Picolo recommends · Hotel in Split, Croatia
Hotel Vestibul Palace
Wake up between walls the Romans built, with the domed hall where the emperor once greeted visitors just outside your door.
Step out of the door and the Vestibule is right there: a round hall open to the sky, once the formal entrance to Emperor Diocletian's residence. The hotel has been fitted into the old structure around it, so in several rooms the wall behind the bed is Roman masonry.
That is the point of staying here. You have the palace almost to yourself before the day-trippers arrive and again after they leave, when the lanes go quiet and the stone holds the warmth of the afternoon. Service is personal, as you would expect from a house this small.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose Hotel Vestibul Palace
We chose Vestibul Palace as the romantic choice in Split. Few hotels anywhere let you sleep inside a Roman emperor's palace, and here you also get good rooms, attentive service and the old town at its quietest, early and late.
Space is the trade-off. There are only a handful of rooms, none of them large, and there is no pool. The beach means a walk or a bus, and summer evenings in the palace are anything but silent.
What you get
- Rooms built into Roman walls
- Personal service in a small house
- A handful of rooms
- The Peristyle a few steps away
- Cafés on the palace squares outside
A day at Hotel Vestibul Palace
- Morning
- A walk through the empty palace lanes before the tour groups arrive.
- Midday
- Lunch in the old town, then a rest out of the heat.
- Afternoon
- A swim at Bačvice, a short walk east of the palace walls.
- Evening
- A seat on the Peristyle steps while singers fill the Vestibule with sound.
Location
Diocletian's Palace, Split, Croatia
Open in MapsQuestions about Hotel Vestibul Palace
Is Hotel Vestibul Palace inside Diocletian's Palace?
Yes. The hotel sits within the palace walls next to the Vestibule, so you walk straight out into the historic centre of Split.
Does Hotel Vestibul Palace have a pool?
No, there is no pool. For a swim, head to Bačvice beach east of the old town, or follow the paths on Marjan hill to quieter bathing spots.
Is Hotel Vestibul Palace good for families?
It is better suited to couples. Rooms are compact and the hotel is small, so families who need space or a pool will do better at a beach hotel such as the Radisson Blu at Žnjan.
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Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
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