"There are hotels where the service elevates the property. At One&Only Portonovi, unfortunately, the property has to overcome the service.
Quick Take
Best for: outstanding facilities, spa, spacious rooms and the Adriatic scenery
Avoid if: intuitive, seamless service is central to your definition of luxury
Must book: at least Bayview, ideally Panoramic Bayview
Standout: five-star hardware, surprisingly amateur execution
Luxurious Setting
One&Only Portonovi is a striking resort. Set against Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor, it is vast, immaculately finished and reassuringly expensive everywhere you look. The accommodation is superb, the spa and facilities first-rate, and the location difficult to fault.
On the physical product alone, this easily deserves top marks.
Rooms & Facilities — First Rate
The rooms are large, beautifully finished and extremely comfortable, with rich materials and thoughtful detailing throughout.
Room category matters. We would avoid the entry-level Portonovi Rooms. At a resort surrounded by scenery this impressive, not seeing much of it rather defeats the purpose. Bayview should be the minimum, although the view is often lateral; Panoramic Bayview is the category to book for the full bay, mountains and water experience.
We eventually stayed in a stunning two-bedroom family accommodation. The pools, beach, landscaping and public areas are equally impressive, while the spa is a destination in itself.
Sabia, the beach restaurant, is another highlight—excellent food in a wonderful waterfront setting.
Traveler tip: a visit to Porto Montenegro is well worth making, but go by water taxi rather than car. For around €200 return, the journey takes just 15 minutes and becomes a scenic trip across the bay, rather than potentially 60 minutes sitting in traffic by road.
Service — Where Things Become Interesting
Our experience started before we had even checked in.
We drove from Dubrovnik and, on arriving at around 10:30 a.m., almost had to wake someone up to help with the luggage. At reception, an earlier email requesting early check-in had apparently disappeared, and we were told we would be contacted when our two Panoramic Bayview rooms were ready.
We joined friends already staying at the hotel for breakfast and were promptly reminded that breakfast was not included that morning. No problem—we were happy to pay.
A waiter then checked again.
And then another member of staff checked once more, helpfully informing us that it would cost €60 per person.
By the third reminder, I began to wonder whether my casual summer clothes had given the hotel reason to suspect that we had driven over from Dubrovnik hoping to infiltrate the breakfast buffet.
At around 1 p.m., the first room became available. We were then informed that our children would be accommodated on another floor in another building, despite this being one family booking.
When I asked whether separating parents and children was standard hotel practice, management explained that occupancy was high and reminded us that we should be grateful for a “complimentary 2 p.m. check-in” — a full hour ahead of the standard 3 p.m. check-in time.
At approximately €3,000 per room per night, generosity clearly has its own meaning at One&Only Portonovi.
Eventually, after asking to see the General Manager, the Front Office Manager came to find us at Sabia and common sense prevailed. We were upgraded to a magnificent two-bedroom family accommodation.
Even that proved unnecessarily difficult. The receptionist escorting us did not know the way and had arrived without the keys, requiring another trip downstairs. Getting a key that consistently opened both the children’s and master-bedroom doors remained a challenge thereafter.
The General Manager never appeared.
The Real Issue — Training, Not Attitude
To be fair, the staff were never rude. Most were friendly and genuinely tried to help.
The issue is training, coordination and management.
Luxury hospitality is supposed to make difficult things feel simple. Here, remarkably simple things often became difficult.
Perhaps Montenegro’s short season makes staffing harder. We were also told the property has had several General Managers since opening in 2021, which—if accurate—might explain some of the inconsistency.
Whatever the reason, at these prices guests should not need to understand the hotel’s staffing challenges.
Conclusion — Five-Star Hardware, Three-Star Execution
One&Only Portonovi is frustrating precisely because it has the potential to be outstanding.
The location is magnificent, the accommodation superb, the spa first-rate and the entire resort beautifully executed.
But at this level, luxury is not just marble, square metres and expensive furniture. It is making everything feel effortless.
At Portonovi, the hardware is already there.
Once the service catches up, this could be a truly remarkable hotel. Until then, come for the extraordinary property—and bring plenty of patience with your passport."
A Tripadvisor traveler review
Aug 21, 2026
