Those men in black suits hunkered over a cup of coffee outside the Vestibul Palace Hotel are not waiters on break. They are singers of traditional klapa music relaxing between sets that begin daily at 8:00am. If you are a guest in the hotel, you cannot avoid hearing them because the peal from the St. Domius belltower begins at 6:00 am and has awakened you already!

All of this is oddly calming and appropriate to the setting.

We loved the Vestibul Palace Hotel, named for its proximity to the vestibule inside Diocletian's Palace. Our suite was perfectly sized and nicely appointed; the bed was very comfortable, the personable yet professional and the breakfasts delicious. Fresh juice every morning from the Croatian orange-growing Neretva region was the best I have ever drunk.

Two nights was not enough. I would return in a heartbeat.

We arrived in a downpour, made awkward by the fact that the entrance is hard to find. Frustrated and angry, we were greeted by the friendliest, most accommodating staff you could ask for. They gave us towels to dry off, whisked our luggage to our room and delivered tea to warm up all in the ink of an eye. We've been traveling for a week to three countries so far: this staff was the best. However, the hotel has been carved out of rooms in an old Palace so they are modest in size. You don't need a wake-up call as church bells ring 100 times at 6:00AM (I counted them). And again at 7:00. By 8:00 there's a quartet signing outside. Don't expect to sleep late. Right next to great shopping and good restaurants.

We stayed in room 7 which is the highest room in the hotel with a view over a small square and with the original palace walls in the bedroom. Very neat, beautifully designed hotel in a fantasic location. In the morning we had breakfast outside listening to a male a capello group. More than the location, it was really the superb staff that made it a very enjoyable visit. From the time we called to reserve a room to the time we departed, every member of staff was professional, courteous, engaging and helpful no matter what our request was. For example they organised a private tour of the city with an historian called Dino which we would highly recommend. We had a peek into room 6 and this is a large split level room which is also beautifully designed. If you can afford it and it is available then you should get it. Overall an amazing place to stay. We got an excellent rate as it was the end if season