Most people picture Hvar town: yachts on the harbour, beach clubs and late nights. Maslina Resort is the other Hvar. It sits on Maslinica Bay, a short walk along the water from Stari Grad, the island’s old Greek-founded town, in about two hectares of pine forest with olive trees between the low buildings. There are 53 rooms, suites and villas, a spa built around aromatic oils from the island, two heated pools and a Michelin-listed restaurant. The honest verdict: the most rounded wellness-led stay on Hvar for travellers who want calm, design and good food, provided you are happy to be twenty minutes by road from the glamour of Hvar town.
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Quick facts: Maslina Resort
- Location: Uvala Maslinica, on the north shore of Stari Grad bay, Hvar. About 2 km from Stari Grad’s harbour, roughly a 20 minute walk on a waterside path, and about 20 minutes by car from Hvar town.
- Rooms and suites: 53 units in total: 15 rooms, 35 suites (several with heated plunge pools) and 3 villas with private pools.
- Price level: very high in July and August, high in the shoulder months. Villas sit in a different bracket altogether.
- Season: seasonal. In recent years the resort has opened from early May to mid October, with the villas available from April. 2026 dates were not published where we could check them, so ask the hotel.
- Nearest airport: Split. About one hour by private speedboat, or a road transfer plus a two hour car ferry from Split to Stari Grad.
- Memberships: Relais & Châteaux; listed in the Michelin Guide with one Michelin Key.
- Best for: couples, wellness travellers and families who want a quiet base on Hvar rather than a party address.
Check prices and availability
The plunge pool suites and the three villas are the first to go for July and August. Compare dates early, especially if you need two or three bedrooms.
Location and getting there
Stari Grad sits at the end of a long, sheltered inlet on Hvar’s north side. The town was founded by Greek settlers from Paros in the 4th century BC, and the farmland behind it, the Stari Grad Plain, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with field boundaries that have barely changed in more than two thousand years. Maslina is on the northern shore of that inlet, in a cove called Maslinica. You look across calm water rather than open sea, and evenings are far quieter than in Hvar town.
A waterside path leads into Stari Grad in around 20 minutes on foot. For the wider island, see our Hvar travel guide.
From Split
- Car ferry: Jadrolinija runs the Split to Stari Grad car ferry (line 635), with a crossing of just under two hours and several sailings a day in summer. The ferry port is on the same bay as the resort, so this is the most practical option if you bring a car. Check timetables and book vehicle space on jadrolinija.hr in high season.
- Catamaran plus car: fast catamarans from Split reach Hvar town in about an hour, then it is around 20 minutes by road to the resort.
- Private speedboat: the resort arranges sea transfers from Split airport, about one hour. They are costly: Mr & Mrs Smith lists the hotel transfer at €1,350 each way, so ask the hotel for a current quote.
Coming from Italy, the overnight ferries from Ancona to Split normally make a neat link, and the Split to Stari Grad ferry lands you a short drive from the resort. Jadrolinija has suspended all its international sailings until 5 January 2027, so check which operators are running before you plan. Our guide to Italy to Croatia by boat compares the crossings, and many guests combine a few nights in Split with Hvar: see our Split and Diocletian’s Palace guide.
Rooms and suites
The resort opened in 2020. The buildings are low and stepped into the slope, with pine slats and planted roofs that keep them half hidden among the trees, and every room has a loggia. Interiors were created by a Paris-based studio with a Croatian architect, and they are restrained: Croatian oak, terracotta, stone and brass, neutral fabrics, and wardrobes styled as vintage travel trunks. Expect calm rather than opulence.
- Garden Rooms: the entry category, around 42 to 45 m², facing the gardens. They can take a third guest.
- Panoramic Rooms: sea view, strictly for two, no extra bed.
- Bay, Garden and Panoramic Suites: the core of the resort, larger and with better views. Panoramic Suites are the most numerous category.
- Pool Suites: 56 to 70 m² with a heated 9 m² plunge pool in a private loggia.
- Pool Panoramic Suites: 82 m², a heated plunge pool and a private garden. There are only two.
- Family Suites: one two-bedroom (101 m²) and one three-bedroom (145 m²).
- Villas Borovina, Litica and Uvala: two four-bedroom villas of about 300 m² and the five-bedroom Uvala of about 500 m², each with a heated private pool. Uvala adds a sauna, fitness room and outdoor kitchen.
Accessible and connecting rooms are available on request. Room sizes vary slightly between sources, so ask the hotel if exact square metres matter.
Dining
The main restaurant appears in the 2026 Michelin Guide Croatia as Terra Restaurant by Maslina Resort, a recommended address without a star. Listings put it in the €€€ or €€€€ price bracket, so check the guide for the current price band. Michelin describes French technique applied to Mediterranean and local produce, with herbs and vegetables from the resort’s own organic garden, sea and land dishes on an à la carte menu, and a wine list that pairs regional labels with French bottles. Breakfast is served à la carte rather than as a buffet.
- Terra: breakfast and dinner, with lunch and lighter dishes from the poolside menu during the day.
- The Bar: cocktails built on Hvar fruit, herbs and spices, plus wine and craft beer.
- A·Bay Beach Bar: on the waterfront promenade beside the swimming platforms.
- The Club: a lounge with a cigar menu and an outdoor smoking area in the Wine Garden.
- Private dining: by the sea or in the gardens, by arrangement.
Hvar is a wine island, so use the list. Plavac Mali reds and the white Bogdanjuša are local signatures, and our Korčula and Hvar wine guide explains what to order. The resort can also arrange a Stari Grad Plain tour with wine and olive oil tasting at a local konoba.
Spa and pools
Wellness is the core of the concept. The spa, Pharomatiq Wellness, is spread over two floors and is listed at around 600 m². Its idea is “garden to skin”: organic herbs and essential oils from Hvar and the resort’s own aromatic garden go into the treatments, and lavender from the hill villages, Velo Grablje in particular, appears throughout.
- Aqua thermal area: Finnish sauna, aromatherapy steam bath, Turkish hammam and a cold plunge pool.
- Treatments: five indoor treatment rooms plus two outdoor spaces in the garden. Treatments are charged separately.
- Fitness and movement: a sea view gym, a beauty and hair salon, and yoga, including free morning sessions according to booking platforms.
- Pools: two heated saltwater pools. The infinity lounge pool looks over the bay, with olive trees for shade; the family pool has a stepped entrance and a shallow platform for younger swimmers.
Book treatments before you arrive in July and August, when the five rooms fill quickly.
Beach, boats and activities
Do not expect a long sandy beach. The resort’s waterfront is a promenade with swimming platforms, loungers on the rocks and a fine pebble cove, plus an Organic Beach Garden with private sunbathing space.
Boats and excursions
The resort’s activity list covers kayaking, diving, sailing, snorkelling, paddleboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing and speedboat trips, all arranged with local partners, so prices and availability depend on the day. Popular boat days run to Vis and Biševo, Brač or the Pakleni Islands off Hvar town, and boats can pick up from the resort or from Stari Grad harbour. Our guide to Hvar and the Pakleni Islands by boat covers the classic routes.
On land
Walk or cycle the Stari Grad Plain between dry stone walls and vineyards, take an e-bike to a wine tasting, or hike the trails across the island. The shepherds’ village of Humac and Grapčeva Cave are within reach by car. There is no tennis or golf at the resort.
What’s nearby
- Stari Grad: the Tvrdalj fortified summer house of the poet Petar Hektorović, stone lanes and harbour restaurants. An easy walk for dinner.
- Hvar town: the harbour, the fortress above town and the busiest nightlife on the Dalmatian coast, about 20 minutes away.
- Other places to stay: our where to stay in Hvar guide compares Hvar town, Stari Grad and the quieter villages, and Maslina also features in the best luxury hotels in Croatia.
Maslina Resort vs other Croatian luxury hotels
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maslina Resort | Maslinica Bay, near Stari Grad, Hvar | Pine forest setting, aromatic spa, plunge pool suites, Michelin-listed restaurant | Couples and wellness travellers who want quiet |
| Palace Elisabeth, Hvar Heritage Hotel | Harbourfront, Hvar town | Historic building in the heart of town | Travellers who want to walk everywhere in Hvar town |
| Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel | Marina side, Hvar town | Spa and rooftop bar above the harbour | Spa lovers who also want the town’s evenings |
| Villa Dubrovnik | Above the sea, east of Dubrovnik’s old town | Cliffside terraces facing the old town | A city and sea combination in southern Dalmatia |
In short: stay in Hvar town if you want harbour life on the doorstep, choose Maslina if the stay itself is the point. To pair Hvar with Dubrovnik, read our Villa Dubrovnik review.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Couples who want a spa, a plunge pool suite and a good dinner without leaving the grounds.
- Wellness travellers who like aromatherapy and yoga.
- Families: there are two family suites, a family pool, a playroom, a children’s menu and a kids’ club in high season, plus babysitting on request.
- Groups or multigenerational families who can fill one of the three villas.
It does not suit:
- Anyone who wants Hvar town’s bars and beach clubs every night without taxis.
- Sandy beach lovers: the waterfront is platforms, rocks and pebbles.
- Those looking for a Michelin-starred tasting menu in-house; the restaurant is recommended, not starred.
- Winter travellers: the resort is closed outside the summer season.
Charlotte’s tip: go in June or September and take the ferry
Early summer and September bring warm water, emptier sun loungers and easier dinner reservations in Stari Grad, and in late June the lavender fields are in flower. The Split to Stari Grad car ferry costs a fraction of a speedboat transfer and docks on the same bay, so if you are driving down from Italy or the north of Croatia, it is the easier way in.
Practical tips
- Booking: reserve spa treatments, boat days and private dining with the room in July and August. Booking platforms show minimum stays of two or three nights for parts of summer 2026.
- Best rooms to request: a Pool Suite or Pool Panoramic Suite for couples, a Panoramic Suite for the bay view at a lower price, a Family Suite or villa for groups.
- Sustainability: the resort describes itself as built on ecologically responsible management, with planted roofs, local materials, an organic garden, plastic-free local bath products and an EV charging point. We did not find an independent eco certification, so ask the hotel if that matters to you.
- Dress: relaxed by day, smart casual for dinner at Terra.
- Kids: cots are free for the youngest children, and extra beds for children up to 12 are charged, but published rates differ slightly between sources. Panoramic Rooms take no extra bed at all.
- Pets: dogs are accepted on request for a fee.
- Money: Croatia uses the euro; a small tourist tax is added locally.
Check prices and availability
Compare the Garden Rooms, plunge pool suites and villas, and check which rates include breakfast for your dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maslina Resort open all year?
No. It is a seasonal resort, open in recent years from early May to mid October, with the villas from April. Confirm 2026 opening and closing dates with the hotel.
Does Maslina Resort have a beach?
It has direct access to the bay, with swimming platforms, loungers on the rocks, a pebble cove and a beach bar, but no long sandy beach.
Can you walk from Maslina Resort to Stari Grad?
Yes. A waterside path leads into Stari Grad, about 2 km or roughly 20 minutes on foot. Hvar town is about 20 minutes by car.
Does Maslina Resort have a Michelin star?
No. Its restaurant, Terra, is recommended in the 2026 Michelin Guide Croatia without a star, and the hotel holds one Michelin Key.
