HIDDEN GUEST: Vitality Hotel Punta

Since our last visit, the property has been fully restored and has built a loyal clientele. As early as Austro-Hungarian times, Lošinj Island was one of the most revered climate resorts across the eastern Adriatic. Thanks to its exceptionally mild climate, pure air and beneficial combination of sea and thick pine trees, the island gained acclaim primarily as a place to cure respiratory diseases. Although the health resort tradition has largely faded, the most important part remains: a unique microclimate. Vitality Hotel Punta sits on the edge of the scenic Veli Lošinj, the slightly more remote and lesser-known brother of the better-known, touristy, and lively Mali Lošinj.

The hotel’s location, overlooking the sea and embraced by Mediterranean greenery, is easily one of its trump cards. Even minutes after arriving, it becomes obvious why Lošinj earned the nickname “vitality island”.

Views of Kvarner Bay, abundant verdant thickets, and remoteness from the everyday hustle and bustle create an environment that naturally encourages rest, regeneration, and wellbeing. Needless to say, holidaygoers especially appreciate this kind of location. Still, incentive groups should take note. We find the resort’s position, combined with its rich wellness offering, ideal for programmes focused on relaxation, vitality, and connecting attendees.

From the perspective of international guests, accessibility is likely the hotel’s greatest drawback. The closest airport is on Krk Island and offers some budget airline connections; alternatively, guests can fly to airports in Pula, Zagreb, and Ljubljana. Arriving at Lošinj thus takes somewhat longer and requires more planning, as the journey usually includes a ferry ride. For incentive groups, the path itself can become part of the experience. If you weave the ferry ride into the programme’s dramaturgy to turn it into a narrative, the seeming logistical flaw can become a memorable part of the experience. An additional advantage is the nearly finished cycling trail to Mali Lošinj. Guests can also rent bicycles, while electric car drivers can count on electric charging stations. While getting here takes some time, the journey to one of Kvarner’s most stunning islands is not only a necessary part of the trip, but an experience in and of itself.

Vitality Hotel Punta was thoroughly renovated in 2012, when it was conceptually redesigned as a vitality resort. Over the years, the resort expanded and refreshed its offerings with a facelift. Despite high occupancy and signs of wear and tear, the exterior remains pavilion-like, with a toned-down facade that blends gracefully into the pine forest and surrounding landscape. The seafront side is more striking, as the voluminous poolside terraces stand out in contrast.

The concept continues inside, where natural colour tones with lavender details dominate the decor.

The unmistakable scent of lavender also permeates the air. Perhaps the most striking renovation in recent years is the revamp of the wellness area, helmed by Andrija Rusan and Nikolina Mikuličić, who were awarded the BIG SEE Interior Design Award. Undulating yellow-hued glass panels, dark ceilings, black mosaic tiles, and terrazzo tiles create a recognisable atmosphere, paired with lighting designer Dean Skira. Even though the hotel may not be an architectural icon, it oozes a sense of holistic unity that lets nature do the talking. After fourteen years, it is doing surprisingly well, especially since the hotel is almost always full.

The hotel is booked year-round, so the reception staff is often under strain. Consequently, the first impression often depends on the current mood and diligence of individual staff members. We believe the hotel has room to improve in welcoming guests and delivering consistent service. Nevertheless, the staff is harmonious, professional and effective. After a long and intense summer season, we felt some staff were drained of energy, although this usually should not affect the guest experience. We were, however, greatly impressed by the wellness centre staff, who take pride in doing their work professionally.

Given the size of the hotel, we couldn’t help but feel that the buffet breakfast resembled an enormous hotel canteen. Despite this, the selection of dishes was surprisingly diverse for a hotel of this category. Dishes are labelled exceptionally well, and part of the food is dedicated to gluten-intolerant guests and those adopting a healthier lifestyle. We must also praise how the work is delegated. Although the hotel was fully booked, the staff removed plates swiftly and unobtrusively and replenished them continuously.

We would still recommend incentive organisers to arrange or privatise a separate area of the vast restaurant for their attendees’ breakfast.

That way, their group will enjoy breakfast in a more private and pleasant atmosphere. The bistro adjoining the pool offers a rather classic selection of Adriatic dishes. We were pleasantly surprised by the exceptionally rich selection of freshly prepared smoothies, which pairs well with the hotel’s story. Although the cuisine revolves around the Mediterranean kitchen, it is well complemented by healthy, macrobiotic, and locally inspired dishes. This way, the central concept of vitality continues on the plates.

Hotel rooms

We stayed in a standard double room facing the sea. One of its greatest assets is the balcony, which partly overlooks the sea, optically enlarging the room and giving it a sense of openness. The room is also spacious and comfortable for longer stays. The walnut-toned wooden details on the walls have stood the test of time well, but the flooring could use a touch-up. The lavender-coloured couch and small club table are cute additions that still look fresh and follow the hotel’s colour palette. We also thought the illumination was refined, ensuring pleasant ambient and effective light. The bathroom, also daubed in various shades of lavender, is flawless: clean, functional and well-maintained. Everything meets the level one expects of a hotel in this category. A quality bed and bed linen ensure guests wake up restored, which is almost mandatory for a hotel that champions vitality. Although the hotel will need to focus on partly refreshing the decor in coming years, the room is also functional for business guests. Overall, our impression of the room remains positive.

Meetings centre

The greatest asset within Vitality Hotel Punta’s congress offering is the intertwinement of business content with nature, sports and wellness. Meetings, conferences and educational sessions can be easily enriched with relaxation, wellbeing and vitality programmes. The hotel offers three conference halls: Aula Punta, with 110 square metres, can accommodate up to 72 attendees in a theatre setting; Stilla, with 115 square metres, can accommodate 80 participants; and Maris Hall, the largest, can seat up to 270 attendees in a theatre setting or 320 participants for standing receptions. Both Stilla and Maris are flooded with natural daylight. All three halls feature modern conference AV and can be adapted to an event’s specifications. Punta is designed not only to host smaller events, but also to support mid-sized conferences. For large-scale events, Hotel Aurora is a better pick. Vitality Hotel Punta’s niche is executive meetings, incentive programmes, and events that combine work, privacy, and active leisure time. The world-class tennis centre and Ljubičić Tenis Academy are another ace up the hotel’s sleeve. There, event organisers can host entrepreneurial tournaments, training sessions, or programmes designed to bolster team spirit.

DESSERT – The extras

Guests’ wellbeing is at the core of the entire hotel concept. Vitality Centre & Spa spans 5,400 square metres, combining indoor and outdoor pools with saltwater, saunas, nine rooms for massages and treatments, a modern fitness area, yoga pavilions, and spa consultancy. Croatia’s Best Wellness Retreat 2025 title, won at the World Spa Awards for the fifth year in a row, attests to the quality of the offer. This diverse additional offering has driven a spike in incentive programme organisers to Punta.

The sea, pine trees, walking trails, tennis academy, watersports and an extensive wellness offering create an ideal environment for programmes that go beyond classic business events.

Event organisers can connect the business part with movement, relaxation and regeneration. Punta thus seems ideal for incentive programmes focused on health, wellbeing and strengthening brand culture and spirit.

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES

The hotel’s corridors are a special chapter, as if time stopped there. Because of the complex’s size and branching layout, they feel long and soulless. With better lighting, branding, signage, and elements connected to nature and vitality, the corridors could become a memorable part of the hotel experience. The older parts of the complex also need a revamp. Compared to the renovated hotel and wellness rooms, they appear somewhat forgotten.

Given the hotel’s scale and guest numbers, we believe it needs more coffee machines at breakfast. Waiting for a morning dose of caffeine mars the otherwise well-organised breakfast.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES

Together with its abutting apartment complex, Vitality Hotel Punta offers nearly 400 accommodation units. It can thus easily host larger incentive groups. This is a salient advantage for companies and brands that often struggle to find a location with enough rooms, adaptable spaces and diverse accompanying programmes. Punta combines all this in one space, enabling more complex incentive programmes.

SUSTAINABLE ENDEAVOURS

At first glance, the hotel’s sustainability efforts are not in the limelight. Upon closer inspection, though, Jadranka systematically tackles this aspect of hospitality. Vitality Hotel Punta’s sustainability philosophy is built on caring for guests’ well-being, treating the surrounding environment responsibly, and adapting offerings to guests with special dietary or medical requirements. It also boasts the international ECARF – Allergy-Friendly Quality Tested certificate, which confirms that the hotel caters food, hygienic products, spaces, and services with guests with allergies in mind. We must praise their initiative to treat food responsibly, proudly set at the entrance to the hotel restaurant. Given the size and scale of the buffet offering, reducing food waste is paramount. We had hoped the sustainable measures would be presented with more visibility, and more reasonably and holistically. Evidently, the hotel is doing much more in sustainability than the guests notice during their stay. Better communication of measures and results would doubtless help sustainability become a recognisable part of the hotel’s identity.

CREATIVITY

In a hotel of this category and type, functionality takes precedence over distinct designer and experience wow elements. That is why we cannot single out one room or design solution as the most creative. The hotel is much more creative in designing guest programmes. It thoughtfully connects wellness, guided exercise, yoga, outdoor activities, tennis programmes and walks beside the sea. Guests can enjoy this content actively, transparently and unobtrusively. Vitality Hotel Punta’s creativity shows not in its image, but in how it blends its classic hotel offering with health, movement, and the concept of vitality.

Some hotels are essential for a destination that wants to bid seriously for a range of event types. Vitality Hotel Punta has a proven spot on the conference map. It is best equipped to host incentive groups, leadership meetings, and events where business meets sports, relaxation, and wellbeing. The hotel doesn’t pretend to be more than it is. It is a decent four-star hotel, with ample accommodation and a truly diverse range of additional offerings. For many clients, that combination is more than enough. For others, the Jadranka hotel chain offers better alternatives.

The natural environment here has an almost therapeutic effect, overlooking the sea on one side and pine trees on the other. In between, a hotel has consistently built its identity around health and vitality.

Herein lies its most compelling story. We recommend event organisers arrange all the details, bits, and bobs well in advance. The hotel is also well booked in the off-season. The prices have become rather high, too. Vitality Hotel Punta shows that vitality can be an excellent foundation for a business event’s dramaturgy.

FINAL GRADE: 4.79 TWO MEETING STARS⭐⭐ Resort Meeting Hotel 

3 MEETING STARS⭐⭐⭐ final score from 4.81 to 5.00
2 MEETING STARS⭐⭐ final score from 4.61 to 4.80
1 MEETING STAR⭐ final score from 4.41 to 4.60