One of Dubrovnik's most recognisable hotels is back. Villa Argentina has reopened its doors after an extensive renovation covering more than 10,000 square metres, and it has done so with a new badge of honour: membership of The Leading Hotels of the World, a collection of over 450 independent luxury properties in more than 80 countries.
The reopening also completes a bigger picture. Together with its sister property Villa Orsula, the complex now offers 109 rooms and suites, positioning it firmly at the top end of Croatia's hospitality market. Adriatic Luxury Hotels, which runs the property, describes the project as one of the most demanding historic hotel renovations in the region — a long-term bet on Dubrovnik's status as one of Europe's premium destinations.
What makes the renovation interesting is how much of the old building survived it. The centrepiece is a restored 1967 mosaic, Dubrovačke varijacije, by celebrated Croatian painter Ivo Dulčić, which has been returned to its original spot in the wellness area. Interiors lean on Dubrovnik's architectural traditions, using natural stone and wood with carefully placed colour accents. The famous Mediterranean gardens were treated as heritage too: around 14,000 plants were integrated into the landscaping, and local stone uncovered during construction was reused across the complex rather than discarded.
The design pedigree is solid. Zagreb-based studio 3LHD led the architecture and interior design, working with Milan's Dimore Studio on soft furnishings and decorative elements — a pairing that aims to layer contemporary Croatian design over the hotel's mid-century character rather than erase it.
For travellers, this matters for a simple reason: Dubrovnik's old town and its surroundings are famously short on genuine luxury stock with real history, and much of what exists sells out months ahead in summer. A reopened 109-room property with direct views of the city walls and the Adriatic gives visitors another serious option — one that sits within walking distance of the historic centre while offering the gardens and calm that the walled city itself lacks. The wellness area, home to the restored Dulčić mosaic, adds a spa-focused angle that pairs well with Croatia's shoulder-season appeal, when the crowds thin but the sea and weather still cooperate.
If you've been putting off a Dubrovnik trip because of overtourism headlines, the trick is timing and base. Staying at a restored property like this one, just outside the walls, lets you enjoy the old town early in the morning and retreat to quiet gardens by afternoon — arguably the best way to experience one of the Mediterranean's most photographed cities.
