Gava Waterman Island Cottages

“Secluded, peaceful, beautiful hotel. Amazing staff, perfect holiday.”

Absolutely wonderful stay here. Totally relaxing and peaceful resort. All staff friendly and ultra helpful. We stayed towards the end of the season, which seemed to address lots of the issues raised in other reviews. The food quality was great, good choice, fresh and tasty. I can imagine vegans and… more

Absolutely wonderful stay here. Totally relaxing and peaceful resort. All staff friendly and ultra helpful. We stayed towards the end of the season, which seemed to address lots of the issues raised in other reviews. The food quality was great, good choice, fresh and tasty. I can imagine vegans and vegetarians may struggle but all the meat dishes where so tasty and the meat melted in your mouth. The alcohol selection included in the all inclusive package included a few cocktails and of course no brand names of alcohol or frizzy pop. However I enjoy trying local beer and wine. The wine I would not recommend but thats personal preference. Meals included are breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, icecream and dinner. A packed lunch can be requested if going out for the day, which is great. We didnt find service slow or any other issues with the food. The rooms were very generous in size, bed very comfortable and housekeeping very attentive. I noticed a few areas where a little touch up is needed, but as coming to end of the season thats to be expected. WiFi is free across the site and of very good quality. There are 4 pools, one heated, one infinity, one child and one inside - which was lovely and warm. Inside is also a gym, sauna and stream room. Massages available at an extra cost, which are amazing addition and well worth it, the ladies are very knowledgeable and professionals. Down on the sea, there are options of inflatable, paddle board, boats and swimming all free but with no lifeguard. The sea is absolutely clear and great for snorkeling. There is also a tennis court, football, crazy golf and archery provided free. A small shop is open until 3pm. Which has snacks and gifts to purchase if you want. The hotel has a shuttle bus to Milna which is 4 euro each way or reception can provide you with a taxi number who charge 12 euro. The hotel also offers a trip to the famous beach at Bol for swimming. This is not a sand beach, only large pebbles, but wonderfully clear for swimming. You have the option to book boat trips also, but you need to get to Milna for these (about 30 minutes walk or taxi/bus). You really could spend an entire holiday in the hotel without spending a penny if booked all inclusive. We booked trips with our travel company, so we got to explore more and picked up from reception. We didn't have children with us but the kids club looked great fun. Evening entertainment changed each day, but included lots of audience participation. Our stay was absolutely everything we needed and more, nothing disappointed us but we can imagine during the busy season we wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. This hotel is in a secluded location, giving peaceful settings and blends into nature with the sea and trees (so mosquitos are common). Added value in that if you visit Supetar the sister hotel will allow you to use their facilities and eat in their restaurant. (Buses cheap from Milna).

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“Lovely resort in a great location”

The resort had just opened for the season so was very quiet (which was a good thing!). The facilities were excellent with 3 pools and access to a beach for swimming too. The food was fine, much what you’d expect from an all-inclusive resort. The rooms were a little spartan with not much in th… more

The resort had just opened for the season so was very quiet (which was a good thing!). The facilities were excellent with 3 pools and access to a beach for swimming too. The food was fine, much what you’d expect from an all-inclusive resort. The rooms were a little spartan with not much in the way of soft furnishings but otherwise well equipped. The highlight was the fabulous town of Milna, a 20 minute walk away. The hotel do provide shuttles but at a cost. The walk is lovely. The town has a stunning port and myriad restaurants and bars overlooking the waterfront. We spent many an hour watching the fab boats come and go. There is also a regular ferry service to other islands.

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“In my opion not a great all inclusive hotel”

My Experience at Gava Waterman Milna Resort & Cottages My stay at this resort was unfortunately very disappointing. Positives - Location was beautiful a 20 minute walk into the village we stayed in a deluke bungalow which again was spacious and very modern Pool areas were lovely 3 pools .lots o… more

My Experience at Gava Waterman Milna Resort & Cottages My stay at this resort was unfortunately very disappointing. Positives - Location was beautiful a 20 minute walk into the village we stayed in a deluke bungalow which again was spacious and very modern Pool areas were lovely 3 pools .lots of sunbeds and directly next to the sea with access to kayaks and inflatable items. Staff were really helpul with information and services. Negatives-l Two bar areas both located outside no indoor seating or bar area inside, there was an unbearable odor at the bar area that made sitting in a certain area very uncomfortable. Secondly, the all-inclusive service was not what was promised. Many things were not really included, and guests had to pay extra for drinks, some spirits and soft drinks such as coke and sprite . This was very frustrating because all-inclusive should mean that everything is covered, the cocktails advertised were basically not what you would call a cocktail everything was served in plastic cups the thow away type and there were no straws ever provided. Thirdly, the food was poor in both quality and variety. Was always luke warm or cold . Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were almost always the same, and there were not many options to choose from. It quickly became boring and unsatisfying. Finally, I can say that the value for money was very low. The price I paid for the all-inclusive package was not worth what I received. I expected much better quality in regard to food and drinks . However i felt that the sister hotel in Supetar Hotel Kaktus Brač offered a lot more in regatd to the food options and was much better .We visited and ate there at lunch time on 2 occasions . Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a true all-inclusive experience.

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“Food for thought, but not for dinner”

It's difficult to justify more than three stars for this hotel, even though the rooms, the staff, and the view are all excellent. Despite that, it isn't a 5-star resort. And it's a bit of a struggle to justify 4 too. Harsh? Maybe. Let’s cover the good things: It’s very clean, the room is nice, a… more

It's difficult to justify more than three stars for this hotel, even though the rooms, the staff, and the view are all excellent. Despite that, it isn't a 5-star resort. And it's a bit of a struggle to justify 4 too. Harsh? Maybe. Let’s cover the good things: It’s very clean, the room is nice, and the bed is comfortable. You have to pay more if you want to use the safe in the room. The shower is hot, but the base didn’t feel like it would take the weight of a heavy person, let alone two people – there were no shower shenanigans on this holiday. Not that that’s a reason to knock stars off; I’m just saying... The location is delightful, the views from the restaurant are stunning, and access to the sea is easy. You can also make use of the hotel’s kayaks, paddleboards, and water park. It’s a truly lovely place to go for a swim. There are also three pools, but we didn’t make use of those as, well, the sea is just there. The all-inclusive package gives you access to local beer and some very dubious wine. We stuck mostly to the beer. And three meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or even a takeaway bag if you’re heading out on an excursion. And this is where the venue loses all stars. The food is just a big let-down. I’m not a foodie person, but it was hard to tell which meal was which – you could have roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts at breakfast, along with your macaroni cheese, baked beans, and fried eggs. It really felt as if the kitchen just rolled over the leftovers from each meal service to the next, while preparing a fresh batch of whatever should be that meal’s actual food. The mishmash of different foods made it virtually impossible to put together an actual meal that made sense. It would not be hard to solve this problem. You see, the venue has a sister hotel in nearby Milna, with an excellent food service and menu, and the head chef there used to be the head chef at Gava. Perhaps now would be a good time to get them back for a little training at their old venue, because the food at the M8 Restaurant was delicious. And here’s the next downside to Gava: its nearest town is Milna. If you don’t mind a walk (we don’t) and walk at a good pace (we do), it’s about a 25-minute walk (for others it might be a 40-minute walk). It’s nice in the daytime, but if you’re walking back at night, it’s pitch black and some might be concerned by that. You can get a taxi, but taxis on the island of Brac are expensive – it’s €12 for a less-than-5-minute trip to Milna; €40 for a less-than-15-minute trip to Sutivan (worth a visit). My advice? Take a walk into Milna. Enjoy the restaurants and bars there. Hire a car and explore the island – and the restaurants and bars in other towns. Take a ferry to Split, and enjoy the restaurants and bars there. Do a day boat excursion to the other islands and enjoy the food and drink on offer. I loved the hotel. Loved the staff. Loved the location. Enjoyed the walks to Milna. But much preferred eating elsewhere. Top hack: you get a 10% discount at the M8 Restaurant in the Hotel Osam in Milna if you let them know you're a guest at Gava Waterman.

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