Hotel Catarro

Hotel Catarro is in a prime location on the main square of the historic town of Kotor - just don't plan on any early nights.

The hotel was recently opened (2006) as a conversion from a Napoleonic theatre and an old Venetian palace. You can eat breakfast on a small terrace with a fabulous view over the town square and mountains behind, or in the rather grander surroundings of the main restaurant. Although the outside retains the original character of the buildings, the inside has been extensively refurbished. It is decorated to a good standard and well maintained, but the decor feels a little artificial and heavy, and any original features have been lost.

A double room was spacious and long - most rooms are in the old palace that faces the square and the building itself is quite narrow. One oddity was that the large television was placed on the wall at right angles to the bed - not ideal for a habitual bedtime TV watcher. The bathroom was well fitted out and convenient, with the exception of rather low water pressure - which is possibly the same for other hotels in the old town.

The breakfast included with the nightly rate was good and the terrace is definitely the place to eat if you can. The reception staff were also helpful in English.

Guests should be aware that the squares of Kotor have an active bar culture, in which music is played as loudly as possible in an apparent effort to attract guests. During the week, bars are supposed to close around 11pm, and at weekends 1am. In the main square, a nightclub situated adjacent to the hotel is not audible, but the guests are as they emerge throughout the early hours of the morning. The windows of the hotel do not reduce the noise significantly, so if you are a light sleeper or want an early night, think carefully before staying anywhere near one of Kotor's squares. This would also apply to several other hotels in the centre of the old town.