The first five-star heritage property on Hvar, a 13th-century building above the Pjaca rebuilt in 1899 under the name of Austria's Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), reopened in May 2019 as 45 rooms and suites by Sunčani Hvar, a member of Leading Hotels of the World.
"The only address on Hvar's main square that holds the heritage line, 13th-century walls, 1899 Sisi-named bones, 2019 Leading Hotels of the World refit, and the view over the Pjaca from the corner balconies that no other Hvar Town hotel can offer."
Palace Elisabeth stands above the Hvar Town Hall on Trg svetog Stjepana, St. Stephen's Square, known locally as the Pjaca, the largest square in Dalmatia and the geometric centre of Hvar Town. The building's history stretches across eight centuries: a 13th-century Venetian-era residence; a Renaissance reconstruction; the 1782 Habsburg-administration loggia (the surviving arcade on the square's east side); and the 1899 reconstruction under the name Hotel Empress Elisabeth, completed in the year the Austrian empress was assassinated, when Hvar was promoted by the Habsburgs as an Adriatic winter spa for the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy. The hotel ran through the 20th century under successive names, the Slavija, the Palace, before Sunčani Hvar closed it for a complete heritage reconstruction. It reopened in May 2019, joined Leading Hotels of the World on opening, and is the only Leading Hotels member on the island.
There are 45 rooms and suites distributed across four floors and a footprint that wraps both the square and the small alleys behind it. Categories begin at the Standard Premium rooms (around 25, 28 square metres) and ascend through Pjaca Premium (square-facing balconies), Deluxe rooms, Heritage Suites, and the four signature suites, the Empress Suite, the Sisi Suite, the Petar Hektorović Suite, and the Hanibal Lucić Suite, named after the two Renaissance Hvar poets whose works are central to Croatian literature. The Empress Suite occupies the corner with a private terrace looking over the entire Pjaca to the 16th-century cathedral; on a still summer evening, with the cathedral lit and the square cleared of crowds, it is the strongest single hotel view on the Croatian coast. Materials are heritage-considered: original stone walls left exposed in many rooms, Murano chandeliers, marble bathrooms, and antique-mixed-with-contemporary furniture.
The food and wellness sit at the standard of the address. The signature restaurant Antika runs a refined Mediterranean menu under chef Pavle Vuković, with the square-facing terrace as the dining room. The Indigo Bar is the hotel's lobby drawing room on the first floor with views directly onto the Pjaca and the Renaissance loggia. The indoor pool and Maslina Spa (named for the olive tree) occupy the lower levels of the building, with an indoor heated pool, dedicated hammam, and a treatment menu that uses Hvar lavender, immortelle, and olive oil. The roof terrace bar opens through summer for an aperitivo and the city's most centrally placed sunset view.
Service runs at the Leading Hotels register, pre-arrival concierge, the strongest restaurant book on the island, and the city's deepest list of private-boat captains for Pakleni Island day-charters and trips across to Korčula and Vis. The 10-minute walk to the Adriana's harbour-side rooftop pool is included for guests who want a pool day, and the property's own private beach club opens through summer ten minutes' walk along the Riva. For travellers who came to Hvar specifically for the Renaissance town and the Adriatic heritage rather than the contemporary party scene, the Palace Elisabeth is the only honest answer.
A Hvar anniversary at the Palace Elisabeth is the version that earns the heritage frame. Book a Pjaca Premium with a balcony, dinner at Antika on the terrace as the square empties at sunset, the Indigo Bar after for a digestif. For milestone years take the Empress Suite, the corner with the private terrace over the Pjaca and the cathedral.
For Hvar honeymoons the Palace works for the couple who came for the Renaissance town. Pair a Heritage Suite with two boat days through the Pakleni Islands, a vow-renewal arrangement at the 1612 St. Stephen's Cathedral immediately opposite (run on request through the concierge), and a private dinner on the roof terrace. The pace is slower and more Mediterranean than at Adriana.
For Hvar proposals the Empress Suite's private terrace over the Pjaca, with the cathedral lit at dusk, is the single strongest setting on the island, better than the Adriana rooftop, better than any of the Pakleni beach clubs, better than the Citadel. The concierge handles the standard proposal arrangements (champagne, flowers, terrace dressing) at a discreet level.
Trg svetog Stjepana 5
21450 Hvar
Croatia
Directly on the Pjaca, above Hvar Town Hall; Riva 3 minutes on foot; Citadel 10 minutes uphill; Stari Grad ferry port 15 minutes by car
45 rooms (incl. 11 suites)
Standard Premium from €420/night
Pjaca Premium from €560/night
Heritage Suite from €1,180/night
Empress Suite from €2,200/night
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Reopened May 2019 (13th-c. building)
Leading Hotels of the World member
Season: April to early November
Antika restaurant on the Pjaca
Indigo Bar drawing room
Indoor pool & Maslina Spa
Roof terrace summer bar
Private beach club (10 min walk)
Heritage architecture programme
From €420/night. The Empress Suite and Pjaca-facing rooms book six months ahead for July and August; the May, June and September shoulders deliver the same address with quieter squares and lower rates.
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Last updated June 11, 2026
Off peak pricing, suite upgrades, and subscriber only offers, flagged only when the value is real.