About Villa Hortensia
Built around 1912, this grand seafront property first welcomed guests under the name Hotel-Pension-Bellevue. Its remarkable Austro-Hungarian architecture – columns, arches, symmetry and scale – has been preserved, whilst several renovations have brought the elegant empress up to date.
Staying true to its roots as a high society hotel, the 10 slick suites mean business: every room is ensuite, with walk-in showers in all 10 and hot tubs in eight, and each comes with a stocked mini-bar, plus tea- and coffee-making facilities. Six rooms have Juliet balconies that open wide to welcome the sea breeze and sound of the ocean gently lapping at the villa’s very own private sea platform below, where three paddleboards provide a fun way to explore Čikat Bay and beyond.
Inside, paintings of the Adriatic by Croatian artist Zvonimir Mihanović bring the calming effect of the ocean into the shipshape space. Outside, the grounds are studded with palms and pepper trees, and hydrangea bushes bloom in summer. Much like guests of the original Pension-Bellevue, those that take over Villa Hortensia also get access to the spa facilities, fine dining experiences and extra services of hotels nearby, Hotel Bellevue and Boutique Hotel Alhambra.
The location:
Set on the grounds of sister property Hotel Bellevue, guests can practically stumble out of bed and into the Michelin-starred restaurant, Alfred Keller (although we might recommend a quick spruce up first). The villa is a 10-minute walk from the town of Mali Lošinj, so you needn’t go far to make the most of the island, whose microclimate is thought to have healing properties. Just steps from the water, Villa Hortensia has its very own jetty on Čikat Bay, where the branches of the dense pines tumble into the clear, bright Adriatic. Paddle, play, swim and sail; there’s a traditional wooden vessel on hand for island-hopping, dolphin-spotting and sunset-cruising.