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Family travel isn’t always easy. The kids don’t want to spend their time wandering old ruins or sitting still on a sun lounger. Equally, the adults did not fork out all that hard earned money just to hang out in a soft play centre or waterpark all week. So how do you find somewhere that the whole family will enjoy?
Enter: Dubrovnik. Yes, this Croatian gem may not be your first thought for a family friendly holiday but hear me out. There’s sunshine. There is history and culture. There’s nature. And there’s the largest family entertainment centre on the Adriatic. I spent a week here with my husband and toddler, and a fantastic time was had by all. Read on to discover my top recommendation for where to stay in Dubrovnik for the perfect family holiday.
Where to stay in Dubrovnik with kids
Located on the Babin Kuk peninsula, around a 15 minute drive from Dubrovnik Old Town, are a collection of hotels by Croatian hospitality brand Valamar. We spent a week at the Valamar Tirena Hotel and found that it ticked all the boxes for a European holiday with a toddler. The biggest draw being the large entertainment complex that was completely FREE to visit! (more about that later).
We stayed at the end of September/start of October and found the hotel to be not too busy, which was ideal for us. Check in was easy and efficient, the staff were friendly and the hotel was spotlessly clean. The hotel has free wifi throughout and green credentials such as designated recycling bins and electricity from renewable sources.
The Rooms
We chose to stay in a Superior Room for three people, which meant we had a balcony. Rather than using the pull-out bed available, we hired a cot from the hotel. I had expected to pay 5 euro per night for this but we weren’t charged at all. Lucky for us, as our daughter refused to sleep in the cot and ended up in our bed for the entire holiday.
Rooms also include a mini fridge (ideal for toddler bedtime milk), tea and coffee making facilities, toiletries, a hairdryer and in-room safe. There’s also a flat screen television with at least 5 kids tv channels in various languages. So yes we used the tv as a distraction to allow ourselves another 15 minutes in bed.
Food and Drinks
Valamar Tirena offers two meal plans – breakfast only or half board (breakfast and dinner). The food is served buffet style in the Mediterraneo Restaurant. For ease with travelling with a toddler, we opted for half board dining and found that it was superb.
Breakfast includes something for everyone. There are cereals, yogurts, pancakes, fresh fruit, toast etc. A live cooking station where you can get hot breakfast food and made to order omelettes. A particular favourite of ours were the freshly baked croissants – butter, chocolate and apricot.
Dinner also has plenty of variety including freshly made pizzas and live cooking. For the fussiest of eaters you can even request made to order pasta. There are a variety of hot dishes to try and cold sides such as salads. A few stand out sections I haven’t seen in other hotels were the cheese bar and the olive table. Also, the herb table – where you could choose from a selection of dried and fresh herbs to sprinkle on your meal. And let’s not forget the sweet treats – cakes, ice cream, fruit and dessert pots. My only fault with dinner was that it didn’t open until 6.30pm, which is quite late when you have an overtired toddler to consider.
For babies, there is a corner which includes plastic cutlery, bowls and plates, as well as a microwave. There is also a selection of baby food jars, porridge and warmed water and milk. At breakfast there are baby biscuits and at dinner, plain boiled vegetables such a brocolli – ideal for little ones who are weaning.
There is another restaurant on site called Oliva Grill where you can dine in or purchase a takeaway. We had a poolside lunch here a couple of times – the pizza and fries here are quite tasty.
And for drinks, there is a swim up bar at the pool, as well as the Vero bar where you can sip a coffee or a cocktail. We sat in the Vero bar a couple of times where they had live music but we didn’t stay for long due to impending toddler bedtime.
Facilities at Valamar Tirena
Obviously the main draw to a sunny coastal holiday is the swimming pool. Valamar Tirena has two outdoor pools – the main one with the swim up bar and a shallow children’s pool with a small slide. There are also a couple of water slides at the back of the pool area but as our tot was too small for these we didn’t go on them. I will admit that I only dipped a toe into the swimming pools as they are unheated and I am a wimp. BUT if you fancy a swim in warmer water then the sister hotel next door has an indoor pool which guests are welcome to use.
A note on the Valamar Lacroma (sister hotel): this hotel also has a spa which Tirena guests are welcome to use. We didn’t use the spa sadly, but we did spend an afternoon at the indoor and outdoor pools here. We also ate lunch at the poolside snack bar – the salads here are tasty.
In addition to the pools, the Tirena offers tennis, bike rental, entertainment and fitness programmes. But we didn’t see or experience much of that.
Maro World – The Fun and Free Entertainment Complex
Just across a courtyard, less than a minutes walk from the Tirena hotel restaurant, is Maro World – the largest family entertainment centre on the Adriatic. This place isn’t just a kids club. It is like a soft play centre, a giant toy box and educational activity game all rolled into one. Open from 9am until 9pm, April 1st until October 31st, there is plenty of opportunity to explore and play. I think we ended up in here every day. But if it meant our little one could let off some steam then we were more than happy to oblige.
Upon entry to the building, you are greeted at the reception desk where you will also see a large cuddly toy of the mascot – Maro, who I believe is a hermit crab. Every day at 3pm there is a real life Maro mascot who comes to greet the children. He may even hand out free ice creams. My daughter doesn’t normally like things like this but she LOVED Maro – and that was before the ice cream!
Activities at Maro World
On the upper level there is a little area for babies featuring all kinds of sensory toys, plus a couple of comfy sofas for parents. Outside there is a rooftop trampoline park which is loads of fun for all ages. You can also find the top part of the soft play area up here including a tunnel slide which takes you downstairs into a ball pit!
On the lower level is the aforementioned ball pit plus another slide and things for kids to climb over. There are also different zones where children (and adults) can use their imaginations to build something. There’s a giant busy board great for building fine motor skills. There’s also Rigamajig – where you can build things from wooden planks, nuts, bolts, cogs etc. Plus the Imagination Playground which is simply lots of lightweight blue blocks that serve as a giant construction game. On the smaller scale, there are several tables with hundreds of Lego and Duplo bricks for some quiet building entertainment.
This lower level also includes LiteZilla which is an interactive light wall where you can use coloured rods to make pictures and patterns. Next door, there is a digital playroom featuring projected games onto four walls and the floor. I didn’t really understand all of the games but there was one where you had to splat the bugs by slapping your hand on the wall. Plus another where you coloured the safari animals with your hands to bring them to life.
One of my daughter’s favourite parts of Maro World was the Paint2Life area. Here you colour in a picture of a sea creature, place your picture into a special lightbox, hit the button and POOF! your sea creature appears on the wall in the digital aquarium!
For older kids, there is a gaming zone with beanbags to sit on and PlayStations and Nintendo Switches to play on, all lit up in a cool neon way.
Kids Club
Maro World runs a kids club for if you want to leave your offspring behind and enjoy some adults only time in the Old Town. Kids Clubs are for ages 3-7 and 7-12 with different age appropriate activities on offer. My daughter is only 2 so we didn’t use the kids club. However, from 6pm until 8pm during our visit, the kids club area was open for parents to play with their children so we were able to see what was there. For little kids there was an indoor slide, lots of toys and places to get creative. And for older kids there were games consoles, table football and a pool table etc.
Maro Theatre
Last mention is the Maro Theatre. During our stay they had a children’s disco at 8pm which we went to once. They also show movies here. However, on October 1st, the theatre closes and the entertainment moves to the upper level where the baby zone is. They were screening Disney’s The Little Mermaid when we walked past.
My Recommended Location for Where to Stay in Dubrovnik with a toddler
If I haven’t yet convinced you of the best place to stay in Dubrovnik with kids then let me tell you a little more about the location. Babin Kuk is a quiet peninsular of Dubrovnik. The hotel is walking distance from a selection of minimarkets, eateries and gift shops (I recommend Hit Street Food for their massive sandwiches). Copacabana Beach and Coral Beach Club are both a short stroll nearby too.
There is also a pleasant promenade walk in nearby Lapad, which is scenic and (mostly) pushchair friendly. You can find bars and restaurants along here too.
Lastly, if you’re visiting Dubrovnik then you are likely wanting to explore the Old Town. This is easily reached from the Valamar Hotels via bus or taxi/uber. Walk to the end of the road to catch the number 6 bus to Pile Gate. This costs 2.50 euro per person each way. Children up to a certain age are free. Just remember to bring cash as not all of the bus drivers accepted card payments. If there are a number of you or you are travelling in peak season, you may find requesting an uber easier and more cost effective.
Final Thoughts on Where to Stay in Dubrovnik with Kids
Travelling with kids can be stressful and where I have previously sung the praises of villa holidays with babies and toddlers, if I was to do another hotel stay with my toddler, it would be this one. Valamar Tirena in Dubrovnik ticked all the boxes for us – a fun zone for my daughter, the sightseeing in the old town for us adults, plus some poolside relaxation.
Book your stay at the Valamar Tirena Dubrovnik here. Or alternatively, the Valamar Lacroma and Sunny Dubrovnik by Valamar also offer free access to Maro World.
If you liked this post you may like my other family travel guides
- 3 Days In Seville Spain – A Family Friendly Guide
- Best place to holiday with a toddler: Menorca
- Binibeca in Menorca: A Family Friendly Guide
- Toddler Holidays Abroad – Why a Villa is the Best Choice
- Best Travel Toys for Toddler
- Center Parcs with baby
