My husband and I have just returned home from a week long stay at Hotel Niko, purchased via Voyage Privé.

The Amadria Park resort is nothing short of beautiful. It really is a stunning place; perfect beaches and amazing scenery. Most of our time was spent walking around the resort, swimming in the sea and enjoying the food Hotel Niko had to offer. Yes, the rooms are a little old-fashioned but that is to be expected from a hotel which is over 50 years old which has not yet been renovated. Most of your time will be spent outside, so the bedrooms are hardly a problem! The staff are extremely friendly and always happy to help you with whatever you need.

There are a few things to bear in mind:

1. You will need to pay a city tax. This was not made clear to us upon our arrival, only when we were checking out. It is not a lot of money but make sure you save some kuna to cover it at the end of your stay. It would be very helpful if Hotel Niko displayed this information at reception for people who do not travel that often or come from countries that are not accustomed to paying a city tax.

2. Flavoured tap water is available all day until the restaurant opens for dinner, at which point the jugs of water mysteriously vanish. On our first night, this was a little confusing - especially when we asked our waiter for tap water with dinner and he proceeded to tell us that there was ‘no tap water’, that the water and juice machines from breakfast were ‘not working’ and that we would have to pay for bottled water at dinner if we wanted to have anything to drink at all. Then, at breakfast, the machines magically work again and the restaurant even provides sparkling wine for free with your breakfast. All in all, this seemed a little strange and quite dishonest. It might be better to not provide any tap water at all through the day; at least then people would not feel like they were being ripped off and lied to. Please bear in mind that it will cost you 29 kuna for a .75litre bottle of water at dinner every evening, so for a stay of one week you would need to save over 200 kuna of your holiday money just to have something to drink with dinner.

3. The shuttle bus from the resort to Sibenik is really terrible. It might turn up, it might not. If it turns up it will be very, very late. We were forced to get a taxi which cost us far more than a bus ticket. Alongside this, various taxi-men drive their minibuses into the bus top pretending to be the official bus to Sibenik just to rip you off. This is not Hotel Niko’s fault, merely a suggestion that they change the bus company that they have their arrangement with and inform the taxi companies that their drivers enjoy taking advantage of tourists.

4. Definitely get your ice cream from the hotel itself. They might not have as many flavours but they are far more generous with their servings than the various bars and little restaurants around the resort - plus the bar staff are very, very nice.

5. If you are not from Germany, the amount of German tourists will frustrate you no end. We felt very sorry for the staff at Hotel Niko who have to endure hordes of rude tourists who neither thank them for anything they do, not apologise when they physically push waiters and waitresses out of the way when they are carrying piles of plates so that they can get to the soup station. This did make our stay a little less pleasant because most of the guests were so rude to the staff and that bothered us; it seemed the restaurant staff just had to put up with it. I really hope that management are able to provide their staff with enough job security that the waiters/waitresses can kick people out of the restaurant for being abusive and downright rude. Furthermore, the restaurant provides far more food for German palettes than any other nationality. Stick to the seafood - it is beautiful.

Do not assume that we did not enjoy our holiday. We had a lovely time and the staff really do everything they can to ensure you have a pleasant stay. The porter is beyond friendly and the manager is always available to help. We can’t wait to see what Hotel Niko will look like after its upcoming renovations! With a few minor tweaks regarding the water and a bit of modernisation, Niko will be a top rated hotel.

Lovely hotel on one of the most spectacular beaches I have ever visited.
Delicious food, nice entertainment well kept grounds, exceptionally clean all around.
Rooms tend to be on the small side but this encourages one to explore the outside.
Friendly staff especially Restaurant manager Mate who recommended hiking to interesting spots including Fortress of St Nicholas. Photos included. Thank you Mate would not have done this without your conversation.