The Hostelz.com Review
Is Villa Banana (or "Vila Banana" as they spell it) a bright, blue gem in a city with limited options? Not exactly. It is bright and blue and in a city with very limited hostels, yet it has more to be desired. Overall this hostel is a decent sleep, especially if you're doing a longer stay in Croatia.
The hostel can be booked through the Dubrovnik Youth Service online or via telephone. The hostel owner will pick you up for free at the main harbor and bus station, because the hostel is extremely difficult to find for the first time. (Airport pick-up is also offered for a fee, which is worth it for groups of four to five -- otherwise you can take the Atlas bus to the bus depot and get picked-up from there.)
The hostel sits towards the top of the side of a hill. Then down the hill it's a straight shot to a beach and neither the bus station or old town are out of walking distance. There is a large Konsum (supermarket) at the bottom of the hill, while smaller local stores offer a shorter upward hall.
The dorms vary in size, but nothing too big. Some don't even have bunk beds. The rooms aren't completely spotless, but we didn't run into any roaches, bedbugs, or other undesirable critters. There are two floors of rooms with kitchens and bathrooms. The kitchens are well prepared for your use, and you can even find a spot to stand around and eat outside with a view of the city and ocean. The bathrooms aren't sparkling but they are in fairly clean condition. The shower definitely merits flip-flops.
The owner and his wife are a riot. They are an elderly local couple who live downstairs. While at times the resonance of their cultural differences may be overwhelming to foreigners, they are really well-meaning. If you are there in the summer, be sure to go around the corner into their garden, and although they don't have any bananas, they will surely insist that you try their figs, which are beyond amazing. They will also give you maps showing where "Vila Banana" is so that you can find your way back. It's a decent place in a city of beauty -- all right for this price.
The hostel can be booked through the Dubrovnik Youth Service online or via telephone. The hostel owner will pick you up for free at the main harbor and bus station, because the hostel is extremely difficult to find for the first time. (Airport pick-up is also offered for a fee, which is worth it for groups of four to five -- otherwise you can take the Atlas bus to the bus depot and get picked-up from there.)
The hostel sits towards the top of the side of a hill. Then down the hill it's a straight shot to a beach and neither the bus station or old town are out of walking distance. There is a large Konsum (supermarket) at the bottom of the hill, while smaller local stores offer a shorter upward hall.
The dorms vary in size, but nothing too big. Some don't even have bunk beds. The rooms aren't completely spotless, but we didn't run into any roaches, bedbugs, or other undesirable critters. There are two floors of rooms with kitchens and bathrooms. The kitchens are well prepared for your use, and you can even find a spot to stand around and eat outside with a view of the city and ocean. The bathrooms aren't sparkling but they are in fairly clean condition. The shower definitely merits flip-flops.
The owner and his wife are a riot. They are an elderly local couple who live downstairs. While at times the resonance of their cultural differences may be overwhelming to foreigners, they are really well-meaning. If you are there in the summer, be sure to go around the corner into their garden, and although they don't have any bananas, they will surely insist that you try their figs, which are beyond amazing. They will also give you maps showing where "Vila Banana" is so that you can find your way back. It's a decent place in a city of beauty -- all right for this price.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
February 2007
Their Description
Villa Banana Details
|
|
(To add or correct information for this listing, please use the Listing Update Form.)
Map Location/ContactHow is Villa Banana rated on other websites?
Not listed.
Not listed.
Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Best part of my trip! The people who run this little place are absolutely wonderful. When my friend and I stayed in one of the top rooms (amazing view!) for most of a week, we thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the owners -- so much so that when our day trip to Bosnia was canceled, the owner took us there himself! We toured around and ate dinner with his friends at their home -- a truly awesome experience -- and I shed a few tears when we left their hostel. Warm, kind people who will have a conversation about local history can be hard to find. Bring a phrase book and skip the full breakfast but have some brandy in the morning if he offers. — Beth , United States (2011-05-27) Brilliant The owner and his wife are so very helpful and their daughter speaks fluent English. Bit of a stroll to Stari Grad but it'll keep you fit! — Gillbag , Ireland (2009-08-10) Villa Banana means having fun! I have been to Villa Banana with my school class and staying there was great!! It wasn't very luxury and the bathrooms were a bit ugly but the sleeping rooms were ok and the balconies were great because we could sit there all together! I think the beds are good! The breakfast wasn't that great because some spreads was tainted but it even wasn't very expensive. I think Villa Banana is great because you can have fun there!! — Merle , Germany (2009-06-10) Terrible As they speak no English at all, it is easy to find all the problems we got. The transfer from the airport was not to the house, but to a road five minutes' walking downhill with our luggage. The bathrooms were anything but clean, and the rooms are fully packed with old beds, although not as dirty as the bathrooms.
Food is a quite personal matter, but we were eleven people and we all disliked it.
It is not twenty minutes from the city center, but a downhill trip. Coming back takes more time, since it's a never ending upstairs climbing. Too bad we found later much better places with a similar price in town. I seriously recommend to look for another much better place for 3 euros more. — Alfonso , Spain (2008-08-20) Couldn't have asked for more we where lucky enough to stay in the top apartment with an ace balcony looking over the old town on the left and the harbour on the right where we could see the sun set over it! the couple and their daughter who run the hostel where wonderful, they could not have done more for us! pick ups and drop offs, food until we could eat no more, beer always available, rooms clean and beds comfy, i can not big this hostel up enough and gave out the details to other travelers as i passed through Croatia. whether a gang of mates or a loved up couple i recommend staying here! — john frost , england (2007-09-15)