Hotel Eden - Rovinj, Croatia     

As the previous reviewer has mentioned, we were informed of the building work around two weeks before we were due to travel (irritatingly, the letter was sent by second class post and did not even contain an apology!). Before I booked the holiday back in January I specifically asked Portland if there would be any building work going on nearby (as I had read that the hotel next door had been demolished last year), and they said definitely not. On telephoning Portland after receipt of their letter, they tried to make out that they had only found out about the building work in May. When I asked why they did not inform us about it in May, they said it was because they were monitoring the situation (and not because they wanted to tell us at the last minute so it was too late for us to transfer to a different holiday!). That said, the building work did not spoil the holiday. You could hear it going on when sitting in the garden, and there were lorries going to and from the site during the day, but it was not as bad as I had expected. The hotel is in a good position, on the edge of a nature reserve, and a pleasant 15 - 20 minute stroll from the beautiful town of Rovinj. I had emailed the hotel and requested quiet rooms overlooking the pool/garden and our rooms were spacious and well appointed. The pool area is well maintained - plenty of sunbeds, plenty of shade. The pool itself is huge (salt water) and very clean. The pool restaurant is well run and good value for a 4 star hotel. Breakfast and dinner are both buffet style. Not haute cuisine, but plenty of choice. We had wines by the caraffe each evening and these were reasonably priced and perfectly drinkable. The hotel is spotless and well run. The staff are all extremely pleasant. The evening entertainment is...........interesting! Would I go back? Yes, although I'll be keeping an eye on the progress of the new 5 star next door (which I believe is owned by the same group), which should be pretty stunning when it's finished.

Rovinj was excellent. The Hotel Eden overall was very good (see later about rooms). As others have said the food is OK, but we're not talking Marco Pierre White here - on the other hand you certainly won't starve. The staff are very friendly and helpful. And the Eden is the one place worldwide where I've seen sunbeds and sunny or shaded wide spaces available virtually all day. You can walk into the old town in 15 minutes (path during daylight, return by road after dark). Old Town is absolutely enchanting - lots of restaurants, bars and shops. The prices are much lower than expected (not sure how long that will last). Eden has advertised music entertainment every evening. The adjacent buiding works (nearest point 100 yards away) must have been ongoing for well over a year. The structure of the new large hotel right next to the Eden is nearly finished, but fiiting out hasn't started - it should have opened this summer 2008. Now, Thomson & Portland Direct would have you believe that only 3 weeks ago this major building site came as a whole big surprise to them. They are only now writing at the very last minute to customers who booked with them as far back as last September (2007) to warn about potential noise. In fact the Hotel Eden seems to have had considerable influence as the noise was very sporadic and only during the day ( I suspect the new hotel being built next door is part of the same Hotel Group). It certainly didn't detract at all from our holiday experience, but may well have done so for others who stayed earlier when construction must have been in full swing. We now come to the real (only) problem with Hotel Eden. I was reliably informed the hotel was extended at some point adding a Glass Boxed wing. I'm not a Civil Engineer, but I cannot imagine a construction more likely to act as 'sauna' accommodation than this modern glass fronted extension - if you ever wondered what architects are referring to when they mention 'Solar Gain' then this searing heatbox is a prime example.The hotel's original main air-conditioning system was connected to these extra rooms but was never upgraded to cope with the additional power/capacity requirements - Result, in July temperatures in the 90's and above (38c) plus the very high humidity normally expected in this region of Croatia these rooms are almost unbearable to stay in. These rooms are, of course, priced far more economically than the rest of the hotel where the air-con work very satisfactorily in your rooms ( it certainly did in the room we after 1 hour got ourselves moved to at the other end of the hotel). Guess what? Guess who will have booked you into your very own Sauna Bedroom. Yes you've guessed, its Thomson's and/or Portland Direct. So, if on your arrival you're allocated 'Thomson Rooms', for example 307 to 325 on the 3rd Floor and its going to be hot and humid during your stay then I suggest you immediately get yourself (as we did) moved to the other (original) end of the hotel, unless you want to lose weight or are a jockey. The Eden claimed the part to make their air-con system go faster was held up at the Border (sadly, I didn't have the heart to tell them faster doesn't actually mean cooler; it just means the same, faster). In fact the new hotel next door from its brochure looks to be excellent (possibly Rovinj's first 5 Star hotel) and whne completed (now 2009?) it will have the most wonderful views over the bay. Overall Rovinj's great and the Eden was enjoyable, just avoid those Sauna Bedrooms!