Le Meridien Lav

We spent four days of our family vacation to Croatia in Split staying at this wonderful property. While the property itself is spectacular with its wonderful seaside location, it is the staff that really makes it special. The reception staff was welcoming and upon check-in we were recommended alternative room locations that were perfect for our family. The breakfast buffet was extensive and delicious with the breakfast staff providing superb service in every respect. The house keeping staff went out of their way to ensure everything with our rooms was to our satisfaction. Finally, the ladies at the conceirge desk (Vana and colleague) provided excellent detailed sightseeing recommendations for our day trips. Thanks to all the staff for making our wonderful four days in Split so memorable.

This hotel is seriously over-rated. It's in the most beautiful location right on the marina and this is what they rely on ... attracting the wealthiest of guests so they hike the prices up to ridiculous proportions. We were paying 8 Euros for a bottle of corona and a (very small) lunch in Gooshter (the really lovely beach bar attached to the hotel) with two drinks cost nearly £80! On arrival we were greeted by a very lovely receptionist, who it turned out gave us all sorts of mis-information. We had booked a premium room with partial sea view - see attached photo! What you think might be the sea in the distance is actually a mountain. We overlooked the car park. She told us that as we had paid for half-board accommodation and would be taking our evening meal at the hotel, we had been allocated Port 74, "a lovely restaurant on the Marina where you choose from a menu, not a buffet arrangement. The food is lovely". The first time we tried to use Port 74, we were rejected and told to go and eat in the buffet restaurant in the hotel - we had been reallocated. We asked if we could swap one of our evening meals for lunch as we had arranged to go out one evening. This apparently wasn't a problem - she made a phone call and confirmed that was fine. When we arrived at the buffet restaurant which we had been reallocated to, we were rejected from there too and told that we couldn't be having lunch there as this was all set up for a group. The manager marched off to reception, made a phone call and somewhat reluctantly said we could eat our lunch at Port 74. When we arrived there for lunch, the waitress who the manager had clearly spoken to met us and continued to treat us with some disdain - we did not feel at all welcome. We waited an hour and 15 minutes for our main courses. Everyone else in the restaurant (and there weren't many tables occupied) were served before us even if they arrived after us. Appalling treatment! There is a beautiful bar at the hotel with fantastic views, but it is completely soul-less, devoid of any atmosphere. There is no music; it was like sitting in a library. In fact the entire hotel is like this. The buffet restaurant is dark and uninviting all decked out in dark colours without any natural light. The nicest place to eat was on the terrace where we ate breakfast. There is a pub located at the entrance to the hotel which was great...but empty. I don't think anyone knew it was there as you can't see it. They also have a problem with branding as the sign above the door is in Croatian but they advertise the pub as being called the Underside - the signage doesn't match. The pool area is pleasant, although the beds are without mattresses. However, the guy that controlled the pool area seemed obsessed with keeping everything straight and constantly re-aligned the beds which was infuriating! One day there were a few spits of rain and he went round folding down all the umbrellas! The hotel was gearing up for the Flow Traders Conference while we were there - an influx of over 600 people. The constant checking and monitoring by the managers of all the bars and restaurants was tiresome. We were sitting in Gooshter and for almost the entire time we were there, five or six managers stood at the bar right behind us conducting cocktail tasting. This diverted the attention of all the staff who were more concerned about keeping the managers happy than attending to their customers! It's a real shame about this hotel as it could work really well, but it's trying too hard to be exclusive; we preferred to walk 10 minutes down the beach to a bar selling great cocktails, plentiful food which played music and you felt you could speak above a whisper. Needless to say, we won't be returning. Croatia on the other hand - different story. This is our second time visiting the country and it's beautiful.