Just after I was invited to visit the Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort - hotel group Hyatt’s new opening in Montenegro - travel bible Time Out released their list of the world’s 30 Most Beautiful Places. Imagine my surprise and delight to discover that the very place I was heading - Kotor Bay, the unspoilt, UNESCO World Heritage site - had been given the number one spot? As a keen traveller and photographer, I was beside myself with excitement… But curious to know if the area - and the hotel - would live up to the hype. Read on for my honest review…
Rooms
Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort features 205 eco-consciously designed guest rooms, all creatively inspired by the dramatic beauty of the local area. There are 21 premium apartments and 26 deluxe apartments, including one, two, three and four-bedroomed beachfront apartments with swim-up pools or roof terraces with hot tubs.
We stayed in a bedroom apartment which consisted of three well-designed floors. At first, I was worried that going up and down the stairs would become tiresome, but having the extra space was wonderful, and it really felt like home. The ground floor featured a fully equipped kitchen with a Lavazza coffee machine and kettle, a two-hob sink and a sizeable fridge. The mini bar was reasonably priced, ranging from 3 Euros for a local Montenegrina chocolate bar or 4.50 Euros for a water or coke, up to 16 Euros for a 200ml bottle of Prosecco. We were given complimentary water, however, and the tap water is considered safe in Montenegro and tasted great, so we certainly didn’t spend any money in this department.
Also on this floor, there was a sofa bed and 65-inch HDTV as well as a marble table and a compact yet stylish bathroom with a walk-in rainfall shower with added attachment and a great mirror with a backlight. It was stocked with toiletries by clean-beauty skincare brand Pharmacopia as well as the usual amenities you’d expect - including a shower cap and cotton buds. A balcony with two chairs - and breathtaking views over Kotor Bay - was the final area to note on the ground floor.
Taking the wooden stairs up to the second floor, we found a bedroom which opened out onto a second balcony. There was a king-size bed (which was extremely comfortable) with duvet and feather pillows. Opposite the bed, there was another 65-inch HDTV, which we managed to connect to an iPad via Chrome Cast to watch movies. There was plenty of cupboard space, and more than enough hangers for our needs (eight in total). The plush carpet, two palm-tree print pouffes and small bench at the end of the bed added to the sense of cosiness in the room.
© Katherine RobinsonThe bathroom on this floor featured a double sink, a large mirror which featured a back light and time and temperature display. There was another walk-in rainfall shower as well as a hairdryer, bathrobe and slippers and more toiletries by Pharmacopia. On each floor there was a smart control panel to control the temperature of the room as well as controls for the shutters and curtains.
The third floor was the last one to explore, and it contained a small sink area and opened out onto the 44 square metre roof terrace, which was decked out with two sun loungers and our very own jacuzzi to enjoy!
Style
The rooms - as well as the hotel - are tastefully decorated in a minimalist, almost Scandinavian style with interiors that clearly take inspiration from the nature of the surrounding area. Earthy tones of beige, fawn grey and cream, lots of natural wood and marble, and soft warm light set the tone - with a sense of calm reigning supreme. Pops of colour are added in the form of chair furnishings, paintings and wall murals, mainly in varying shades of ochre blue.
I was obsessed with the two-tone curtains in our room - a deep ochre blue at the bottom, fading out to beige. Fittings, in chrome matt silver and bronze, and nature and leaf patterns on the upholstery added were great finishing touches.
Location
Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort is located on the spectacular seashore of the much-undiscovered destination of Kotor Bay in Montenegro. It’s not an area of the world I was familiar with at all - and it took my breath away. It nestles at the heart of the region’s majestic fjord-like coastal mountains of the Adriatic Sea. Remembering some of the scenery and sunsets now as I write this review, it honestly gives me shivers to relive it.
The hotel is accessible by land, boat and plane - it’s just a short taxi ride from Tivat International Airport.
© Katherine RobinsonKotor Bay is a great outdoor destination whichever month you visit thanks to its boundless wild beauty, which can be enjoyed while kayaking or riding a paddle board, or hiking the formidable Vmac mountain, or - as we did - via a private boat tour. We loved the experience of exploring the bay by boat so much that we did it twice.
There’s so much to see: highlights included a trip to Perast - one of the most beautiful towns on the Adriatic Sea - the tiny town is about a 1.5km walk from end to end and packed full of palaces, churches, tiny shops and a museum. We stopped for a lobster and oysters lunch here at Conte Hotel Restaurant and while it wasn’t cheap, it was one of the best lobsters I’ve ever eaten.
© Katherine RobinsonAnother must-see is Our Lady of the Rocks - a church which sits atop the only artificial Island in the Adriatic. According to legend locals made the tiny island by sinking ships and throwing rocks into the water.
Culture lovers will also love exploring the white-walled, orange-roofed winding streets of the historic old town of Kotor, which is home to numerous majestic churches and cathedrals dating back to the 12th to 14th Century as well as restaurants and souvenir shops. Everything is contained within the laneways and staircases that make up the maze of passages and hidden courtyards found within the town walls. Built by the Venetians, the old town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Also well worth visiting is the ultra-modern Porto Montenegro. It's a haven of al fresco dining and designer boutiques - you can find Cartier, Chloe, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Ralph Laurent to name but a few - and super yachts. While we were there, we managed to see the groundbreaking superyacht The Black Pearl, and I was completely floored by her size and sleekness.
Dining
Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort offers several gourmet dining options. The Lighthouse restaurant - my personal favourite - is located right by the sea and is accessible by boat via the hotel's private marina. It offers high-quality Mediterranean cuisine and highlights included the spicy steak tartare and the delicious grilled tuna steak with sesame crust.
The Hedonist Rooftop restaurant is another option, featuring tasting menus of modern Balkan cuisine from locally sourced, farm-to-table groceries.
There’s also Blue, which features a Montenegro food corner, promoting the country’s centirues-old rich gastronomic heritage, and the more relaxed Piano Bar and Terrace, perfect for a morning coffee, refreshing afternoon cocktails or an evening digestif.
© Katherine RobinsonIf you’re in the mood for tasty tapas, ceviche, salsa and quesadillas, Olé! restaurant and beach bar - Located on the longest natural beach in Kotor Bay - is the one you want. A dynamic hotspot, it has spectacular views, DJ and live music. Last but not least, Pool Bar Bliss serves up healthy snacks, signature cocktails, smoothies and fresh bites.
I’m a big coneurseur of hotel breakfasts, and Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay definitely passed my test. There was the standard selection of fried breakfast fare you’d expect plus a great selection of local cheeses and pastries, plenty of cold-cut meats and smoked salmon and a wide selection of fresh fruit and vegetables. The best part, however, was the egg and pancake station where you could place your order and have it delivered to your table. There’s nothing quite like eating a delicious eggs benedict while gazing out of the azure waters of Boka Bay!
© Marko PopovicSpa and Wellness
It’s nothing new for a hotel to have an on-site spa, but Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay has something truly unique - a physician-led health centre. This is in keeping with the fact that the area itself is long-famed for its natural healing powers due to its unique combination of air and sea aerosols.
The Vrmac Health & Wellbeing Retreat de’MAR offers medical, holistic and wellness treatments and retreats which can be booked for a variety of ailments and chronic conditions. Single treatments are also on offer - all under the professional supervision of the on-site, certified medical experts. I visited the centre to check out their therapy rooms, which are equipped for treatments including lymphatic drainage and cosmetic facial procedures such as fillers, botox and mesotherapy. I passed on the botox but did try out an amazing anti-ageing facial. My other half, meanwhile saw an osteopath, who gave him some great advice about what to do about persisting niggles he still has from an old skateboarding injury.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the tour was the medical clinic - kitted out with an EKG and Vyntus Body analyser – an up-to-the-minute device for complete functional lung testing.
Guests who are seeking a more typical spa experience can make use of the resort’s Spa Soul - there’s a fitness centre, steam room and sauna with a sea view as well as a heated indoor swimming pool which also overlooks the bay. A wide range of treatments are available, including an incredible Hamman ritual, which I tried out and left feeling like the stresses of the past 12 months had melted away with the layers of soapy suds.
Value for money
Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort start from £86 per room per night and that includes a king-size bed, (or twins if preferred), a walk-in shower and double sink, a well-equipped work desk and a fully set balcony, with stunning mountain views. Value for money? Absolutely yes - that’s £43 per person! I had to double-check to make sure the price wasn’t a mistake!
Prices over the peak summer period will be higher. That rate is available in April and May, when the weather is beautiful, and - according to locals - the best time to visit, before places get too crowded.
How to book: I recommend booking via Booking.com or Love Holidays.
© Katherine RobinsonGetting there
Take a direct flight (2.5 hours) from London, Manchester and - soon to be added - Birmingham to Tivat with easyJet and Jet2. Or fly to Dubrovnik via British Airways and transfer down the Adriatic coast by car or boat.
Why you should trust me
As well as being a lifelong travel enthusiast, I’ve been reviewing hotels and travel experiences for HELLO! Online for the past decade. Having stayed in hundreds of different hotels across the globe, from boutique hotels on the clifftops of Iceland to overwater cabins in French Polynesia, I’ve seen every type of hotel imaginable, and I know what’s fab and what’s drab, and I’ll always tell you the truth.
