Hotel Forza Mare, Dobrota, near Kotor, Montenegro - Explore & Book
"My boyfriend sits captivated by colourful shoals of fish beside our table; soon I give up trying to coax conversation out of him and simply stare out across the bay. Twinkling lights shine below shadowy mountain peaks, and it's all duplicated in the rippling water around us. It’s dusk at Forza Mare’s bayside restaurant and we’re enjoying a delicious dinner of smoked dorada and fresh carpaccio, washed down with a smooth Montenegrin red recommended to us by George, our affable waiter. Candles are lit and gauzy linens cloak the covered dining area, framing the watery view. If it weren’t for the fish distraction, it’d all be terribly romantic.Forza Mare is fun Balkan indulgence at its best; just 10 individually decorated bedrooms await, each designed to capture a different geographical location, and all accessed by a sleek staircase spiralling around a bling-tastic cascading chandelier. A bijou spa plus secluded pool and private pebbled beach add up to utter relaxation, but you’re also within easy reach the historic walled-city of Kotor, pretty Perast village, and mountainous Lovćen national park. Hire a car and embark on a romantic mini adventure through this fascinating country.
Highs
Excellent service; friendly, efficient staff go above and beyond to ensure you have everything you needThe large Executive Rooms have lovely sheltered balconies with panoramic views over the Bay of Kotor A great spa for a hotel of this size, complete with massage room, Jacuzzi, hammam and sauna. There's an alfresco Jacuzzi too, looking out to seaWe loved the over-water restaurant’s cool, breezy atmosphere, perfect for indulgent dinners and light lunches in the sunEasy access to Dubrovnik (and its airport), allowing for a 2-base holiday or easy day trips to the famous city
Lows
A small town, Dobrota is quite quiet, but lively Kotor is a 5-minute drive or 1-hour walk; swing by for a pre-dinner cocktail at sister property Hotel Mare TerraThe pool is small and tucked away at the back of the property, but there's a private beach beside the sea for sunbathing and swimmingDeluxe and Standard Rooms lack views of the bay, and their balconies aren’t large enough to sit out A small road divides the hotel building from the dining terrace and beach area, but there's little traffic and this is the norm for Montenegrin waterfront hotelsThe piped music in the restaurant won't be to everyone’s taste" - Melissa Burfitt