Sunday Times Best Hotels in Europe: Hotel Riva in Hvar, Croatia

More recognition for the Suncani Hvar chain, as stylish Hotel Riva included in the top 100 best small hotels in Europe, as decided by Sunday Times readers.

Interest and recognition in the island of Hvar shows no sign of slowing down with Hotel Riva the latest waterfront hotel to be voted as one of Europe's top hotels, according to a report in Croatian daily, Jutarnji List, on November 17, 2011.

Hotel Riva in Sunday Times List, Hotel Adriana in Fodor's

The hotel was included in the top 100 best small hotels in Europe in a survey conducted by readers of the Sunday Times, released last weekend. It is the second award for the island's leading hotel chain, Suncani Hvar, following Hotel Adriana's inclusion in Fodor's 2011 Top Hotel Awards for 2011 last week.

Both awards are continuing good news for the hotel chain, whose massive investment from the ORCO group in 2005 has helped transform the town into one of the hottest destinations on the Adriatic.

The Sunday Times list did not include luxury five-star hotels but focused more on smaller hotels with a personal approach and well-designed space. The Sunday Times described Hvar as "a smaller Cannes" with the hotel bathed in sunshine and overlooking the a beautiful beach. The Suncani Hvar website describes Hotel Riva as follows:

Description of Hotel Riva

"Hovering on the waterfront promenade in the heart of the medieval Hvar town, Riva, one of Croatia's trendiest boutique hotels, offers you the finest in Adriatic ambiance.

"Completely reconstructed in 2006, incorporating a beautiful 100-year-old building, Riva brings together the best of both worlds: old world charm and state of the art luxury. You’ll find yourself at home in one of Riva’s rooms featuring uniquely designed interiors, contemporary furnishings and an exceptional view of the sun as it sets over the Paklinski Islands."

The hotel has 54 rooms, offering spectacular views to the water, as well as the very popular Roots restaurant and stylish BB Club, one of the town's premier nightspots. It is ideally located on the waterfront close to premier cocktail bar Carpe Diem and restaurant Gariful.

More Awards for Hvar

The hotel has enjoyed a very successful season, with record occupancy reported in one of its other flagship hotels, the Hotel Amfora, which includes the unique Bonj les Bains beach resort in its offer, voted among Europe's top 20 beaches by the Times in 2010.

Recognition of the hotels is in line with the general positive noises about Croatia's premier island in recent weeks. Lonely Planet named it in its top five destinations for 2012, while the prestigious Conde Nast Readers' Awards 2011 cited Hvar, which also boasts the oldest organised tourism in Europe, in its top ten islands in Europe.