Grand Park Hotel Rovinj by Maistra Collection

Rooms and decor

Picture a large hotel that the architects meant to disappear into a hillside by the sea — look across the bay from the old town and you barely register a 5-star building sitting there. That is the charm of Grand Park Hotel Rovinj by Maistra Collection, Maistra's flagship, which Croatia's well-known studio 3LHD designed to step down the hill like rice terraces running to the sea, each roof level planted green until it becomes part of the landscape. It opened in 2019, and the roughly 209 rooms and suites are done in warm modern tones, leaning on natural wood and stone against easy light colors and artwork tucked throughout. What impresses most is that nearly every room has a large balcony — many face the sea and the old town, so you open the curtain in the morning to the St. Euphemia bell tower floating over the water. Rooms facing the garden or hillside are quieter and shaded in their own way. The beds are soft, the bathrooms clean and modern, and for anyone who wants a plush resort feel with real design sense, the rooms deliver from the first step in.

Food and amenities

What sets Grand Park apart from other hotels in town is the rooftop infinity pool, whose edge seems to flow into the water and the horizon, looking across the bay to Rovinj old town with the St. Euphemia bell tower and St. Catherine island in full panorama. At sunset this is the spot reviews call one of the prettiest in Istria for soaking with a cocktail. Inside, the other much-talked-about highlight is the large Albaro Wellness spa, with an indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, and hammam, plus a range of massage treatments — somewhere to fully unwind even when the sun is not cooperating. Dining runs several levels in one place, from the main restaurant and a breakfast buffet reviews praise for good ingredients and plenty of choice, to the premium restaurant Cap Aureo, which leans on contemporary local Istrian ingredients, plus a poolside bar to sit with a drink and the view. All told, you get the scenic pool, a relaxing spa, and good places to eat and drink without really leaving the hotel.

Location and getting there

Grand Park's setting is the dream for anyone who wants resort calm and the old town close at the same time. It stands in the Monte Mulini resort zone on the bay, right by ACI Marina and its rows of handsome yachts, facing across the water to the skyline of Rovinj old town, where pastel houses crowd up the hill to the St. Euphemia bell tower. Walk out along the seaside path through the shaded Zlatni Rt (Golden Cape) pine park for about 10-12 minutes and you reach the heart of the old town — winding stone lanes, the harbor-side square, seafood restaurants, and stylish cafes to wander all evening. The Zlatni Rt forest park itself is a popular spot for walking, cycling, and swimming off the rocks nearby. For longer travel, Rovinj is in the Istria region of western Croatia, and the nearest airport at Pula is about a 40-minute drive. If you like exploring the old town on foot and coming back for the rooftop pool and spa, this location is hard to fault.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First is price — as one of the city's best flagship 5-star hotels and a global-list name, it runs high, especially in the summer high season when Rovinj is an Istria favorite and rooms fill fast, so book well ahead; and if you really want the old-town view, you will need a sea or town-view room, which costs noticeably more than one facing inward. Second is the size of the hotel: it is a large building stepping down the hill over several levels, and some reviews say getting from your room to the rooftop pool, the shore, or the lobby means a fair bit of lifts and corridors, which may not suit anyone who has trouble walking or is traveling with small children. Third, understand from the start that this coast is rocky shore and concrete sea platforms in true Istrian style, with no private white-sand beach like a tropical resort. The water highlight here is the rooftop pool and spa more than swimming off the front of the hotel — keep that in mind and you will not be let down.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real reviews, our team sees Grand Park Hotel Rovinj by Maistra Collection as the hotel that nails the old-town view from a rooftop infinity pool, the award-level 3LHD design, and the full Albaro Wellness spa all at once — enough to be called the city's flagship and to make World's 50 Best Hotels 2025. If your mental picture of the trip is walking the seaside into Rovinj old town all day, then coming back to float in the rooftop infinity pool with a cocktail as the St. Euphemia bell tower turns gold in the evening, before finishing with the spa and a good dinner, this is close to a perfect fit. But if you are coming to sunbathe on a private sandy beach in front of the hotel, or you want friendlier prices and a small, easy-to-walk stay, the price level and size here may give you pause. Overall we give it 9.2/10 — best for couples and relaxation-minded travelers who want the old-town view, the design, and a seaside spa in one stay.