Although I had known from the minute I first set eyes on Hvar that it was the most beautiful island on the planet, it took me several more years for me to discover just how special the island was in so many ways, and indeed many of those things were also unknown to many locals.
There are few on the island who know about (and even less who have seen) the oldest olive tree on Hvar, which if the experts are correct in their dating, dates back to 500 years BC, making it one of the ten oldest in the world. I was also shocked to learn that Hvar has more UNESCO heritage than any other island in the world, and it was several years before I learned that Hvar Town also has the oldest public theatre in all Europe!
In addition to being the sunniest island in all Europe, this was pretty impressive stuff, but the biggest surprise of all was to learn that organised tourism in Europe began on the island of Hvar. Was there no end to this island’s list of attractions. Way back in 1868, the Hvar Health Society was formed, offering the temperate and recuperative climate of the ‘Austrian Madeira’, as Hvar was called, to the aristocracy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The first accommodations were built around the location of the current Hotel Palace, and with views like that, no wonder the Austrians came flocking. Empress Elizabeth herself came too and was so impressed that she encouraged the building of a hotel in 1869. And so a story began for what is surely the most iconic of all hotels, despite its current three-star status.
And it is a story which will surely be celebrated in some style in 2018 with the 150th anniversary of organised tourism in Europe, which will take place just a few years after the oldest public theatre in Europe celebrated its 400th anniversary, a theatre you can see across Hvar Town’s fabled main square from the stunning San Marco terrace at Hotel Palace, just one of the historic treasures the hotel possesses to take you back in time.
In terms of location, there are few better. Nestled just off the main square, Hotel Palace has gorgeous views out to the Pakleni Islands and Hvar’s exclusive waterfront, and it is little wonder that San Marco terrace is such a popular wedding reception location, part of the impressive Suncani Hvar wedding service offering.
Apart from also being a great restaurant, it is also a wonderful setting for events, including what was probably my favourite in my time on Hvar, the 17th Century re-enactment, in which I played the governor’s announcer (see video above).
The rooms are on the smaller side, which is reflected in the three-star rating of the hotel, but there can be no arguing with either the view or the location. Or the price – with early booking discounts running until the end of February, 2017 double rooms with sea views are currently from under 60 euro a night, with breakfast. With access to the Suncani network of offers and facilities, this is pretty good value for such a prime location in one of the hottest destinations in Europe.
Speaking of hot, if the beach is too far away for you, there is a pool to help you chill.
Lazy afternoons on that terrace…
As with other Suncani Hvar hotels in the last couple of years, small but important upgrades and renovations have been taking place, the most significant of which for Palace have been the introduction of air conditioning in the rooms, as well as an upgrade of the WiFi system, to reflect the quality of the location.
So if you want to be in the heart of the action and also at the heart of a piece of European tourism history, look no further than Hotel Palace next summer. Learn more about the hotel and the early booking discounts on the official Suncani Hvar website.
