The Private Traveller

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Pampered Bliss: Exploring The Villa Spa Experience at Hotel Villa Dubrovnik, Croatia

This Mans Journal

This is my first ever dedicated spa review - if you’ve read any of my hotel reviews you will know that I’m a huge fan of a spa treatment and invariably will also try out some in any hotel we stay with a spa.

As The Private Traveller I love to travel, but have branched out into a wider range blog with This Mans’ Journal - as well as travel aspects, like luggage brands, views on mens’ grooming and craft gins, a big focus will be on male and unisex spa treatments from around the world and at home in the UK.

The details

Location | The Villa Spa at Hotel Villa Dubrovnik, Croatia

Treatment | Warm Bamboo Massage

Cost | 850kn - £100 - €115 - $130 (all prices only a guide, based on current exchange rates)

Time | 60 minutes

Spa website | https://www.villa-dubrovnik.hr/en/spa-and-wellness.html

Hotel website | https://www.villa-dubrovnik.hr/en/

The treatment

I always like to try different treatments when away and one that caught my eye immediately was the 60 minute Warm Bamboo Massage. Ratko was my therapist and the treatment (a combination of massage by hand and warmed bamboo sticks of varying depths and lengths, with oil) and this was just wonderful. This being the first massage since lock-down (so probably for over 5 months) was so needed, and it was executed so well. It actually made me realise that spas and treatments like this deserve a section of their own on ThePrivateTraveller website, rather than just being included within a hotel review.

The facilities

One of my favourite places was the Villa Spa, this is spread across four levels - on the first level you have the pool, showers and ladies/gents WC’s (all beautifully appointed and spotlessly clean), the level above a large gym (not widely used, but had to be booked for the moment due to Covid restrictions). On a level above that is a large wellness area with both sauna and steam rooms (check availability due to restrictions), relaxation beds, showers and where you would have body treatments. The top level (level 3 of the main West building) - aptly positioned near to our room (#314) is the main Spa entrance. Here there are private male and female changing rooms/lockers, a nail salon and various treatment rooms; again all beautifully appointed and spotlessly clean and superbly maintained.

Changing facilities

These were small, although there were a number of lockers it was probably designed to just have one man (separate, similar changing room next door for women) changing at a time. The lockers were spotlessly clean, as was everything it has to be said about the entire Villa Spa (and whole hotel come to that) and came complete with a robe to change into, slippers, a towel and some black disposable pants (which incidentally I still can’t work out to this day whether I had them on back to front). There was a WC, sink and shower to the back complete with everything you could need - shower gel, shampoo and conditioner.

The treatment room

As with everything, spotlessly clean and well appointed with two individual treatment beds (for couples massage) - I was invited to remove my robe and get under the covers on one; I could see the bamboo sticks warming in a special case on the other. If you want to check out all other treatments, you can do so here.

The hotel

Our visit to Croatia was the first foreign trip since lockdown and we were lucky enough to visit before the UK applied a mandatory quarantine period on the return. You can read all about the full trip here and also my dedicated hotel review here. Absolutely loved everything about Hotel Villa Dubrovnik - great location, fantastic service, stunning scenery and outlook, amazing food and of course this wonderful spa; you’ll probably gather that I liked it! They are also members of Leading Hotels of the World, which is an absolute favourite of mine.

This Mans’ Journal  top tips (any areas for improvement?):

  • I genuinely can’t add anything here, and I am always fastidious about treatments.

This Mans’ Journal absolute highlights:

  • Loved everything about this hotel, and the Villa Spa was no exception

  • Excellent facilities and loved the choice of a brand new treatment

  • Ratko was an excellent therapist and the massage just the best - and I’m not just saying this being the first is a long time post Covid-lockdown

Summary

A great stay in a great hotel, beautiful country and we will definitely be back. I’d love to get any feedback on this new blog - whether you find it’s helpful, interesting, too long and detailed or too short and not detailed enough! Thank you.

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