The Palace Portorož, the hotel where the empire's aristocracy danced

A Belle Époque hotel

The tourist board describes it as the oldest hotel in Portorož, with an Art Nouveau façade and a large park in front. The garden, with its pond and benches, is right in the centre, and the hotel’s Forma Viva café serves coffee and desserts overlooking it. Inside, the Crystal Hall was famous for the gala balls of the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy in the early 20th century. It keeps its original chandeliers from 1910, now hosts breakfast and is the favourite room for weddings and galas, with space for 350 people.

Palace or Kempinski?

The name needs clearing up. The tourist board’s listings now call it Palace Portorož, but in some offers and web addresses it still appears as Kempinski Palace Portorož, the name many people search for.

Spa, pools and private beach

It is a five-star with the Rose Spa, offering treatments, saunas and massages, indoor and outdoor saltwater pools and a private beach. It has private parking with electric car charging, family suites, and accepts pets by arrangement and for a fee. On 18 September 2026 the Michelin Guide added it to its recommended hotels in Slovenia, though not among those holding a Michelin Key.

For meetings and celebrations there are more than eleven rooms, some with six-metre ceilings, private dining rooms and a top-floor terrace over the Adriatic, plus the historic park for outdoor events of up to 250 guests.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Portorož before prices climb.

Sophia, Fleur de Sel and the café

Sophia, the fine-dining restaurant, occupies the hotel’s former lobby, with original stone columns, grand chandeliers and a fireplace, and is dedicated to Sophia Loren. It serves Mediterranean cooking with Italian and French influences and Istrian ingredients, and, according to the tourist board, it is recognised by the Michelin Guide. Fleur de Sel, on the M floor, mixes Istrian and international dishes, has a terrace over the bay and serves dinner Thursday to Monday, between 5pm and 11pm. The lobby bar, the Palace Club, opens daily from 5pm to 1am, with live piano. Diners at both restaurants park free in the hotel garage, which makes an evening out here easy even if you are staying elsewhere on the coast, in Piran or Izola, and come only for dinner.

If you are looking at other places to stay in the area, I compare them in hotels in Piran, and for eating out beyond the hotel, see where to eat in Piran.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Palace Portorož and choose by the reviews.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Portorož before prices climb.