The Good: The property is absolutely beautiful in an incredible location right on the harbor in Cavtat -- the location cannot be beat. This is the upper apartment, so the waterfront views out the windows are not quite as direct, but it's still beautiful and fun to see the yachts outside. The apartment has been recently renovated and spotlessly clean and so charming with cute decorations, exposed stone, modern kitchen and bathroom, cold and quiet air conditioning, and snacks and drinks stocked in the refrigerator. There is a wonderful, gated, multi-level landscaped terrace outside the apartment from which to enjoy the sights & sounds of Cavtat, and the restaurant downstairs will deliver food and drinks right to the gate which feels like your own private dining.
The Not-So-Good:
- Parking. The listing says one of the amenities includes "parking", but it does not mention that the parking is in a public lot that is a 400m walk away from the apartment, through the busy main street of Cavtat. You cannot drive to or near the apartment - the streets are car-free. We knew this was the case in places like Old Town Dubrovnik, but did not realize it was the case for Cavtat - it makes it quite inconvenient to haul baggage, etc., and would have been nice to know in advance. It also does not mention that the parking is NOT free - it is in a public parking lot at very expensive rates!
- Check-In: This is not the fault of the host, but the VRBO check-in process did not work well for us. The VRBO email did not contain any special instructions for getting to the property or checking in, and when we arrived in Cavtat, we learned we could not even drive up to the apartment, and there were no instructions on how to get the keys. When we used the information in VRBO email to contact the host, instead we reached a "property manager" who said they could not even find our reservation and could not help us. It took us some time to hunt down the host’s actual contact information and contact her. From that point, she was very responsive and helpful instructing us how to reach the property, get in the gate, and find the keys. However, it would have been helpful if those instructions had been provided in advance so that we were not left scrambling and confused when we arrived in Cavtat (and thought our reservation had been lost).
- The beautiful terrace is shared with the other apartment in the complex so is not as private as you may expect from the listing.
