After years of inactivity following the ORCO makeover of Suncani Hvar Hotels in 2006, 2016 was a vibrant year for the Hvar hotel scene, as it diversified and upgraded. A high quality boutique hotel opened in a pretty bay, and we all heard about Little Green Bay for the first time in the French edition of Vogue. Four Seasons Hotels announced that they would be building a resort on the Kabal Peninsula, north of Stari Grad, with a planned opening of 2019, while central Hvar finally had a hotel of four-star quality in Vrboska, as the once two-star Hotel Adriatic reinvented itself as the Senses Resort (and what a lovely spot it is).
Meanwhile, in Hvar Town…
After the significant investments in hotels Riva, Adriana and Amfora, financial constraints had hindered Suncani Hvar from significantly upgrading their remaining hotels, but an upturn in the company’s fortunes over the last 12 months has led to visible improvements across their whole accommodation network, with the main focus of investment over the last year in the tired-looking two-star Hotel Pharos, tucked away in the pine trees close to Veneranda.
Unusually for a Suncani hotel, it was not located by the water, and I was more than a little curious when I heard that they had decided to renovate it into a four-star quality millennial hotel. Of course, being of a certain age, I first had to check what exactly a millennial was, and having done so, I was even more curious, especially when I received an invitation to come and stay for the opening weekend of the newly rebranded Pharos, bayhill hvar hotel.
I was expecting to hate it, to feel my age and to have a weekend without sleep, surrounded by people half my age, but in fact quite the opposite turned out to be the case, and I returned home refreshed and reinvigorated after one of the most relaxing weekends of the year.
The nwely-styled hotel was certainly kitted out to appeal to the younger generation (I particularly liked the comic word bubbles in the bathroom – ‘Pow’ on the wall of the shower), and despite the fact that it was located away from the water, the hotel really worked for me as it offered something that is quite hard to find on a hotel on Hvar – space.
The rooms are all located in different blocks, and there is plenty of nature to walk through to get there, as well as an enticing pool. It was clear at the opening that things were far from finished, both in the finishing touches to some of the rooms and partcularly with the horticulture, but the team had obviously made a Herculean effort to get the hotel open in time for the 2016 season (it eventually opened in June), but with the season now finished and another year to prepare for the first full season, Pharos should be looking very nice indeed for 2017.
The concept of space extended to the interior too, with several nooks and crannies which were furnished with deep sofas and inviting cushions, such a pleasant change compared to the crowds on the waterfront. And far from being a problem being away from the sea, I found it to be even more relaxing. Located a two minute walk from the waterfront and main Hvar action, Pharos is ideally placed in a quiet residential zone for you to escape the madness, but dip back in whenever you choose.
And while I can see how Pharos is geared towards the younger traveller, it is also a place that should attract the older ones too, especially out of the peak months of July and August. There is a lot to be said for space and a quieter location close to the centre but away from the action.
Although renovated to four-star standard, Pharos, hvar bayhill hotel is officially a 3-star hotel, which leads us to one of the nice additional features of a stay there – the price. With early booking discounts, a single room in June will set you back just 45.80 euro a night, while a double comes to under 40 euro per person per night, with breakfast. Peak season rates are obviously much higher, but still come in from under 100 euro per person.
We are all millennials at heart, so whatever your age, if you are looking for a cool place to stay in Hvar Town for 2017, you can learn more about Pharos, hvar bayhill hotel on the official website.
