Hotel Kolovare
by the TopOfHotel team
Hotel Kolovare is a beachfront hotel that balances price, location and convenience wake up to the sea out front, walk the shore into the Old Town, park with ease, and lean on value and a two-way location rather than plush rooms.
Hotel Kolovare is a beachfront hotel that balances price, location and convenience wake up to the sea out front, walk the shore into the Old Town, park with ease, and lean on value and a two-way location rather than plush rooms.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a beachfront hotel that has stood alongside Zadar for years open the door and you meet the Adriatic and the seaside promenade. That is Hotel Kolovare, a 4-star midscale hotel sitting right on Kolovare Beach, a local favorite, only about 1.5 km from the World Heritage Old Town. The building is classic for its age, not flashy or sharply modern, but it has the warm, simple feel of a familiar seaside getaway. Rooms are done in easy, calm tones and built for real use comfortable enough beds and room enough for a family. Many face the sea, so you wake to an Adriatic view and soft morning light, while the road-facing rooms run quieter for resting. Plenty of reviews praise how clean and friendly the place is. If you are not after a sharply designed room but want a comfortable beachfront base that works well and lets you swim or walk the shore the moment you are up, this should suit.
Food and amenities
The heart of a stay here is easy seaside living. There is a pool to cool off in after a day out, a gym for anyone still wanting to train mid-trip, and a much-liked restaurant and seaside terrace for a coffee or a wine watching the waves in the evening. The breakfast comes up often in reviews, praised as varied and generous beyond what you would expect at this level fresh items, baked goods, eggs and hot dishes to choose from, enough to set you up before the Old Town. One big edge many overlook is the on-site parking: in Zadar, where the Old Town is pedestrian-only and parking is very hard to find, having your own spot is a real deal for anyone driving themselves or planning to continue on to Plitvice and Krka. Park and leave it, walk the shore into town, and skip the headache of circling for a space. The amenities are not five-star plush, but they are enough for a relaxed beachfront stay.
Location and getting there
Location is Hotel Kolovare's strongest card, because it works two ways in one place. On one side, you are right on Kolovare Beach step out and you are on the sand and a long, handsome seaside promenade, good for a morning or evening stroll, a swim, or just sitting in the sea breeze without going far. On the other side, you walk the Riva waterfront into Zadar's UNESCO Old Town in about 20 minutes, with sea views the whole way. At the point you meet two of the city's renowned highlights the Sea Organ, where waves rush through pipes under the stone steps to make natural music, and Greeting to the Sun, a circle of solar panels that glows with color after dark. This is Zadar's most famous sunset spot. A little farther on are the ancient Roman Forum, St Donatus Church and the old paved lanes full of restaurants and cafes. In short, if you want both a beachfront base to relax on and easy Old Town access on foot, this location fits best on a reachable budget.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. First, the style of the hotel: Hotel Kolovare has been open a long time, and the decor and rooms run plain and classic for the building's age, not sharply modern or boutique. Anyone expecting stylish contemporary rooms or new-resort polish may find them a touch ordinary. Second, room consistency some reviews note quality varies room to room, with some clearly better cared for than others, and parts of the building not as crisp as a newer place. If you can, look at the room at check-in and ask to switch if yours is not right. Third, the walk into the Old Town: even though it is about 20 minutes along a pretty seaside path, you still walk every time you go in and out, which can feel far on a hot day or with a lot of luggage. And finally, even with the Old Town walkable, a trip to far-off national parks like Plitvice or Krka still means driving or booking a tour and that is exactly where the hotel's on-site parking helps a lot.
Our take
After reading hundreds of real reviews, Hotel Kolovare sells "beachfront location plus easy Old Town access plus value and convenience" and pulls it off a steady, dependable base in Zadar. If your trip looks like waking to the sea out front, swimming or strolling the shore in the morning, walking the waterfront into the Old Town by day to see the Roman Forum and the stone lanes, coming back to the seaside terrace or the pool in the evening, and driving out of your own parking spot on the days you want to roam farther, this is a value-packed, well-balanced pick. But if you are after modern design rooms, boutique or five-star polish, or a stay inside the Old Town where you step out into the stone lanes, this classic beachfront hotel may not be the answer. Overall we give it 8.4/10 best for families and couples who want both the beach and easy Old Town access on a reachable budget, more than those who put design and full-on luxury first.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- It sits right on Kolovare Beach, so you can step out for a swim or a stroll along the seaside promenade the moment you wake up. It is a beach the locals favor, with an easy, relaxed feel.
- You can walk the Riva waterfront into Zadar's UNESCO World Heritage Old Town in about 20 minutes, with sea views the whole way and easy reach of the Sea Organ, Greeting to the Sun and the Roman Forum.
- It has everything you need to unwind, with a pool, a gym, and a restaurant and terrace that look out to sea good for sitting back after a day out.
- There is parking on the property, a big edge in Zadar where the Old Town is pedestrian-only and parking is hard to find. Handy if you are driving yourself or planning to continue on to Plitvice or Krka.
- It is good value for a beachfront spot at the 4-star level a Booking score of 8.4 from over 1,792 reviews shows the consistency, plus a breakfast that many reviews call varied and generous.
- This is a long-running hotel, and the rooms and decor are plain and classic for the building's age rather than sharply modern or boutique-designed. Anyone expecting stylish, contemporary rooms may find them ordinary.
- It is not in the Old Town even though it is about a 20-minute seaside walk away, you still walk every time you head in and out. Anyone who wants to step out the door straight into the Roman stone lanes may not find it a fit.
- Some reviews note that the rooms and parts of the hotel are not kept as crisp as a newly opened place, and room quality can be uneven some rooms look newer than others, so it is worth checking at check-in.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Zadar
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Insider Tips
- Leave the hotel and walk the Riva seaside promenade into the Old Town at sunset the path ends at the Sea Organ, where the waves play music, and Greeting to the Sun, which starts to glow at dusk. It is Zadar's finest time of day and an easy walk of about 20 minutes.
- To make the beachfront spot pay off most, ask for a sea-facing room you get a better view and atmosphere than a road-facing one, and it is the main draw of staying on the beach here.
- Make the most of the on-site parking park and leave the car, then walk the shore into the Old Town or down to the beach, and only drive out on the day you head to the far-off Plitvice or Krka national parks. It beats hunting for parking in the Old Town.