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Experience Family Luxury at Dubrovnik Sun Gardens Hotel: Ultimate guide and need to knows.

  • Rebecca Rangeley
  • Jul 24, 2023
  • 7 min read

Updated: Jun 28, 2024

Located in a serene cove just 25 minutes away from Dubrovnik, this resort offers a luxury family holiday for all. The airport transfer time is conveniently around 40 minutes, which the hotel can easily arrange for you. We visited in mid-July '23 and encountered scorching temperatures due to a European heatwave. However, locals informed us that hot weather is fairly typical in the area at this time of year.

If you are looking for an active family holiday, with a good mix of relaxation opportunities this is the best luxury hotel for you. There is a sports centre, a Sun Gardens Sports Academy for kids, three pools, a water sports centre and then a spa for total relaxation and treats!


Accommodation

We stayed in a two bed garden villa. Prices go up for sea view and the view is exceptional here so if you can afford it and want a view trade up. The garden view, is as far as I can understand, a view of your own garden not over an actual garden or terrace but that said it’s quite private. To be honest we weren’t really in the room much anyway!

The rooms are spacious, quiet, with plenty of storage space, air conditioned and the cleaners can come daily or as infrequently as you require.

There is a kitchenette and a well stocked supermarket on site so you can be self catered but this was certainly not what we had in mind on this break!


If you are staying in an apartment, bring tea bags if you like quality tea like me. Housekeeping don’t seem to restock them and the prices in the little supermarket for teabags are outrageous. Alternatively, and controversial, pinch some from breakfast!


Eating

The Sun Gardens Breakfast is amazing, however, here you can’t seem to get a B&B deal, you have to pay for breakfast which can make the bill quite heavy at the end of the week! Breakfast is available in the Origano restaurant with an amazing buffet breakfast. The terrace has a great view over the sea. The kids loved gorging on waffles, pancakes and Nutella!

However, cost wise, we weighed up another resort with breakfast included and in the end it worked out the same cost. We did have a few days of breakfast in our room to save rushing before the kids sports clubs. I bought special K (an eye watering €7!) at the shop, teabags are upwards of €5. Also towards the end of the week we found a bakers just at the entrance to the hotel where fresh croissants and bread were a euro or so. If you can be bothered with the 6 min walk give it a go.


The pool and the beach bars all serve the same food, pizza, burgers, chicken nuggets and salads and it is available until 6pm. I know it all sounds like fast food, but it is good quality but don't expect anything different for lunch or dinner if you are eating pool side! Needless the say the kids were happy!


Evening meals, we sampled meals at Veranda, La Pasta and Cilantro. All great quality food, the price is high but that is resort life! All of them have a family/local vibe. We did have a set meal one evening for a Gatsby Night, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed.


There is evening entertainment on most nights, a fire show on the beach, LED light show, local bands and themed nights such as Gatsby and a Croatian Buffet night.


Pool vs beach

There are 3 pools, if you have kids one is out of bounds, the Marina is adults only.

The Sunset Pool, that has a tiny toddler splash pool next to it and it perfect for little ones. Having the two pools next to each other is great if you have kids of different ages and abilities.

The Lemonia Pool, same splash pool although a bit deeper but still shallow and wading depth, with a deeper pool right next to it. This pool has a bit more seating but I feel busier.

All have great views, arguably the Sunset Pool and Marina have the best views.


The beach is pebble, there are basic loungers, loungers with min €50 spend at bar and then cabanas where you have to spend €150. We had a day in a cabana as a treat, we arrived mid afternoon had a few drinks, the kids played in front of us and we also ate down at the beach that evening as the sun came down. We easily spent the minimum. Make sure you order any food before 6pm if planning to eat down by the beach.

Right…kids!

This is the right type of place where everyone gets a bit of holiday, parents too! Here is the blessing of being in a very active luxury hotel and resort! So there are loads of options, from paid for sports academy’s to free….yes free…kids club called Marco Polo club. The Sun Gardens Sports academy is great and they have a Tennis Academy, Football Academy and Swimming. My son attended the Sun Gardens football academy and daughter the Swimming Academy, both thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are here at the right time of year there is football with Stuart Pearce. At a premium! The Sun Gardens Football Academy is great though if you don’t want to pay extra on an already expensive club and my son loved it. They also get a free sports bag with a certificate, a medal and various swag in it on completion…my son got a Sun Gardens Nike football kit, my daughter a Sun Gardens swim towel and hat.

The Sports Centre is at the top of the resort and in 30 degrees do not underestimate the amount of effort going up stairs. Now of course this won’t be an issue if your kids are older as they can go up themselves once they know the way. We didn’t trust our 8 year old to run around the resort by himself. In the afternoon use the free kids clubs! They are free and it’s too hot for the kids in the afternoon.

I saw plenty of parents struggling with younger kids in the afternoon, do yourself a favour, get them in the club, out of the sun in the air con and enjoy some R&R by yourself or with respective partner! Go to the adults pool and grab a Hugo or spa and use the free hammam.

Also at the Sports centre there are Tennis, Squash and Basketball courts for hire and free gaming equipment (Playstation, Xbox) which the kids can use at any time and into the evening. For older kids with you this is great, they can go hang out there and have some independence.

Day trips

Dubrovnik Town

Being 25 mins in taxi from Dubrovnik The Sun Gardens is relatively isolated. That said there are options for day trip.

There are hotel bus shuttles and boats to Dubrovnik Old Town. We took the 6pm evening boat out and taxied back. There is a hotel bus shuttle back but it was fully booked. Tips; book your boat and bus shuttles early and chose your day carefully, avoid any days large cruise liners comes in. Check this website for cruise ship arrivals into port, 10,000 extra tourists easily if two or three dock! That would be hell!

We didn’t do the walls, it was too hot and not enough time. I imagine it would be amazing though if you came off peak! Watch this space, another trip coming! The city is hot, if you are here when it’s 30+ degrees you will have a sense of humour failure crawling around with kids in the city. Don’t even try be a culture vulture…you and the kids will have more fun at the pool or beach!


Island/Boat Trips

If you are desperate to get out the hotel during the day, there are also excursions to the nearby islands which we did. You have the options of going on a boat with 20-12 people or hiring a private boat. There is a salesman in the hotel as you walk down to the beach, the company is Marinero and they offer a three island cruise to Lopud, Sipan and Kolocep.

We really enjoyed our trip, we snorkelled in caves and coves, docked in Lopud for a bite to eat and we had a sunset swim in a beautiful bay. The boat we were on had a paddle board too so got to paddle too. Email dubrovnikminicruise@gmail.com.

Additionally down by the beach there is a watersports area, you can hire jet skis, paddleboards and kayaks. My husband took the kids out on trips on jet skis. He found 30 mins was enough time to go around the island opposite, Kolocep, and do a few circuits up and down the coast of the resort.


All in all thoroughly enjoyed our stay, the staff are wonderful, kind and can’t do enough for you. The whole resort felt safe, the kids made friends easily at the pool and to be honest it was the least stressful family holiday I’ve had in a while.

You can choose to sit back and relax or really take part in everything, it’s the kind of resort stay where you just make it your own holiday.

I’d highly recommend this hotel if you need R&R, want the kids to be active all day and if you are happy not being in a town and seeing the sights. This isn't really the type of place to book if you are after a lot of culture and sight seeing, unless you book out of season when the temperature is cooler.


Packing tips:

What to bring:

  • Tea bags!

  • High Factor SPF

  • Goggles

  • Light flowing kaftans/dresses

  • Clothes you don’t mind kids getting dirty at kids clubs, they do painting and clay and either my kids are messy or they don’t use aprons!

  • Kids trainers and sportswear if taking part in clubs/sports.

  • The beach here is pebble, so bring crocs or some paddle shoes

  • If you like working out/tennis or yoga bring a set of workout clothes and trainers.

  • Bug spray and bug bite relief! Bugs took a shine to all of us in the evenings.

What to leave at home:

  • Heels you will not need them, the resort is built into a cliff edge and there are lots of steps!

  • I’d say pack less shorts as you will spend your day in kaftan/light dresses as it’s so hot, I hate pulling on shorts in the heat, dragging them over sunscreen! You will need 2/3 day dresses/kaftans/wraps, a few nice smart/casual evening outfits.



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