Thoughts on the Regent Esplanade in Zagreb, Croatia from Hotel Maven Maureen:

Had such a positive hotel experience that I thought I'd share it with you:

My stay last week at the Regent Esplanade in Zagreb was surprisingly comfortable and pleasant. The hotel was recently and beautifully refurbished (it is actually not as cluttered and stuffy as it looks on the websites).

My superior room was light and spacious, a well thought-out room layout made it a very comfortable place to work in. A really good shower, as was the case here, is always a big plus but for those that want more the hotel offers a full `bath menu' letting you call housekeeping to run you a bath with your preferred scents.

Only minor drawback for women traveling: the hotel toiletries, as so often, are of very good quality but the scent is male oriented....

The service was friendly, unobtrusive and impeccable throughout the hotel, making this traveler really feel at home.

But much as I enjoyed the hotel its restaurant was the biggest surprise. The `wow' effect starts with a very interesting menu and the kitchen lives up fully to the expectations raised by the menu. The ingredients are impeccably fresh and preparations are imaginative but not fussy. Without a doubt the best hotel dining experience I've had in recent years.

[Photo: Dweymouth]