In Bol, the wooded area on the way to Zlatni Rat is dominated by larger resort complexes. The most impressive is the newly renovated, four-star Elaphusa.
