Hôtel Plaza Marchi Old Town

We stayed in a superior room at this hotel for 2 nights in August 2022. The experience was a HUGE disappointment. Although the hotel was central we would strongly advise staying elsewhere. On arrival the exterior of the hotel looked tatty and was surrounded by litter. Reception staff were young and inexperienced and whilst polite were not very friendly. Think they avoided making eye contact for fear of people complaining about something! On checking in we were advised that the hotel only took cash which seemed a bit dodgy. We had to ask about wifi and breakfast. The wifi was good but breakfast was not on site. We were advised breakfast was a 5 minute walk away but it was further than this. Despite having paid for breakfast when we booked we chose to eat breakfast in one of the many bars and restaurants a minutes walk away. The stairways and landings of the hotel had dusty floors and were cluttered with cleaning equipment and fold away beds. On entering our room we were greeted with a strong smell of damp. The room had a dehumidifier permanently on but this did not eliminate the smell. If we were staying more than 2 nights we would have moved to a different hotel. It was not pleasant sleeping in such an environment and because of this we spent very little time in our room. Whilst the bed was comfortable and the bedding clean the room was not as clean as we would have expected. Most notably the skirting boards were thick with dust and the underside of the toilet seat was stained. There was no view from the small window as it had closed external shutters. The bathroom was large but it was alarming to see an electric socket right next to the shower and we were only provided with 2 small bottles of shower gel which doubled as shampoo. We went up to the roof terrace but it was nothing special, more like a back yard, and it was untidy. All in all a terrible experience. However, our stay in Split was salvaged with by visiting great restaurants and bars and a long day out to Mostar. This hotel gives the impression of financial hardship and our experience did not match the reviews or photos that we saw when booking about 8 months ago. The hotel did not deliver and we felt as though we overpaid for what was supposed to be a four star hotel. This hotel is at best 2 star and in the UK it would be unlikely to receive any star rating.

It has all been said before but because this hotel is likely to be the worst 4 star we’ve ever stayed in I feel compelled to share our experience along with others. If you are expecting a 4 star experience please don’t waste your money …. Go to a hostel for a fraction of the price and you are more than likely to get a smile thrown in too. How it has achieved 4 stars is beyond me unless it’s just by checking boxes, yes the rooms have a safe, but the smallest one I have ever seen, you can just about get a passport and some cash in it. Yes it has a hairdryer, but the cable is so short you couldn’t use it in our bathroom and look in the mirror at the same time, yes it has a kettle but ours was leaking everywhere. Yes they have toiletries!?!. correction they offer two small bottles of shower/hair wash which are not refreshed. When we tried to check in at 1pm we were told to come back at 2pm. The receptionist was sat outside eating his lunch and although not rude, not at all engaging or interested in us as guests. We returned at 3 and were told they needed to check that our room was ready! We were then told it was cash only payments and we were asked to pay up front, which we refused to do. We had a bed and breakfast rate which had been prepaid but they questioned this until we showed them a copy of our confirmation. Again we were asked to pay the hotel tax up front. I asked for some water, seeing that there was a refillable water dispenser in the reception area, which was empty (and has remained so during our stay) but was told I had to go the toilet to fill my bottle. I noticed in the toilet that they do not use single use towels (ie paper or air dryers) instead they have a towel, which looked like it hadn’t been changed in a long time. In these Covid times, I think this is very bad practice. The attitude of the reception staff didn’t change throughout our stay. They gave the impression they just didn’t want to be there, they never looked up when you came through the door and never smiled. The biggest surprise was the fact there is no restaurant, coffee space, lounge area at the hotel. So breakfast is a 10 minute walk away at their sister hotel! Do not even waste your time going there…… no beautiful buffet breakfast we have become used to at our earlier Croatian hotels. Rather a pre prepared tray with overcooked scrambled egg, 2 slices of cheese and ham, dry rolls and shredded cabbage, washed down with orange squash. I asked for a slice of lemon for my tea I was given a glaring look and told they didn’t have any! I asked to use the toilet there and was told I couldn’t because it was in a secure area where luggage was stored ! Like other reviewers we decided not to waste our time going there again during our stay, despite having paid for breakfast. So back to the hotel, we had a room on the 2nd floor, there are steep steps to get to the lift, which operates from the 1st floor and totally impractical for anyone with poor mobility, and no help was offered with our heavy cases. Our room had shutters which were closed to keep out the heat. However we wanted some natural light and fresh air…… opening the shutters revealed a dirty stone wall a couple of meters away. In summary I am sure you can find a more hospitable, comfortable hotel/rooms elsewhere in Split for a fraction of the price. There is nothing luxurious about this hotel, the room needed a good deep clean, there were stains on the chair, the bed linen is poor quality or over laundered as were the 2 towels which were small, no fluffy bath sheets here 😂. we needed some extra pillows and found spare bedding/pillows unwrapped and shoved into the bottom of the wardrobe, with no pillowcases or duvet covers on them. Housekeeping make the bed daily, not difficult as it only had a folded sheet on it but don’t go into the bathroom. The one waste bin was not emptied during our three night stay. Staying in this hotel has really marred our enjoyment of Split sadly.

What a let down! Beautifully appointed hotel let down by cheap cost cutting and rude staff. Expect to be disappointed. The breakfast is an absolute con. Obviously it used to to be in the restaurant below from 8-11 because all the literature said so, but on going downstairs on my first morning I was told that ‘that was out of date’. The actual breakfast is a shoddy, cheap affair 0.3 miles (10 mins walk) into a grotty part of the old town, and was only from 8-10. Needless to say, I didn’t go back there, with all of the better restaurants close by. On my first day, no-one came to make the room. However things got worse…later in the week my room was left unlocked with the door open after the room had been made up. I went down to the reception to make them aware of the issue, and the receptionist showed utter disinterest. An apology at least would have been nice. On first arrival the bed was also fitted with a sheet too small, but that’s small fry compared to the above. Re accessibility, it is not,suitable if you have any mobility issues due to the significant stairs up to the lift, especially as the motion sensor for the light only activates halfway up. Not an issue for me but was not obvious on the booking site. Such a shame as the rooms themselves are amazing, truly beautiful. Well appointed, beautifully finished and with high quality furniture. The building has such an amazing history and everything has been finished to compliment it in every way, really 5* quality furniture and all distinct and well matched to the surroundings. Remember when booking that this is an old city, don’t expect a view from the room and don’t expect everything to be accessible, this is an old city built densely with alleys and designed to keep the rooms cool with small windows and the designers have done a great job making it as good as it is. This isn’t’t a big sprawling modern city with sky-high towers. There is am amazing rooftop balcony (not well advertised) that has some of the best views of the city, make the cost worthwhile alone, so if you’re looking for views you’ll find them there.

My wife had booked this hotel via Secret Escapes, which till now has been a guarantee for excellent experience. Not so at first encounter this time. The room we were allocated was at the bottom of what seemed like a doves' toilet shaft, smelling of manure when opening our window. Also, the bathroom had an unpleasant smell of mold, being entirely without ventilation. We complained, but there were no other rooms available the first night. Next day we managed to be upgraded to a deluxe room, at a cost, with the benevolent help of receptionist Andrea, who played an important role in making our stay a pleasant one after our initial disappointment. This hotel certainly has its quaint and charming sides and given that a deluxe room or suite is granted, one's stay can be absolutely adorable and romantic. The location could not be better and despite being in the very centre of a vivid nightlife, sleeping quality was good. However, beds are made in a to us bewildering manner, forcing the guests to refold the sheets to enable going under the covers. Finally, what also reduces the stars given by us is the lack of breakfast facilities in the hotel itself, making guests walk about half a km to another location where a limited breakfast option was served. Good quality of raw materials, but no choices given. It will be hard to recommend this hotel due to a lot of shortcomings, considering the high prices charged. Still, receptionist Andrea and our own demanding approach managed to turn our stay around this time, but we know other guests who were not as lucky as us.

we visited Marchi, which is located in the heart of the old town, right next to Diocletian's Palace. from the hotel you can see part of Diocletian's cellars, which is not open to the public, and at the top of the hotel there is a terrace with a view of the entire city. we rented a deluxe room, which is very large for three people, with a large bathroom. the staff is very friendly. it enabled us to find a nearby garage for an affordable price, which is only a few minutes from the hotel, because the hotel cannot be reached by car because it is in the center. We will definitely come back again and thank you to Plazi Marchi for a wonderful stay.