4 Best places to stay in Split

Aimed at visitors who want their own luxury bolthole in Split’s magnificent car-free old town, this discreet boutique hotel lies inside Diocletian’s Palace and is popular with visiting celebs.

With just five rooms and two spacious suites (plus four more rooms in the nearby annex), it’s small enough to be able to offer truly personalised service. Steeped in history, the interior combines sections of the ancient Roman structure with modern minimalist furnishing and 21st-century gadgetry.

The hotel’s Magnus restaurant serves creative Dalmatian fare on the secluded square out front, accompanied by occasional performances of Dalmatian klapa (plainsong).

Formerly populated by fishermen and farm labours, Split’s centuries-old Varoš neighbourhood lies between Diocletian’s Palace and Marjan hill. The old town is just a 10-minute walk away.

Here, hidden down winding alleys, Divota occupies half-a-dozen renovated old stone cottages, providing 19 rooms and ten self-catering apartments, complete with thoughtful extras, such as a coffee machines, bathrobes and beach towels.

Zen enthusiasts are in for a real treat – guests have the use of a delightful walled garden with Oriental landscaping incorporating palms, olive trees and lush shrubs, and a pavilion housing a spa, offering massage, beauty treatments, mindfulness meditation and Tibetan healing yoga.

This adults-only hotel occupies a carefully renovated 15th-century building and makes a perfect base for exploring the city’s cultural attractions, while also enjoying the buzz of local shops, cafes and restaurants.

It’s conveniently located in Split’s pedestrian-only historic centre, tucked away in a narrow side street near the covered fish market.

The 21 rooms are smart and comfortable (including a spacious top-floor luxury suite) and there’s also a first-floor lounge bar with a small open-air terrace.

The street-level Marshal restaurant serves traditional Dalmatian dishes with a modern twist – it stays open all day and is popular with hotel residents and non-residents alike.

Split’s oldest purpose-built hotel (dating from 1921, hence the Art Deco details) is set in gardens with palms and a small pool.

It sits directly above Bacvice Bay and beach, where locals play picigin (a mysterious ball game) in shallow waters by the beach. The beach is just across the road from the hotel, with some of the rooms boasting lovely sea views.

It’s ideally placed for cultural sightseeing, lying a 10-minute stroll from Diocletian’s Palace.

For an insider’s view of Dalmatian cuisine, join the chef shopping at the morning open-air markets, then enjoy a private Chef’s Table dinner in the evening.

The hotel spa also has an unusual Salt Room – inhaling its saline air is said to relieve lung ailments.