Villa Nai 3.3

Style

Rock chic

Setting

Olive-peppered isle

Attention, budding troglodytes: you’ve struck oil. Olive oil, that is. Welcome to the eight-room wonder that is Villa Nai 3.3, conceived by renowned Croatian architect Nikola Bašić, whose design seems to have coaxed this luxury abode out of the very rock of Dugi Otok island. The ancient family-owned grove that stands here has won multiple gold awards for its olive oil (available to buy in pleasing little bottles), making it a top spot for a tasting. Spacious guest rooms look onto olive grove or Adriatic, plus acres of star-scattered sky at night, and private terraces beneath sail-like awnings have you believing you’re on deck rather than land. Nature’s got you truly surrounded, so immerse yourself in Villa Nai’s envelope-pushing, rock-bred design, like the luxury cave dweller you were always destined to be.

Facilities

Rooms

Eight rooms, including three suites.

Checkout

12pm, earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates include breakfast, served in the 3.3 restaurant and prepared using local goat milk, cheese and yoghurt, garden-fresh fruit and veg, breads and pastries.

Also

The common areas and rooms are located on one level and are accessible for guests with reduced mobility, but note that there are some steps to negotiate down to the pool and tennis court.

Hotel Closed

13 January to 5 March

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Garden, free WiFi, laundry service, cigar lounge, smoking terrace, boutique. In rooms: air conditioning, TV, minibar, coffee machine, Dammann Freres tea, homemade olive leaves tea, kettle, free bottled water, safe, beach bag with flip flops and beach towels, Diptyque bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

If you’d only shown us the ‘room’ category at Villa Nai 3.3, we would have rated it at suite-level for spaciousness, especially when taking into account the terrace leading out through floor-to-ceiling glass doors. But then we saw the suites, with their canopied four posters, fireplaces and glam living rooms and we were hooked. The rooms are individually decorated, but all keep to the same idea: natural pinks, beiges and terracottas, exposed stone evoking an upscale grotto hideaway, Italian furniture courtesy of Giorgetti injecting some mid-century-modern flair, and super-soft Frette towels and linens. Generously sized bathrooms all come with large soaking tubs and walk-in showers plus thoughtful extra touches, such as adjustable mirrors to suit guests of all heights.

Poolside

There’s a 23-metre saltwater infinity pool with sun loungers outside, easily accessible from the guest room terraces. There’s a smaller indoor saltwater pool in the spa. There’s also a private section of beach with a little jetty.

Spa

Inside the light-filled spa, you can choose a scent for your Finnish-style sauna session, then relax in the sunken saltwater pool or take a breather in the outdoor relaxation area. There’s a treatment room for all sorts of wellbeing-boosting treats, where your skin can feel the benefits of the famous olive oil and paste made from the fruits of the grove outside. Choose from Balinese and Thai massages, cold plasma skin treatments, and more. There’s a small outdoor gym area with stationary bike, elliptical machine and yoga mats for your open-air sun salutations, plus one clay tennis court.

Packing Tips

A travel telescope for some night-sky ogling, or a stargazing app to help you pick out constellations.

Children

Villa Nai 3.3 welcomes guests starting from 12 years of age for individual room bookings. For full buyouts of all eight rooms, children of any age are welcome.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Sit out on the expansive terrace with its sweeping views over olive grove and sea. If the weather isn’t playing ball, a dining room table by the full-length windows is the next best thing.

Dress Code

Well-cut linen and a wide-brimmed hat.

Hotel Restaurant

Santosh Yadav is the chef in charge of both restaurants at the hotel. 3.3 is the fine-dining venue, with an à la carte menu of contemporary Dalmatian dishes crafted with the famous olive oil and all-organic seasonal produce. There’s also a tasting menu of seven courses, each paired with a fine Croatian wine. The elegant dining room seats 22 people at tables laid with linens. On the other side of the glass doors, there’s a huge terrace dining area, possibly the nicest vantage point at the hotel. You can enjoy breakfast here from 8am to noon, and dinner from 5pm to 11pm.

Grotta 11000 is the more rustic dinner option (open 5pm to 11pm), serving local goat meat, fish and seafood fresh from the Adriatic sea, and vegetables from the organic garden, all prepared on an open-air wood fire and served in an enclosed, grotto-like terrace.

Hotel Bar

From 3.3, move past the 70s-reminiscent decorative screen of circular motifs to the relaxed Lobby Bar (open 8am to 1am). This is the place to start your day with an organic coffee, settle in at apéro hour for a signature Olivetto cocktail crafted with Nai 3.3 olive oil (of course), or spend an evening familiarising yourself with the Croatian wine list. Choose a comfy Giorgetti armchair or make your way out to the bar’s separate terrace.

Last Orders

11pm.

Room Service

Room service is available from 8am to 11pm from the restaurant menu.

Planes

Zadar airport is approximately 55 minutes away. Private transfers (consisting of limousine and speed boat travel) are available starting at €500 each way. If you’re getting yourself to Zaglav or Žman port by ferry or catamaran, the hotel can pick you up for free – just book your transfer in advance. Alternatively, there are connecting flights from Split airport and a direct car and boat transfer can be organised ahead of time.

Automobiles

There’s free valet parking on site, although you’re likely to be arriving on Dugi Otok by boat. A private car isn’t essential for your stay.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Olive oil tasting sessions are a year-round affair and a prime reason to visit. Time your stay right, and you can join in the olive harvest, too. You can get to know the Dugi Otok terrain by hiking and biking, or explore the coastline by sailing, snorkelling or scuba diving your way around its waters, discovering its bays, coves and beaches. There are also several national parks for nature-bound day trips, including boating spot Kornati National Park, a collection of unspoiled islands dotted with the occasional hill fort, and rich in indigenous wildlife and plants. See the saltwater lake and cliffs of Telašćica Nature Park, the birdlife and waterfalls of Krka National Park, or the mountain slopes and beech forests of Paklenica National Park. Round off your adventures with an off-shore fishing trip and learn to hook your own tuna.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .