We were very excited when we woke up in Split knowing we were off to Brac and the Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa. I don’t know what it is about about resorts and islands, but together, they always seem to equal luxury, relaxation and fun times! We were not disappointed.

The Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa is located in the prime position on the beautiful Croatian island of Brac. Brac itself is one of the most convenient of the Croatian islands to visit as well as one of the most stunning. It is just a quick ferry ride from Split and we were able to take our car. It’s also possible to fly to Brac.

The hotel itself is inbetween Bol – a gorgeous little town – and Zlatni Rat Beach – which has been proclaimed one of the best beaches in Europe. Both places are a short stroll away and it really is the perfect position.

Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa Review

We came to Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa Brac Island hoping for some fun, to see some beautiful spots and relax and that’s exactly what we got.

Our room

We stayed in a superior room which comes with a double bed and a fold out sofa bed which is plenty big enough for both our kids to share.

The room also has a TV, mini bar, wifi, gowns, toiletries and everything else you would expect from a 4 star hotel.

My favourite part of the room was the balcony – we could see out to Zlatni Rat Beach! It was the perfect place to chill.

Facilities

What makes this hotel really stand out for me is not just the ideal beach front location, but all the facilities. There are a lot!

Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa is known for being one of the best wellness and spa hotels in Croatia and their wellness centre is exceptional (read more about that below). For us, however, the family friendly facilities were what interested us most.

We loved the outdoor pool with adjacent kid pool. There were some toys here which kept Mr 3 very happy. There is also an adult animation program which includes water aerobics. S and I enjoyed joining in.

There is an indoor pool as well but given the stunning weather when we were in Brac, we had no reason to want to use it.

There is also a mini club for kids which operates in the mornings. Unfortunately, it operates every day expect Saturday which was the only morning we were at the hotel and not out and about so we didn’t get to try it out.

We did, however, try out the kids’ disco which operates in the evening at the onsite nightclub. S had fun having a dance with the staff.

There is a playground for kids as well as indoor activities which I have never seen in a hotel before – a bowling alley and indoor golf!

The hotel is next to two other Bluesun hotels and the area around the beach contains several other restaurants and bars from the Bluesun chain including one on the beach that looked idyllic.

You can also book tours through the hotel and we did an excellent half day tour taking in the sites of Brac which we recommend. More details to come in our next article as well as all our other suggestions of what to do while you are in Brac.

As a hotel guest, we also received the hotel passport which contained discounts to Stina Winery, Thalasso Wellness and some restaurants.

Thalasso Wellness

One of the massive pluses of staying at the Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa is this massive wellness centre which is located inside the hotel. At 4,000m2 with saunas, treatment rooms, a water world and a relaxation zone, there are plenty of fabulous choices.

During our stay, both J and I enjoyed using the facilities here. We both had Madagaskar massages which I have never heard of, but it sounded different so I thought I would give it a go! I am glad I did. It was super relaxing and just perfect for my travel weary bones.

Next up, I did something else I have not done before – I used the facilities in the “Wellness & Spa oasis”. This area has a range of saunas, small pools and a fabulous relaxation zone. I loved going between the different areas and found out that going from a hot sauna to an ice pool is actually awesome and not as crazy as I thought it sounded! If I didn’t have kids, I would have spent all day here!

I walked out feeling the most relaxed I ever have. I also lost the cold I had started to get before I walked in. Extra bonus!

You don’t have to be a hotel guest to visit the Thalasso Wellness, but it will give you a 10% discount. I found the prices incredibly reasonable especially as 3 hours in the wellness and spa oasis is only 90 kuna. More information here.

Meals

You can choose whether to have a full or half board package at the hotel or just eat breakfasts. We went with the full board package which worked out very well.

Each meal time we had an entire buffet of fresh, good food to choose from. I was in vegetarian heaven again with multiple choices. We particular enjoyed all the vegetables and probably ate better here than we have the rest of the time in Europe.

The kids always love getting to choose from a buffet so meal times were a big hit. My only criticism is that getting a waiter’s attention to order drinks could be crazy difficult.

Our verdict

Brac was definitely one of our highlights in Europe. It is a fabulous mix of some things to do (but not too many so there’s time to chill), gorgeous scenery and just being a lovely place to sit still and enjoy the fact that you are on a stunning Croatian island.

I have no doubt that staying at the Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa is what made our stay on Brac so perfect. It is a lovely, easy place to be which helped us chill and relax when we weren’t out and about. Being able to do a great tour through the hotel, so that we could also see more of Brac, and the awesome relaxation provided at Thalasso Wellness were just the icing on the cake.

There are not many places in Europe that I expect to come back too – Europe is so far from Australia and there is so much to see. However, Brac and the Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa is somewhere I definitely plan to return one day.

You can find more information about Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa here or check out the latest prices here.

We were guests of the Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa. As always, my views are my own.

Tags:  Accommodation Croatia Travel Blog