Istrian Villas Plava Laguna
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About
4.0
#2 of 5 resorts in UmagLocation
4.5
Cleanliness
4.0
Service
4.0
Value
3.6
In 2023, the renovation of the attractive Istrian Villas was finalized, and all the villas welcomed the tourist season refurbished top to bottom. The guests who chose to spend their holidays at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna could therefore rest assured that they enjoyed a modern and airy interior, renovated bathrooms, a newly furnished kitchen, living room, and dining room, as well as various appliances such as a dishwasher, a gas grill on the terrace, a refrigerated display case, and a Smart TV with a sound system. Apart from the exquisite refurbished villas, the guests of the Stella Maris Resort can also enjoy the newly renovated Aqua Chill Out pool complex.
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Property amenities
Parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Pool
Bar / lounge
Beach
Tennis court
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Wifi
Hot tub
Indoor pool
Outdoor pool
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
Poolside bar
Kids club
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Spa
BBQ facilities
Convenience store
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Room features
Air conditioning
Private balcony
Safe
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, Croatian, German
Location
Stella Maris - Stella Maris 8A, Umag 52470 Croatia
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 50 out of 100
50
25 Restaurants
within 0.75 miles
2 Attractions
within 0.75 miles
376Reviews16Q+A23Room tips
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Detailed Reviews
The location of the resort is absolutely stunning: on a small peninsula where the sea is just within a few steps from each building. We made a booking very last minute, while driving in the car (after getting the confirmation email I typed in the address into the navigation and had to 'turn after 900 meters to the right' to the resort, so it was really that last minute) yet the room was prepared with fresh flowers and fruits. Check-in was quick and uncomplicated, yet I would have welcomed more information on amenities, services etc. so we don't have to figure out everything by ourselves. We booked the self catering stay so I cannot comment on the all-inclusive option. We had lunch and dinner at O Grille and the pizza restaurant. Waiters were super friendly at both places, food was OK but not extraordinary. The villa itself was amazing, nicely refurbished and equipped with everything you need incl. sunbeds, gas grill, very well equipped bar etc. the bathroom could have been a bit more spacious though. The villa area can not be accessed by car, they transfer you with a golf car to the building, this is perfectly fine. Yet the supermarket is not close so I had to walk with back with the grocery which wasn't ideal. The beaches are rocky or pebbly but this is Croatia so shouldn't be a surprise. With small children we spent more time at the pool. We had a nice stay here, probably could have explored the resort better but we were rather out for relaxation.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The apartments are ok nothing special , staff are rude and unfriendly in reception, definitely not 4* rooms , apartments are noisy , It’s far to set up for German tastes , no English here at all , the strangest thing we noticed is the facility is not exclusively for guests of the hotel or apartments anyone can come here so getting a sun lounger near the sea is a nightmare , you would of thought that if you stayed on the complex you may be guaranteed a sun-bed but no,
Don’t do half board , food is boring and tasteless , everything tastes the same and the choice is really rubbish , the cakes are awful .
I’ve had the craps for 3 days now and I’m never unwell on holiday cast iron stomach but not here , also my daughter has been unwell too , I actually think I’ve lost weight while I’ve been here , so for dieting it’s great .
The complex is nice and the land train was useful when it’s hot , the train to Umag is worth exploring if only to get something less boring to eat . Shops are nice but expensive for knock off brands from china , you can see this from the boxes they remove the football tops from .
Wouldn’t come here again , it’s a shame but tbh I can’t wait to get home and finish the decorating and fluff the cat .
Give me Bournemouth any day over this place ,
A little Germany in Croatia it is .
Don’t do half board , food is boring and tasteless , everything tastes the same and the choice is really rubbish , the cakes are awful .
I’ve had the craps for 3 days now and I’m never unwell on holiday cast iron stomach but not here , also my daughter has been unwell too , I actually think I’ve lost weight while I’ve been here , so for dieting it’s great .
The complex is nice and the land train was useful when it’s hot , the train to Umag is worth exploring if only to get something less boring to eat . Shops are nice but expensive for knock off brands from china , you can see this from the boxes they remove the football tops from .
Wouldn’t come here again , it’s a shame but tbh I can’t wait to get home and finish the decorating and fluff the cat .
Give me Bournemouth any day over this place ,
A little Germany in Croatia it is .
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: Food , it’s too hot , noisy
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Everything five stars:
Tennis courts, swimming pools, villas, rooms, shops, seaside, restaurants.
No cars allowed, guesst are transferred by golfcars.
Clean, big, quiet.
Places worth visiting in the neighborhood: Piran, Rovinj, Groznjan.
Tennis courts, swimming pools, villas, rooms, shops, seaside, restaurants.
No cars allowed, guesst are transferred by golfcars.
Clean, big, quiet.
Places worth visiting in the neighborhood: Piran, Rovinj, Groznjan.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Rent a bike beside Hotel Umag.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Plava Laguna, General Manager at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna
Responded Aug 9, 2023
Dear adamagi, Thank you for taking time and leaving an amazing feedback about the stay in our Istrian Villas Plava Laguna. We are committed on providing to our dear guests beautiful moments and a service of a high quality. It’s a great honor knowing that we fulfilled your expectations. Thank you one more time for the kind words and recommendations. Hope to welcome you back soon in the nearer future for another great stay, Kind regards, Sandra Kopic General Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We've stayed in 2 different types of villas for 4 people: villa superior with an outside jaccuzzi and private access to a very bad rocky beach & villa luxury with a view on sea and a hamak. We've enjoyed Luxury Villa a little more, though its interior is a bit simplier than Superior's. Overall staying in Melia Istrian Resort was an unforgettable experience.
Pros: beautiful location, relaxing atmosphere, well-equipped area,relatively safe area for kids, cozy villas with a private terrace & garden, hamak or jaccuzzi
Cons: poor service ( helpful but incredibly slow), the worst beach in Croatia Ive ever seen! (not advised to come here during hot summer period!)shallow sea with slippery rocks hardly below the surface of the water, impossible to swim, only step from rock to rock)))
Pros: beautiful location, relaxing atmosphere, well-equipped area,relatively safe area for kids, cozy villas with a private terrace & garden, hamak or jaccuzzi
Cons: poor service ( helpful but incredibly slow), the worst beach in Croatia Ive ever seen! (not advised to come here during hot summer period!)shallow sea with slippery rocks hardly below the surface of the water, impossible to swim, only step from rock to rock)))
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Date of stay: June 2011
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This holiday was a complete and utter disappointment in terms of accommodation, facilities, service, beaches and everything else customers typically consider important in a holiday destination.
Let us begin with the accommodation. The first thing that immediately startled us upon arrival was the distinctly unpleasant smell that seemed to penetrate the whole area of what was supposed to be a villa. This, in conjunction with the unclean surfaces, led to a feeling of caution and even disgust whenever we were inside, not comfort that one seeks in a holiday villa.
However, we were not surprised this was the case when we had the pleasure to encounter the cleaning services. Firstly, on our first day, the cleaning staff turned up at a rather early hour when most of our family members were asleep and, when asked to return later, objected, justifying themselves with having other villas to clean. On most of the next days, on the other hand, they did quite the opposite - instead of coming during the hours when the villa was free (as was clearly indicated by us through switching off the 'do not disturb' button), they chose to come as soon as we returned from the beach and turned it back on. This rather paradoxical behaviour in terms of customer service was also complemented by the mediocre quality of their cleaning. The whole process took them 7 minutes at best, which should leave you wondering how they managed to accomplish anything remotely close to cleanness.
Furthermore, the villas were deprived of any sense of privacy due to another two or three villas facing ours within the radius of no more than 20 meters without any kind of barrier.
Now, the beach. There were several options in terms of beaches, however, the only one that seemed somewhat suitable was under the trees, as very few of the other areas contained any sort of coverage from the sun. The sunbeds were extremely uncomfortable. In order to get towels, you had to go all the way to the indoor pool area and pay a deposit for each towel (which is simply ridiculous).
The sea was almost impossible to swim in because of its shallowness and rocks sticking out, which could easily lead to injury or at least severe discomfort.
It was particularly striking and irritating how such a large and naturally diverse area could have possibly been used in such a stupid and irrational area. The large Aqua Chillout area outside the reception was constantly unused as anyone who would want to use it would be fried to death in the sun (which could be easily fixed by acquiring umbrellas).
The villas were always incredibly hot, no matter how long the conditioning was left on for. We practically never turned it off and the temperature never descended below 26C, which is just not acceptable.
Last but not least, the kitchen was equipped very poorly. There was hardly any space to place anything on the countertop, let alone cook. The knives were blunt and there was no chopping board. We do realize that this might have been done to encourage dining in restaurants, though if you do offer a possibility of cooking in the villa, at least provide the customers with minimal equipment.
Overall, this was the worst holiday of our lives - do not let all the positive reviews mislead you to commit the fatal mistake as we did this year.
Let us begin with the accommodation. The first thing that immediately startled us upon arrival was the distinctly unpleasant smell that seemed to penetrate the whole area of what was supposed to be a villa. This, in conjunction with the unclean surfaces, led to a feeling of caution and even disgust whenever we were inside, not comfort that one seeks in a holiday villa.
However, we were not surprised this was the case when we had the pleasure to encounter the cleaning services. Firstly, on our first day, the cleaning staff turned up at a rather early hour when most of our family members were asleep and, when asked to return later, objected, justifying themselves with having other villas to clean. On most of the next days, on the other hand, they did quite the opposite - instead of coming during the hours when the villa was free (as was clearly indicated by us through switching off the 'do not disturb' button), they chose to come as soon as we returned from the beach and turned it back on. This rather paradoxical behaviour in terms of customer service was also complemented by the mediocre quality of their cleaning. The whole process took them 7 minutes at best, which should leave you wondering how they managed to accomplish anything remotely close to cleanness.
Furthermore, the villas were deprived of any sense of privacy due to another two or three villas facing ours within the radius of no more than 20 meters without any kind of barrier.
Now, the beach. There were several options in terms of beaches, however, the only one that seemed somewhat suitable was under the trees, as very few of the other areas contained any sort of coverage from the sun. The sunbeds were extremely uncomfortable. In order to get towels, you had to go all the way to the indoor pool area and pay a deposit for each towel (which is simply ridiculous).
The sea was almost impossible to swim in because of its shallowness and rocks sticking out, which could easily lead to injury or at least severe discomfort.
It was particularly striking and irritating how such a large and naturally diverse area could have possibly been used in such a stupid and irrational area. The large Aqua Chillout area outside the reception was constantly unused as anyone who would want to use it would be fried to death in the sun (which could be easily fixed by acquiring umbrellas).
The villas were always incredibly hot, no matter how long the conditioning was left on for. We practically never turned it off and the temperature never descended below 26C, which is just not acceptable.
Last but not least, the kitchen was equipped very poorly. There was hardly any space to place anything on the countertop, let alone cook. The knives were blunt and there was no chopping board. We do realize that this might have been done to encourage dining in restaurants, though if you do offer a possibility of cooking in the villa, at least provide the customers with minimal equipment.
Overall, this was the worst holiday of our lives - do not let all the positive reviews mislead you to commit the fatal mistake as we did this year.
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Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from GeneraManagerITU, Manager at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna
Responded Aug 23, 2017
Dear Veronika_Iz, I would like to thank you in my name and in the name of the entire staff of Resort Stella Maris for finding time to write your review. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for all the possible inconveniences that you may had during your stay and I hope they will not prevent you in visit us again. Best wishes , Mirjana Miletić Quality Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We were feeling very well . Villas are offering ballanced spaces for indoor and outdoor activities giving you the feeling of freedom. Resort is offering plenty of options for spending your time. Nature is mild , sea is clean . Food is great . All Staff is english and german spraking, customer satisfaction oriented. Evening artistic programms offered by Melia was outstanding.
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Date of stay: June 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IstraturistUmag, Manager at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna
Responded Jul 30, 2014
Dear Rado-Vadim, thank you for your time and review you wrote about us. We always appreciate feedback from our guests because gives us opportunity to improve our service or in case when is positive as yours it motivate us to work even harder on our mission in offering our guests memorable holiday. We are very glad to hear you felt so relaxed and free. I hope we will have chance to welcome you again in Meliá Istrian Villas. Best regards, Franka Zorić Guest Experience Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Info:
We came here for two consecutive summers, starting at the last June weekend, and we stayed for 10 days. We were 4 adults (me, my husband and my parents) and one baby. We stayed at the Superior West Villa (438 in 2013, and 437 in 2014). We also booked a half board for everyone.
Positive Aspects:
- Beautiful surrounding, quiet, safe, really nice and well behaved clientele
- Magnificent ocean view
- Great food, so I definitely recommend the half-board option
- The Jacuzzi is really great!! We used it every day!!
- Extremely nice, friendly and helpfull staff
- Many possibilities for sport activities (swimming in the ocean, outdoor pools, indoor pools, tennis, nearby golf driving range, bikes (singe or for 2/4 people)- you can actually go on a bike to a nearby town which is a nice ride), perfect sports center with yoga, zumba, etc..anything you want :)
- Nice walks (with the stroller :)
- Really sweet train ride to the nearby town
- I also recommend a boat ride in the city - the boat has a glass floor and the crew makes a great show (the boat is orange, you will spot it when you come to the town)
- The villas are really clean, I think they come and clean them twice a day, and the cleaning staff is really friendly, understanding and helpful
- There are also washing machines that you can use (you need to buy coins at the reception)
- Safe parking
- Last but not least, their customer support for booking is really great. Each year I just wrote an email to booking@istraturist.com and told them what I wanted and they always found a way to make us happy :) This year I would especially want to thank Ms. Iva Cavlek, she is a really great reservation agent.
Negative aspects:
- They put an ashtray right at the entrance to the restaurant where we eat breakfast and dinner..so every time we went to eat we had to go through a smoke cloud which was pretty uncomfortable
- Also the acoustics in the restaurant are kind of strange and it can get really loud. Maybe it is the floor, or the ceiling, I don't know..but I've been to much larger restaurants and they were not so loud, but you can get used to it :)
- One of the bathrooms was moldy because the water in the shower cabinet wasn't flowing out properly.
Tips for adults:
- There is not too much space in the closets in the room so don't bring too many clothes, you will have no place to put them. For example, in our room we had only one closet with two shelves and 5 clothes-hangers. Fortunately there was another closet in the living room with 5 shelves, but we had to share it with our parents since the closet in their room didn't hold all their things either.
- You don't need anything for the kitchen, everything is there, only if you enjoy a large cup of tee bring one..they have only the small ones... But anything you forget or need can be bought in the shop so don't get stressed with packing :)
Tips for babies:
- Bring your own mattress for the baby cot (you know the folding one) because the one that is provided is really thin, and a bit uneven. Maybe it would be ok for one night but not for 10. We actually brought our own travelling baby cot, the one with a zipper opening on the side so our daughter could get out if she needed (when she was two years old)
- You don't need to bring almost any toys - everything is in the shop and it's really cheap
We came here for two consecutive summers, starting at the last June weekend, and we stayed for 10 days. We were 4 adults (me, my husband and my parents) and one baby. We stayed at the Superior West Villa (438 in 2013, and 437 in 2014). We also booked a half board for everyone.
Positive Aspects:
- Beautiful surrounding, quiet, safe, really nice and well behaved clientele
- Magnificent ocean view
- Great food, so I definitely recommend the half-board option
- The Jacuzzi is really great!! We used it every day!!
- Extremely nice, friendly and helpfull staff
- Many possibilities for sport activities (swimming in the ocean, outdoor pools, indoor pools, tennis, nearby golf driving range, bikes (singe or for 2/4 people)- you can actually go on a bike to a nearby town which is a nice ride), perfect sports center with yoga, zumba, etc..anything you want :)
- Nice walks (with the stroller :)
- Really sweet train ride to the nearby town
- I also recommend a boat ride in the city - the boat has a glass floor and the crew makes a great show (the boat is orange, you will spot it when you come to the town)
- The villas are really clean, I think they come and clean them twice a day, and the cleaning staff is really friendly, understanding and helpful
- There are also washing machines that you can use (you need to buy coins at the reception)
- Safe parking
- Last but not least, their customer support for booking is really great. Each year I just wrote an email to booking@istraturist.com and told them what I wanted and they always found a way to make us happy :) This year I would especially want to thank Ms. Iva Cavlek, she is a really great reservation agent.
Negative aspects:
- They put an ashtray right at the entrance to the restaurant where we eat breakfast and dinner..so every time we went to eat we had to go through a smoke cloud which was pretty uncomfortable
- Also the acoustics in the restaurant are kind of strange and it can get really loud. Maybe it is the floor, or the ceiling, I don't know..but I've been to much larger restaurants and they were not so loud, but you can get used to it :)
- One of the bathrooms was moldy because the water in the shower cabinet wasn't flowing out properly.
Tips for adults:
- There is not too much space in the closets in the room so don't bring too many clothes, you will have no place to put them. For example, in our room we had only one closet with two shelves and 5 clothes-hangers. Fortunately there was another closet in the living room with 5 shelves, but we had to share it with our parents since the closet in their room didn't hold all their things either.
- You don't need anything for the kitchen, everything is there, only if you enjoy a large cup of tee bring one..they have only the small ones... But anything you forget or need can be bought in the shop so don't get stressed with packing :)
Tips for babies:
- Bring your own mattress for the baby cot (you know the folding one) because the one that is provided is really thin, and a bit uneven. Maybe it would be ok for one night but not for 10. We actually brought our own travelling baby cot, the one with a zipper opening on the side so our daughter could get out if she needed (when she was two years old)
- You don't need to bring almost any toys - everything is in the shop and it's really cheap
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Date of stay: July 2014Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from GexManagerITU, Manager at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna
Responded Jul 3, 2015
Dear ilorenca, First of all, I would like to thank you for being our guest and for giving such an accurate review. I definitely agree with the positive aspects you listed. Friendly staff, great sport activities and last but not the least, the amazing view on the sea. I am sorry you encountered some negative aspectas, as you defined them, but our villas have a limited space and for now it is not possible to put extra closets, especially when they are predicted for light summer clothes. The ashtray you mentioned, was putted in front of the Restaurant for the guests who smoke, since it is not possible to smoke inside and as you know, we have to be predictable for all our guests. I am really sorry you didn't complain about the music in the Restaurant, we could have fixed that inconvenience as to make your stay in our Resort as pleasant as possible. However your tips and advices helped as a lot and will definitely be usefull for our future guests, as to make their family holidays perfect as yours was. Ilorenca hope to see you and your lovely family next year as well. Wish you all the best. Melina Husedžinović Guest Experience Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
I feel, this resort is simply overpriced for what it really is. We stayed in this resort for 2 weeks in August 2012. We are 5 members family.
We booked through a german travel agency. The cost per house in the high season was 412EUR/day-selfcatering. The booking we made looked as we are to get the LUX house, it was also at the front page of our booking. Unfortunatelly, we ended up in the standard villa. Therefore I would highly recommend to people who are going to book this resort to make sure the type of house is detailed specified in their booking. There is a big difference in the standard and in the Lux villas. Standard villas are 60m2 only, facing gardens and other houses. The Lux villa are 78m2 and do have a see wiev. Only few villas do have a jaccuzzi. Also the kitchen is in the standard villa not sufficient. For 5 or 6 people is the house really too small .
During our stay, this resort was facing very dry period.The showers at the beach and showers at the swimming pool were switched off. The pirates boat for kids did not work either. During the second week of our stay, the jets in the inside swimming pool did not work either. The chill out area was without watter too. There were notices with the information of dry period in front of each not working attraction. I find this way of communication not acceptaple.Not in the resort for this price. I would expect a bottle of wine and basket of fruits to the house and a written apologise/notice from the management.
The standard 2 bedrooms house with a terrace. 60m2+terrace, facing garden and other houses. Clean, modern furniture, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Placed in the forest and good shadow.For the 5 of us small. Kitchen is really small and I hated every minute in it! It has 2 cooking rounds. If you put a bigger pot on the cooking round, you will have very limited cooking possibilities, 2 bigger pots or a bigger pot and a frying pan does not fit to it. It is too small. It means, you have to cook potatos in the first round and after you can fry the meat. Not in the same time.! See my picture. I would say nothing, if the price would be 250EUR but not 412EUR/day.
Beaches and swimming pools. The beaches are rocky and the enter to the see is not suitable for small children. Very slippy. There is the laguna with pebbles suitable for children. But do not look for the crystal blue watter in the laguna. It is more like a lake. Swimming pools at Meliá were with salty watter. It was very crowded, as a lot of people from Sol Amfora were using this pools. Hard to get a sunbed.
Resort is large, nice and a good concept. Entertainment for all groups af age. Good sporting opportunities. Restaurants and bars and shop is also available. We used the restaurant at the Melia swimming pools and I have to say, that for a long time I did not eat anything so salty. We tried the resstaurant at the beach (I think the name was Mare a Monti), it was very good.
I would reccomned a trip to Umag. There is vacation train going from the resort to Umag. Umag is nice small very living town with plenty of good restaurant.
Generally large, nice resort with a good concept and good entertainment, but in my opinion overpriced.
We booked through a german travel agency. The cost per house in the high season was 412EUR/day-selfcatering. The booking we made looked as we are to get the LUX house, it was also at the front page of our booking. Unfortunatelly, we ended up in the standard villa. Therefore I would highly recommend to people who are going to book this resort to make sure the type of house is detailed specified in their booking. There is a big difference in the standard and in the Lux villas. Standard villas are 60m2 only, facing gardens and other houses. The Lux villa are 78m2 and do have a see wiev. Only few villas do have a jaccuzzi. Also the kitchen is in the standard villa not sufficient. For 5 or 6 people is the house really too small .
During our stay, this resort was facing very dry period.The showers at the beach and showers at the swimming pool were switched off. The pirates boat for kids did not work either. During the second week of our stay, the jets in the inside swimming pool did not work either. The chill out area was without watter too. There were notices with the information of dry period in front of each not working attraction. I find this way of communication not acceptaple.Not in the resort for this price. I would expect a bottle of wine and basket of fruits to the house and a written apologise/notice from the management.
The standard 2 bedrooms house with a terrace. 60m2+terrace, facing garden and other houses. Clean, modern furniture, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Placed in the forest and good shadow.For the 5 of us small. Kitchen is really small and I hated every minute in it! It has 2 cooking rounds. If you put a bigger pot on the cooking round, you will have very limited cooking possibilities, 2 bigger pots or a bigger pot and a frying pan does not fit to it. It is too small. It means, you have to cook potatos in the first round and after you can fry the meat. Not in the same time.! See my picture. I would say nothing, if the price would be 250EUR but not 412EUR/day.
Beaches and swimming pools. The beaches are rocky and the enter to the see is not suitable for small children. Very slippy. There is the laguna with pebbles suitable for children. But do not look for the crystal blue watter in the laguna. It is more like a lake. Swimming pools at Meliá were with salty watter. It was very crowded, as a lot of people from Sol Amfora were using this pools. Hard to get a sunbed.
Resort is large, nice and a good concept. Entertainment for all groups af age. Good sporting opportunities. Restaurants and bars and shop is also available. We used the restaurant at the Melia swimming pools and I have to say, that for a long time I did not eat anything so salty. We tried the resstaurant at the beach (I think the name was Mare a Monti), it was very good.
I would reccomned a trip to Umag. There is vacation train going from the resort to Umag. Umag is nice small very living town with plenty of good restaurant.
Generally large, nice resort with a good concept and good entertainment, but in my opinion overpriced.
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Date of stay: August 2012Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: In case you are multiple family (5or6 people), choose Lux villas with jacuzzi. Northern part is...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IstraturistUmag, Guest Relations Manager at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna
Responded Sep 20, 2012
Hello Davsa, I am Maja Ribarić, the Quality Manager at the Meliá Istrian Villas. Thank you for leaving your comment at Trip Advisor. Your feedback is very valuable for us because you mentioned some issues where we can make an improvement. As you already pointed out, region Istra has been facing very dry period and in order to reduce water consumption we were obliged by the authorities to take the necessary actions. Therefore, we are very sorry that you did not fully enjoy in Aqua park, Indoor swimming pool and Aqua Chill Out Area. Regarding the kitchen...we will take your opinion in a consideration and provide improvements due to make our villas better and more comfortable place for family vacation. It is very nice to know that despite some inconveniences, you liked the conception of the resort, entertainment for kids and adults and sporting facilities. We hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome you again and to have a chance to impress you with the quality service that will meet your and your family needs. Best Regards. Maja Ribarić Quality Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The location of the Villas is very good, the beach clean and diversifed, water clean.
The restaurants offer a wide variety of delicious food.
The Villas - clean and spacy. Terrace beautifull.
The bathroom functional - except space for putting cosmetic bags
At our villa the w.pool did not work and the metal fence was rusting (started to be painted the last day of our stay)
The restaurants offer a wide variety of delicious food.
The Villas - clean and spacy. Terrace beautifull.
The bathroom functional - except space for putting cosmetic bags
At our villa the w.pool did not work and the metal fence was rusting (started to be painted the last day of our stay)
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Date of stay: May 2011Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: check online booking
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IstraturistUmag, Guest Relations Manager at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna
Responded Nov 9, 2011
Thank You for Your comments. I am so glad that You have enjoyed Your stay in Melia Istrian Villas and that You are satisfied with nature, villas and service. Our aim is to always improve our standards and services and we are working continuously on the refurbishment of our premises. We are hoping to be able to welcome You again as one of our dear clients. Quality manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The Istrian Villas are located some 2.5km from the town of Umag, they are set in a vast area within a national park with pine trees. The area is huge and within it are the Istrian Villas, apartments (Amfora and Stella), the Coral Hotel and lots of other properties that are part of the Plava Laguna Group. The setting is simply idyllic.
We landed at Pula airport and it took about 2hrs to reach the villas by coach, it sounds like a long way but it was a nice, relaxed journey by coach (organised by TUI). Roads were clear all the way. The coach made 5 stops along the way to other hotels so if you're coming directly from Pula airport, without any stops is should take just over an hour.
We checked the price for a taxi and were told between 750-1000 kunas one way.
We had a standard villa, with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, small kitchen area, living room and an outdoor terrace.
The Plava Laguna website states that all villas are refurbished, when we got there we were told the standard villas are NOT refurbished, only higher category ones are (Premier, Plus etc). They are planning on refurbishing them next year, we were told.
We had one twin bedroom with 2 single beds, one bedroom with king size bed with an en-suite shower & WC. The beds are hard but comfy, pillows are good. The kitchenette is small with a small fridge, two ring hob (no oven) , microwave, a kettle and a selection of pots, pans, cutlery, dinner ware - if you are planning on going self-catering the kitchen is probably not adequately equipped to cook dinners every day (unless you don't mind boiled and fried food only).
The sofa in the living room is not that comfortable, so are the wooden dinning chairs.
There were AC units in both bedrooms and one in the living area - they seemed to be at a set temperature at 25-26C, and were controlled by the hotel reception. We did ask if we could have it cooler and they allowed us 23C which we found cold enough. Bear in mind outside temperature was around 32-33C.
We had HB included (breakfast and dinner), this was at the EL Mare restaurant which is superb. Big shout out to Marijan (the manager) and all of his staff from the chefs to the waitresses (Milena, Teodora and the others I am sorry I can't remember your names) - all very professional, accommodating and friendly.
Breakfast is from 7am-10am / Dinner from 7pm-9pm
We found the food quality and choice excellent. The restaurant is on the seafront, not busy and had a relaxed atmosphere. The views and setting is stunning. Marijan really knows how to run the place with the customer in mind. He keeps things relaxed and not over crowded. Well done for that and they should keep this up!!
On the other hand, the people that stayed in the Amfora and Stella apartments had the use of the Stella Maris restaurant which was much bigger and busier, depends what you are after but would not recommend the Stella Maris restaurant if you want a relaxed setting.
Within walking distance to our villa, there were 2 swimming pools. One large one was under cover (outside but had a roof top). Pool size was good, there were various massage jets and a hot tub next to it. Toilets, chaining rooms and showers next to it. The areas around the pool could do with more cleaning and general maintenance as we found the floor was not cleaned and was quite dirty with mud, various spillages etc. Often kids were allowed to jump, bomb, run around the pool and there was no lifeguard to keep the place clean and in order. The sun loungers were old and stained, some covered in bird excrement - there is a huge room improvement in this area.
The smaller pool was next to the El Grille restaurant and right by the sea. Water was warmer but also much busier with families and children.
The sea behind the El Grille restaurant is accessible by some steps, there is no sandy beach, the sea is rocky but the water is gorgeous. Clean and warm. There were white and brown jelly fish while we were there so we couldn't go in the water the whole time, only the last 2 days we were there. Shame, as we preferred going in the sea. It's good for snorkelling around the rocks but do be careful as some are quite high. Do not jump in the sea water and do check for jelly fish and sea urchins.
There are also nice beach areas by the El Mare restaurant.
Within the 'complex' there is a bakery and a small but well stocked convenience shop. The shop also has a bakery inside which was half the price so we bough our breads in the shop. Across the bridge there are a few restaurants selling food, kebabs, ice-cream etc. A walk to Umag is around 25min along the seafront. There is a little choo choo train that can take you to Umag and back (they charge 30 kunas per person each way, I think kids under 10 are slightly less). In comparison, prices in general are high for everything and everywhere, we found Croatia more expensive than the UK to eat out, food shop, drinks, transport.
Overall, the setting where the villas are located is great. Open spaces, green, lots of trees and shade, nature. It was very quiet and peaceful. However, we went just before the high season started so can't comment what it's like in July and August which is their high season. I suspect it gets extremely busy. It's very family oriented so perhaps not ideal for a couple. All the staff we encountered we found pleasant, friendly, and helpful.
I think while you are on site, the use of the facilities are free for all, as some people were coming with their own picnic bags and using the pool, sun loungers without spending any money on-site. Not really fair for the paying guests. There is also a large camping site just across the road from the 'complex', people from there were also coming in. There should be a more strict control on the use of the facilities so to be fair towards the guests paying large amount of money to stay here.
It was also noticeably more busier over the weekend with 'weekenders' from neighbouring countries visiting. But again, we went just before the high season, so it did not feel crowded at all.
We would recommend this place for families and perhaps in the low season. It's a beautiful setting and very safe. Once they've refurbished the standard villas, they will be amazing. Croatia is stunning, the people are very friendly. But watch out for the millipede bugs in the villas, they come out at night :-) , also, do bring a mosquito spray.
We landed at Pula airport and it took about 2hrs to reach the villas by coach, it sounds like a long way but it was a nice, relaxed journey by coach (organised by TUI). Roads were clear all the way. The coach made 5 stops along the way to other hotels so if you're coming directly from Pula airport, without any stops is should take just over an hour.
We checked the price for a taxi and were told between 750-1000 kunas one way.
We had a standard villa, with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, small kitchen area, living room and an outdoor terrace.
The Plava Laguna website states that all villas are refurbished, when we got there we were told the standard villas are NOT refurbished, only higher category ones are (Premier, Plus etc). They are planning on refurbishing them next year, we were told.
We had one twin bedroom with 2 single beds, one bedroom with king size bed with an en-suite shower & WC. The beds are hard but comfy, pillows are good. The kitchenette is small with a small fridge, two ring hob (no oven) , microwave, a kettle and a selection of pots, pans, cutlery, dinner ware - if you are planning on going self-catering the kitchen is probably not adequately equipped to cook dinners every day (unless you don't mind boiled and fried food only).
The sofa in the living room is not that comfortable, so are the wooden dinning chairs.
There were AC units in both bedrooms and one in the living area - they seemed to be at a set temperature at 25-26C, and were controlled by the hotel reception. We did ask if we could have it cooler and they allowed us 23C which we found cold enough. Bear in mind outside temperature was around 32-33C.
We had HB included (breakfast and dinner), this was at the EL Mare restaurant which is superb. Big shout out to Marijan (the manager) and all of his staff from the chefs to the waitresses (Milena, Teodora and the others I am sorry I can't remember your names) - all very professional, accommodating and friendly.
Breakfast is from 7am-10am / Dinner from 7pm-9pm
We found the food quality and choice excellent. The restaurant is on the seafront, not busy and had a relaxed atmosphere. The views and setting is stunning. Marijan really knows how to run the place with the customer in mind. He keeps things relaxed and not over crowded. Well done for that and they should keep this up!!
On the other hand, the people that stayed in the Amfora and Stella apartments had the use of the Stella Maris restaurant which was much bigger and busier, depends what you are after but would not recommend the Stella Maris restaurant if you want a relaxed setting.
Within walking distance to our villa, there were 2 swimming pools. One large one was under cover (outside but had a roof top). Pool size was good, there were various massage jets and a hot tub next to it. Toilets, chaining rooms and showers next to it. The areas around the pool could do with more cleaning and general maintenance as we found the floor was not cleaned and was quite dirty with mud, various spillages etc. Often kids were allowed to jump, bomb, run around the pool and there was no lifeguard to keep the place clean and in order. The sun loungers were old and stained, some covered in bird excrement - there is a huge room improvement in this area.
The smaller pool was next to the El Grille restaurant and right by the sea. Water was warmer but also much busier with families and children.
The sea behind the El Grille restaurant is accessible by some steps, there is no sandy beach, the sea is rocky but the water is gorgeous. Clean and warm. There were white and brown jelly fish while we were there so we couldn't go in the water the whole time, only the last 2 days we were there. Shame, as we preferred going in the sea. It's good for snorkelling around the rocks but do be careful as some are quite high. Do not jump in the sea water and do check for jelly fish and sea urchins.
There are also nice beach areas by the El Mare restaurant.
Within the 'complex' there is a bakery and a small but well stocked convenience shop. The shop also has a bakery inside which was half the price so we bough our breads in the shop. Across the bridge there are a few restaurants selling food, kebabs, ice-cream etc. A walk to Umag is around 25min along the seafront. There is a little choo choo train that can take you to Umag and back (they charge 30 kunas per person each way, I think kids under 10 are slightly less). In comparison, prices in general are high for everything and everywhere, we found Croatia more expensive than the UK to eat out, food shop, drinks, transport.
Overall, the setting where the villas are located is great. Open spaces, green, lots of trees and shade, nature. It was very quiet and peaceful. However, we went just before the high season started so can't comment what it's like in July and August which is their high season. I suspect it gets extremely busy. It's very family oriented so perhaps not ideal for a couple. All the staff we encountered we found pleasant, friendly, and helpful.
I think while you are on site, the use of the facilities are free for all, as some people were coming with their own picnic bags and using the pool, sun loungers without spending any money on-site. Not really fair for the paying guests. There is also a large camping site just across the road from the 'complex', people from there were also coming in. There should be a more strict control on the use of the facilities so to be fair towards the guests paying large amount of money to stay here.
It was also noticeably more busier over the weekend with 'weekenders' from neighbouring countries visiting. But again, we went just before the high season, so it did not feel crowded at all.
We would recommend this place for families and perhaps in the low season. It's a beautiful setting and very safe. Once they've refurbished the standard villas, they will be amazing. Croatia is stunning, the people are very friendly. But watch out for the millipede bugs in the villas, they come out at night :-) , also, do bring a mosquito spray.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: The Premier Villas are refurbished and have a BBQ on the terrace.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes, we have free wifi in our villa
Dear Liz W,
thank you for your interest to come to Melia Istrian Villas.
The prices of transportation depends on which airport you are comming (Pula, Rijeka, Ljubljana or Trieste).
More informations you can find on our official web site.
Hope to see you soon in our Resort.
Best regards
Melina Husedžinović
Quality Manager
Stella Maris Resort
Hello, as I have understood You are planning to book superior villa instead of usual one. Mostly the main difference is that superior villas are closer to the sea, in else they are same. It would be OK to stay 6 persons, as there is enough space in the building.
"Villas with sea views are more expensive so ask for villa with a view of the Marina which is just as nice."Read full review
PRICE RANGE
$197 - $268 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
melia istrian villas hotel umag
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Melia Istrian Villas
LOCATION
CroatiaIstriaUmag
NUMBER OF ROOMS
180
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Claim Your ListingISTRIAN VILLAS PLAVA LAGUNA - Updated 2024
Frequently Asked Questions about Istrian Villas Plava Laguna
Which popular attractions are close to Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
Nearby attractions include Stella Maris Stadion (0.3 miles) and Goldfish Beach Bar (0.2 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an indoor pool, free wifi, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a poolside bar during their stay.
Is parking available at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
Yes, parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
Conveniently located restaurants include Bistro-Pizzeria Luna, Restaurant Stella Marina, and Lido marina ACI.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
Yes, guests have access to an indoor pool and a fitness center during their stay.
Are any cleaning services offered at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, German, and Croatian.
Are there any historical sites close to Istrian Villas Plava Laguna?
Many travelers enjoy visiting First of May Square (5.9 miles), Church of the Holy Maurus (9.4 miles), and Predor Šalet (8.2 miles).
Is Istrian Villas Plava Laguna accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.