Some hotels have award-winning spas, personal butlers or swimming pools galore. Others have plush rooftop bars with city views, posh Michelin-star restaurants or celebrity personal trainers. Villa Nai 3.3 has olive oil – and not just olive oil, but arguably the best in the world (certainly Croatia). Naturally, the tiny luxurious hotel is surrounded by over 1000 olive trees. It also has an on-site mill and olive oil tasting sessions led by owner Goran Morović – who drinks so much of the stuff it’s probably running through his veins.
Designed by one of Croatia’s leading architects, Nikola Bašić, Villa Nai 3.3 is an uber-luxury hideaway built into the limestone hills of Dugi Otok – a small island off Zadar with around 1,500 people. Guests arrive via a narrow, chalky road that snakes through olive trees, dry stone walls and an orange clay tennis court. Nearby, you’ll find Telascica Nature Park and Kornati National Parks – two of Croatia’s most serene and photogenic spots. Imagine turquoise millpond calm, glassy water, intensely green islands and dramatic grey cliffs.
The gorgeous pebbled beach of Veli Žala’s is around a 30-minute drive away. Plus, the quaint villages of Zaglav and Sali are nearby if guests fancy a low-key night or local food. Regarding the practical stuff, Zadar airport is the closest, but you’ll still need to take a ferry that takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes (look out for dolphins that surf in the wake).
Villa Nai 3.3 has eight rooms only. All are slightly different in shape and size, with huge windows, king-sized beds and hardly a 90-degree angle in sight. Soft beds, backed by limestone walls (rubble was used from excavation to build the hotel), are a dream. Interiors are understated, sophisticated and individual but maintain a consistent language thanks to the subtle, neutral, slightly earthy decór. All rooms have quality Italian furniture by Giorgetti – a renowned brand that’s been creating premium furniture since 1898. Istrian natural stone polished floors and high geometric indented patterned ceilings are also centre stage. Suites come with four poster beds and fireplaces (just in case things get chilly).
All the amenities you expect from a Leading Hotels of the World member are available (coffee machines, slippers, robes, beach towels, desks and glass water bottles). If we are to be fussy (and we must for somewhere that’s a minimum of £510 a night), bigger TVs and screen mirroring to enable streaming would’ve left us with hardly anything to grumble about. But something tells me the excellent general manager, Maksim, is already making these minor improvements. Electric curtains (always fun) unveil knockout views over the hotel’s olive trees terraces, swimming pool or ocean. All rooms have large terraces, comfortable outdoor furniture and direct access to the hotel’s infinity pool.
Grotta 11,000, Villa Nai’s restaurant chiselled into a limestone hillside, punches well above its weight. The small, romantic dining spot on the hotel’s inner patio has a pizza oven and a vertical grill. The numerical part of the name refers to the year ancient remains were found on the island, dating back 10,000 years (reported initially as 11,000, hence the name).
Organic vegetables (green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, etc.) are grown mainly a few metres above the hotel. Fresh fish, including line-caught wild tuna, is often caught the same day. Open-fire cooking pays homage to homo-sapiens who once lived in Dugi Otok. Standout dishes range from olive tree charcoal flavoured T-bone steak, zesty tuna tartar and a crunchy organic mixed veg salad. Sweet-toothed guests will also love the array of superb desserts (the night cream will put you to bed with a smile on your face).
It would also be remiss not to mention the pillowy focaccia bread, made by chef Alauddin, which is the perfect accompaniment to endless glugs of Villa Nai 3.3’s award-winning olive oil – the best we’ve ever tasted. Guests are encouraged to add to salads, tuna and meat whenever possible. On a previous menu, a whisky sour contained a trickle, which the ever-efficient, experienced food and beverage manager Joko was happy to recreate with aplomb.
Staff at Villa Nai 3.3 greet guests with cold towels and refreshing olive-leaf tea (a delightful, healthy, refreshing beverage worthy of the gods). If you’re fortunate enough, you will met by the lovely Sandra or Luka, the owners’ charming nephew. Goran and Nives, the unassuming owners, drop by regularly, too. Goran hosts mill tours and tastings while Nives provides excellent conversation and ensures he’s not talking too much about his prized olive oil, which he estimates his family has been making for over 500 years.
Elsewhere, each close-knit, well-oiled international team member, hailing from as far and wide as Nepal and Bali, are warm, kind and professional. However, it’s their knowledge and unpretentious manner that shines through. Gentle giant Frane ferries guests to wherever they desire with pleasure. Always smiling Bhawana, Pema, Yang, and Sudin (the Nepalese contingent) glide around the restaurant and bar, ensuring glasses are never empty and guests are well fed. All staff (there are roughly three to every guest) are remember-your-breakfast-order good. Cleaning staff are efficient as ever, too, with thoughtful turndown services (chocolates and herbal sprays), and rooms are cleaned seconds after you leave.
Guests don’t typically come to Villa Nai for its abundance of facilities – though it has plenty for its size. They include a relatively-sized spa with a sauna, Jacuzzi pool, and treatment room (Balinese Loh is a miracle worker). There’s also a micro gym outdoor cut into the limestone with only a bike and cross trainer and a stunning outdoor Infinity pool with views across the olive groves and Adriatic. Access to the sea via a private jetty is also an option if you don’t mind trundling through the olive terraces. Olive oil tasting is a must. Overseen by either Goran or Maksim, it includes a tour of the mill and samples of all three multi-award-winning olive oils produced on-site (available to buy).
Fact box
Rooms: double rooms are available from around £510 (breakfast included)
Website: villanai.com
Address: Žman 199, 23282, Žman, Croatia
