Where to stay in Herceg Novi, from Igalo to Kumbor

Herceg Novi isn’t a compact town but a long ribbon of coast from Igalo to Kamenari, so picking a hotel here is mostly a matter of picking a stretch. The tourist board lists 42 hotels in the municipality, from small family-run places to luxury resorts. Here they are by area, with what each one gives you.

Old town and Igalo, for doing it all on foot

On a first visit, this is my pick. You can walk up to the fortresses, have the promenade for dinner and the Škver boats to Luštica on your doorstep. In Igalo, at the end of the promenade, is the Palmon Bay, a four-star with 204 rooms and suites, a private beach and a 500 m² spa with a mineral-water pool, according to its website. Next door is the Igalo Institute, a hotel-cum-rehabilitation centre using mud since 1949, the one to choose if you’re coming for treatment.

Njivice, beach and pool for families

Njivice has the Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi, until recently plain Iberostar Herceg Novi, with direct access to a private beach, a pool, four bars and a kids’ club split by age. It’s a classic family beach-holiday hotel, a little way from the old town, though its website mentions a daily water taxi into the centre.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Herceg Novi on Expedia and filter by area before price.

Meljine, Kumbor and the bay shore

Towards Kotor, in Meljine, the Lazure Hotel & Marina pairs a boutique hotel in a renovated 18th-century building with residences, restaurants and a wellness centre. Further on, at Kumbor, is the Portonovi resort, spread over 26 hectares of shoreline with its own marina, pools and a sandy beach club, according to the tourist board. Within it is the One&Only Portonovi, the most luxurious hotel in the municipality, with a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating according to its website. Kumbor also has the Carine Hotel Kumbor, 9 km from the clock tower and on its own beach, and Bijela and Kamenari have boutique hotels by the water.

Mamula, a night in a fortress

The most unusual option is the island of Mamula, whose 19th-century fort has become a five-star hotel with 32 rooms, open from May to October and reached only by boat or helicopter. By the entrance, a memorial gallery recalls that the island was a prison in both world wars. For me it makes sense as a one or two-night treat; for a week, the isolation would start to tell.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Herceg Novi and pick one that fits your day.

Before you book

Nightly rates shift with every date, so I leave them out. The fixed cost is the municipal tourist tax, added to your room bill and paid only by those aged 12 and over. If you’re still deciding between Herceg Novi, Kotor and Budva, my comparison is in where to stay in Montenegro.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Herceg Novi on Booking.com and filter by area before price.