Port 9 Island Family Resort

First time using Jetline hols and have to admit that this was not our first choice of hotel. After reading the very mixed reviews, it goes without saying that it was the location and positives in them that led us to book and find out for ourselves just what Port 9 was like and if we would encounter some of the negatives.... We hope this open and honest review will help others to make their own minds up. Our trip was made end of last September. Yes, the transfer from Dubrovnik is a long one, but at midday it was by enlarge, very scenic and we feel, worth it. The ferry crossing was very short and I don’t think the the coach barely got out of second gear the other end before reaching Port 9. Following around 15 mins in a queue, check in for us was both courteous and informative and by using the provided resort map, we were soon at our “Superior” room in “Petral” block. It was clean & contemporary, had ample fluffy towels, toiletries, a comfortable bed and a fridge stocked up with the usual snacks/ soft drinks and a price list. It also had a balcony which faced towards the bay but unfortunately we couldn’t see it because of the overgrown trees. Big shame but nothing a little “thinning out of branches” wouldn’t fix. A nice touch was some small essential oil samples and some little fresh local cakes. This is not just a hotel, it’s a resort with a big footprint and housing if I remember correctly, 5 hotel room blocks, lots of self catering apartments, a spread out Caravan/ camping area on tiered levels, 2 main restaurants and a couple of 1930’s Villas. You don’t have to scratch too much under the surface to see tell tale signs that the main blocks were built circa 70’s but have recently been fully refurbed from the shell upwards. The main pool and surrounding area including the big terrace off of both restaurants was almost certainly part of the refurb. Location and views are undoubtedly superb, so is the walk into town which for us was a pleasant 25 ish min stroll and well worth it if you like to explore. During our stay, the finishing touches were being put to a kerbed block type pavement and bright L.E.D. lighting once round the end of the bay by the fire station. Nothing to do with the hotel but worth a mention. We were pleasantly surprised by the h/b buffet food, we found something nice to have every day. There was in our opinion, a reasonable amount of healthy eating options at breakfast and some of the grill offerings in the evenings, fish, steak and prawns to mention a few, were all very good. The restaurant did however have a bit of a squeezed in “Ikea cafe” feel with “tinny” acoustics to the point that you could hardly hear yourself speak when busy. Most of our meals were taken “al fresco” along with the lovely views but were often sadly spoilt by a minority of inconsiderate smokers puffing away, totally oblivious of those non smokers around them. Judging by the amount of dirty looks they were getting and people simply picking up their meals and moving elsewhere if space was available, then maybe it’s something the management could consider taking a look at. Wether that be a ban on smoking around eating areas or a separate one for smokers to eat in/smoke in? It’s a shame that tea, coffee, juices and drinking water that were all in abundance at breakfast were nowhere to be seen in the evenings, not even drinking water. Surely the least they could offer is water, tea and coffee with dinner at this “4*” rated establishment? It was available to order, at extra cost. We did ask a couple of waiters the question why and got answers ranging from a shrug of the shoulders to “not policy” Neither it would appear are tea trays in the room but have to add that a limited amount of kettles (only) are available from reception by request and first come, first served. We were too late come day 3. Here is our take on the drinks, are they expensive? well, I can vouch that they certainly are not cheaper than the the average pub in the south east of the U/K. I’m pretty certain that we were not the only ones feeling this way because considering the fact we were told that the hotel was full on arrival, none of the open bars, ever seemed to be busy. It didn’t take too long to find out why because as other reviews have mentioned, the big supermarket a short stroll away was doing a roaring trade in alcohol sales (and kettles) to guests of Port 9! Most people (inc us) like a drink when on holiday and expect to pay a bit more for the privilege if drinking in a hotel. During our stay, a LOT of people were taking pre and post dinner drinks on their balconies and who can blame them when the same bottle of beer is approx a third of the price it is in the hotel and a litre of very drinkable Vodka for example was around £9. Judging by all the comments on the price of alcohol at Port 9, it’s something the owners/ Management either don’t care about OR maybe have shares in the supermarket opposite! One thing is for sure and that is the fact that you don’t have to be a genius to work out that certainly during our weeks stay, they lost out on quite a bit of revenue. The answer I would have thought, is simple. If they lowered their prices considerably, they would adopt the “ smaller profit, larger turnover model. Hey-Ho their continued loss.... Yes, despite the ambient midday temp of around 25c, the main pool was rather nippy on entry, it was sparkling clean along with the surrounding areas but perilously slippery when wet. We did witness one poor woman taking a tumble down some steps by the pool one morning after a downpour. She got away with some nasty bruises. Unfortunately it was the same woman who slipped again coming down some different steps at the end of the afternoon except this time she ended up being carted off to hospital, just what you don’t need and at the very least, whilst on holiday. Admittedly this was about half an hour or so after a rain shower and there was the odd sign about, “Slippery When Wet” but I expect this may be a regular occurrence after rain or simply through pool use when very busy. Having a mop/bucket/squeegee on hand for staff to clear standing water in “slip hazard areas” maybe a good practice to adopt when these conditions arise. If that’s not possible, then maybe get some non slip strips applied to the steps? The small beach is mainly pebbles, as is the very gradual sloping entry to the sea which incidentally, was a little bit warmer than the pool. The comments on wearing “Jellies or wet shoes” are warranted. Sun beds and towels were always available, wether you chose to be around the main pool area, the tiered decking to the side of the steps leading to the beach or the extensive concreted area to the left of the beach where there are some steps to get in/out of the sea. We were told on check in that as it is the end of season, we would not be asked to pay for the sun beds. The hotel is out on a limb and I’m not too sure why or how they get away with charging for the use of them in the first place, unless of course you are not a hotel guest? They are free to use around the pool and surrounding areas but not on the beach as we found out one day when the pool attendant asked some guests to pay. He was met by refusals and some colourful language by most and gave up in the end. I felt a bit sorry for him to be honest, could be a communication problem there from management? We hired a car for a day from the company at the hotel. The lady there was very helpful with planning a route for us to best explore the Island, it was advice we were happy to take and even managed to locate and visit our first choice of hotel in Brna. There was a big wedding at the hotel during our stay, this is where I think the Villas come into play. The restaurant that regular guests were using was shut off and transformed for about 48 hours for the wedding guests only. The second restaurant which was right next door, was opened up for regular guests who were informed by ample signage that a wedding was going to take place and “ Apologies for Any Inconvenience “. We didn’t feel inconvenienced at all and judging by the party that night, it all went very well till around 3am! All staff encountered were courteous and we left not only feeling refreshed and re-charged but also thinking that we had made the right call to stay here with all things considered, inc the price we payed. With the ratings available, it’s not possible but I would like to rate this hotel as Good, it doesn’t in our opinion warrant very good, as there is room for improvement here and some of them would be quite easy to implement. Will the management here take the time to read and digest this review that I have taken the time to compile, who knows. Will they decide to act on any of mine or other peoples frequent comments? Well, maybe when the dreaded Corona Virus has finished taking its toll and people are allowed to travel again, future reviews will surely tell. Would we return to Korcula, definitely as from what we saw, it’s a beautiful island but will probably give our first choice of hotel a try.

The hotel is quite vast in terms of layout with different blocks and a campsite. It has a beautiful little beach just below the pool area which was a fabulous area to relax in. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Breakfast buffet and evening meal were great in terms of variety and the seating area overlooking the sea was an excellent spot to enjoy dining. Just a 10 minute walk into town around the bay or if you prefer you can hop on a taxi boat which run very regularly. Lovely landscaped grounds to enjoy and a most enjoyable holiday.