Palača Lešić Dimitri u tiskovinama

With 13 one- to four-bedroom accommodations, Lešić Dimitri Palace, in Korčula Town, the main settlement on the Dalmatian island of the same name, would surely have made world-roving native son Marco Polo very happy to be home. The explorer was allegedly born next door to the hotel—comprising a magnificent fifteenth-century limestone bishop's palace and five neighboring medieval stone cottages—which explains the rooms' exotic place-names: Arabia, Ceylon, China, India, Venice, etc. This sort of themed history would be gimmicky were it not for the fact that this is easily the most beautifully decorated small hotel in Croatia. All rooms except the cozy Ceylon, tucked into a barrel-vaulted stone space where olive oil was once pressed, are spacious, light, and individually decorated with stylish contemporary furniture in mostly ivory tones, and share a common decorative motif: moucharabieh, the intricate patterns of carved wooden Arabic-style screens, sometimes stamped into white-enameled steel, stenciled on plate glass, or carved in wood. Fully air-conditioned, they also come with well-equipped kitchenettes and terrific bathrooms—many with whirlpool baths. There's no bar or restaurant, but the charming concierge Toni Lozica has an insidery address book; he also runs the hotel's small spa as well as its rental sailboats, which make day-trips to neighboring islands. All told, this is a heavenly spot, but make it even better by reserving a room with an outdoor terrace if you come during the summer—and request detailed driving directions and a ferry schedule when you book so that you don't end up doing your own little Marco Polo from the Dubrovnik airport.