Frequently asked questions

Hvar Away exclusively rents villas – that is, holiday homes or vacation houses. We do not currently offer any apartments, suites, or individual rooms in our villas."

We are full-time Hvar Island locals and aficionados, and only offer villas on Hvar at this time.

Availability varies from property to property, as do cold weather amenities. We love the off-season on Hvar and would be happy to help you find a great villa rental for your needs. Just get in touch with us.

How we love our furry pals! When browsing our villas, keep a look out for villas marked as “Pet Friendly” in the Amenities section on each villa’s page. You can also filter our villa search results by checking the “Pets Welcome” checkbox when browsing villas. This is a selection of homes specially suited to animals.

Note that there are many villas not specifically marked as “Pet Friendly”, but may accept pets on request. These villa owners may accept pets depending on size, length of stay, and other factors. Before you book, please contact us with the details of your pet or pets. We will confirm that the property in question can accommodate them, and confirm any additional conditions and charges.

Please don’t try to smuggle Mr. Snuggles! That would constitute a breach of contract and result in a bad experience for you and your four-legged companion.

If you are having trouble finding a villa that suits you, please just get in touch and tell us about your beloved companion. We can suggest some properties that would be a good fit.

Probably not. Each villa in our collection has its own house rules, which are listed on its individual page in the “Booking Policies” section. These rules often include prohibitions on parties, because time and experience have shown that large social gatherings very frequently result in damage and unhappy neighbours.

If you have any questions or concerns about the rules for your rental, just reach out. We can provide clarity or find a property better suited to your needs. And if you know that you want to host a celebration or have other plans that might not work for all property rentals, please get in touch – there are a few villas in our collection in which parties are permitted under special circumstances.

Yes, hosting a wedding is possible at a select few of our villas. If you are planning a wedding on Hvar, our dedicated Hvar wedding guide will prove useful. It details the specific villas that allow ceremonies and receptions, along with practical considerations for each. Feel free to get in touch with our team for tailored advice on which properties best suit your vision and guest numbers.

Even if your ceremony and reception take place elsewhere, renting one or more villas remains by far the best option for accommodating you and your guests. Not only will everyone enjoy significant savings compared to booking separate hotel rooms and dining out for every meal, but the shared experience fosters a deeper sense of connection.

No, we are also happy to arrange a series of add-on services for you. We call these Experiences and they include in-villa chefs and masseurs, private drivers and boat transfers from the mainland, rock climbing excursions, boat tours and charters, private sunset dinners, and much more.

Our pre-stay concierge is available for all of our guests to assist with any of your trip logistics, too. Need to rent a car? Just tell us which ferry port you would like to collect it from, and it will be waiting for you. Confused by the ferry timetable? Tell us your flight plans and we will be glad to assist. Would you like the fridge and pantry stocked with groceries before you arrive? Simply send us the shopping list.

The sooner that you can notify us about your ideas, the better we can help you. We work with the very best service providers on the island, and their availability dwindles as the season approaches.

It is strongly recommended that you take out sufficient travel insurance. Many credit card companies include holiday insurance as do other more general insurance policies, so you should first check these. Please see our villa rental terms for more information.

When it comes to safety and peace of mind, Croatia is hard to beat. It is the safest destination in Europe. It’s so safe that the World of Statistics ranked Croatia as the safest country in Europe for night walks for the second year in a row in 2025. On Hvar Island specifically, muggings, bag-snatching or indeed any sort of crime are virtually unheard of.

Yes, please click here for more information.

Electricity in Croatia and the rest of Europe is 220V (as opposed to 110 volts in the US). Most laptops are designed to work at both 220V and 110V. If you have an appliance which only works at 110V, you should bring a voltage converter with you as they may be difficult to find in Croatia. You will also need a universal plug adaptor as Croatia’s sockets are designed for 2 round-pronged plugs.

If you have a GSM cell phone, it should work in Croatia. Once arrived, you can buy a SIM card and switch your American SIM card with it. Alternatively, you can rent a GSM phone before you leave. We do, however, recommend you talk to your network provider or local cellphone retailer.

Smoking is not permitted inside any of our villas. Smokers are politely requested to take their hobby outside.

Our team. We all live on Hvar full-time, often visiting our villas and continuing to explore the new arrivals on Hvar – whether that be restaurants, bars, or activities. You'll always be able to speak to someone who knows your preferred villas like the back of their hand! Just write to hello@hvaraway.com or give us a call.

The maximum occupancy is clearly stated on each villa's page on our website and is broken down into a maximum capacity of adults, teenagers, and children.

For example, a villa may have an overall maximum capacity of 12, but a maximum adult capacity of 10. The extra two children may be accommodated on sofa beds only suitable for small children. Whether teenagers are counted towards the adult capacity or child capacity is individual for each villa. This information will always be specified on each villa page – but if you’re unsure, just reach out to us.

Infants under one year do not count towards the villa's maximum occupancy and need not be included when making your booking. That said, we do encourage guests travelling with an infant to let us know in advance. This allows us to arrange a crib, high chair or any other essentials you might require.

Prices and availability for our villas are shown on each individual villa page. Simply use the calendar function on the right-hand side of the page to see which days are free. Select your desired stay period, add the number and composition of the guests in your travel group, and the total price will be displayed. You can then either book the villa online, send an authorised booking request, or reach out to us with any questions you have before booking.

Please check our How To Book page for full details.

Most of our villas have flexible arrival and departure days, i.e. you can check in and check out on whichever day of the week you prefer (provided that you are meeting the minimum stay requirements during your stay period).

However, there are some villas that – either during the peak summer months or all year round – are only rented weekly from Saturday to Saturday. This will be specified on the individual villa page under “Booking Policies”, and you will be unable to select in the calendar check in or check out dates that do not fit with these restrictions.

There may be some flexibility for some properties, particularly in the lower seasons. If you prefer to travel mid-week, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.

The vast majority of our villas are perfect for families with children. Where we feel they are not suitable for children of all ages, we make sure to include it in the “Important Notes” section on each villa page. The villas we recommend as family villas in our Away With Loved Ones collection have been tried and tested by numerous families with children of different ages.

We will, of course, give you as much info as possible in this regard should it be a concern for you. Please just let us know your requirements. Please also see our dedicated Health and Safety page.

We take accessibility very seriously and believe that limited mobility or disability should not be a restriction when on holiday. However, every villa in our portfolio is different and some are better suited for guests with mobility impairments than others. Please contact us with your individual concerns and requirements.

Some of our villas, those marked as “HA Exclusive”, are exclusively available through us and they can only be booked through Hvar Away (or booking platforms managed by us). If you see the same villa listed on another website, please be cautious and avoid putting your money at risk. This is likely fraudulent activity, and any bookings or payments made outside our platform will be invalid. For total peace of mind, please always book directly with Hvar Away.

Some of our villas are legitimately listed on other platforms or through other agencies. In those instances, what sets Hvar Away apart is our dedicated level of service, local expertise, and the reassurance that comes from our reputation. Caution is still advisable as numerous fraudulent websites and unauthorised agencies advertise properties without any legitimate relationship in place with the owners. These listings can appear convincing but often lead to disappointment or financial loss.

If you spot a lower price for one of our villas on a genuine, established channel or agency, please do get in touch. We will do our utmost to match it where possible, ensuring you book with the confidence and support that a Hvar Away booking provides.

Washing machine won’t start? Oven on the fritz? Low water pressure? Issues like these should arise only very rarely. We take considerable pride in our thorough maintenance schedule, with regular audits of every villa and a full check before each new arrival to ensure everything is in full working order.

Please call us as soon as you become aware of any issues at your villa. We will follow up with you immediately. Our network of villa owners and staff are supported by our in-house team to provide back-up maintenance support and emergency 24/7 availability. We do our utmost to ensure that your holiday runs smoothly.

Please check your spam folder. If the automated confirmation email of your booking is not there, contact us as soon as possible so that we can ensure your payment went through correctly.

As soon as you have paid your booking deposit (or the full amount if your stay is less than 60 days away), your dates are immediately reserved and you should receive an email confirmation right away, followed shortly by a personalised email from our team with your unique Reservation Confirmation document attached.

Please contact us right away. If you do not notify us of any issues or simply do not check your written Reservation Confirmation, we may not be able to make all necessary amendments in time.

Yes. As always, earlier is better. With sufficient notice you may cancel your reservation for a partial refund, but note that booking deposits are non-refundable for every villa. We strongly recommend you to take out travel insurance either before or at the time of making your booking.

Please see our villa rental terms for our full cancellation policy. We understand that vacation plans can fall apart, sometimes due to very difficult circumstances. However, given the brevity and intensity of Hvar’s summer season, we unfortunately cannot offer any exceptions to this policy.

In most cases, yes. Simply write to us with full details of your substitute, and we will provide written confirmation of the switch. Full details of our amendment policy can be found in our villa rental terms.

Whenever possible, we will work with you to amend the dates of your reservation. Just contact us. If pre-existing reservations and minimum stay requirements make it impossible to find another set of dates that suits you and your party within the same calendar year, you can transfer your reservation to someone else, or you may need to cancel your booking. Full details of our amendment policy in relation to changing dates can be found in our villa rental terms.

Yes, just send us an email with your new total party size. Of course, the number of guests cannot exceed the maximum capacity of the property. Property capacities are set by law, so we enforce them quite strictly.

Please don’t test the rules and ruin your holiday! Full details of our amendment policy in relation to party size can be found in our villa rental terms.

For complete information about amenities, please take a look at the individual villa pages: each has a full list of 'Amenities' and 'Services & Staff', specifying what is included and what is available on request. The 'What's Included' section of the villa page outlines what is included in the cost of the villa, and what is not.

Electricity is included in the rental price. We do ask guests to use electrical appliances and lighting in a responsible, ecological manner, making sure, for example, that exterior lights are turned off during the day and that the air conditioning units are turned off when leaving the property or when doors/windows are open.

Gas for cooking and heating is included in the price of your villa.

Yes, water is included in the rental price.

All our villas have a mid-stay clean included if you are staying 11 nights or more. If you are staying two weeks or more, you will have a full clean included every 7 days.

Many villas, especially those in our Beyond collection, have daily or alternate-day housekeeping service included. More frequent housekeeping is available on request at all villas for a small additional charge.

Yes. On arrival, you will find all the beds in the villa made up and towels for all your party. There will also be pool and/or beach towels for your use. All our villas have a mid-stay towel and linen change included if you are staying 11 nights or more. If you are staying two or more weeks you will also have a change of linens and towels included every 7 days.

Many villas, especially those in our Beyond collection, have more frequent towel and linen changes included. Extra changes of linens and towels are available on request for a small extra fee.

Yes. Almost all our villas have a washing machine available for you to use. At a few, the staff provide a laundry service either included in the rental price or for a small extra fee. Please check the “Amenities” section on each villa page to make sure."

Yes, all our villas have wifi connection.

Yes, we'd be delighted to arrange the services of a private chef for you, whether that’s one special meal or a full catering package. Please contact us for more details. If you're arriving at your villa in the evening, why not organise for your dinner to be ready and waiting for you on arrival?

Generally, you will be eating traditional Dalmatian food, although our chefs are able to cook up anything your heart desires! We will provide you with a chef menu depending on which chef is available at your villa on your desired dates, but note that all menus can be customised according to your wishes. Simply let us know your preferences/dietary requirements (i.e. fish, meat, no seafood etc) and we'll pass on your requests.

Just let us know as soon as possible and we'll be delighted to arrange something special for you.

Again, we'd be delighted to organise this. Please just let us know in advance.

No problem. We work exclusively with tried-and-tested local guides who will give you great insights into the history and geography of the island. Our tours include bespoke itineraries that we can adjust to your wishes as part of our Experiences. Simply speak to your concierge before your trip and leave the rest to them.

The closest airport to Hvar is Split (SPU) on Croatia’s mainland. From there, it’s a 30-minute drive down to Split Ferry Port where you can board a ferry or catamaran to Hvar.

Alternatively, you can fly into Dubrovnik (DBV), where you can take a longer (passenger-only) catamaran to Hvar – or rent a car and drive up the coast to reach a different small ferry port that connects with Hvar.

Read our full guide on how to get to Hvar for more details. We’re always at your disposal to assist with travel planning, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for detailed information and tailored advice.

For our villas that are located outside of the main towns of Hvar Town, Stari Grad, and Jelsa – and are therefore not easily accessible by any other means – we strongly advise you to rent a car. Even if you are staying in a villa in one of these towns, renting a car affords you the greatest flexibility to explore this beautiful island on your own terms. Public transport in the form of the island’s bus network is often not readily available or reliable. If you prefer not to drive throughout your stay, we’re more than happy to arrange a private driver for you, just let us know.

You can organise to collect your rental car from the mainland and bring it to the island via the car ferry. Alternatively, we will be glad to assist you with booking your rental car on the island. Simply inform us of your vehicle requirements and preferences, where and when you would like to collect it, and we’ll sort out the rest.

Well in advance of your stay, you will receive your villa guidebook that contains detailed directions of how to get to your villa. If you are having problems on the day, you can always call us and we will assist you with navigation.

There will be someone waiting for you at your villa: either a member of the Hvar Away team or the property owner/manager, and in most cases, both.

For our more remote villas, we will arrange with you a meeting spot on the main road and drive with you to the villa. Once you arrive, you will get a complete introduction to the house and be provided with a set of keys (or key fobs or a key code).

Check-in at your villa is possible either from 3:00pm, 4:00pm, or 5.00pm onwards – depending on your villa. Please check the villa’s web page in the “Booking Policies” section or your Reservation Confirmation document to confirm which is applicable for your chosen villa.

We will be in touch prior to your arrival to confirm your arrival plans and timings. On receiving those, we will inform you of your estimated check in time at the villa, taking into consideration the normal time required to pick up your rental car (if applicable) and drive to the villa.

We would be most grateful if you could confirm this estimated check in time (or let us know a different time if you plan to do some grocery shopping or stop for a meal on the way) so that we can ensure to be present to welcome you at the agreed time. Should you be delayed on the day of arrival, please let us know at your earliest convenience.

Standard check-out time is by 10:00am (unless otherwise stated on the villa page). It is not generally possible to check-out after this time as the villas need to be cleaned and prepared thoroughly for the arrival of the next guests. If there are no other guests arriving that day, and the owner does not need the house for their own purposes, it may be possible to extend check-out time by a couple of hours.

Travel schedules can be challenging on a number of levels. If you need or would prefer an altered check in or out time, please let us know as soon as possible. Due to the intensity of the season, we unfortunately cannot guarantee our ability to fulfil such requests, but we will do everything we can to accommodate you.

If you are unsure of your check-in/check-out times, please refer to your written Reservation Confirmation, which you received immediately after making your booking.

We offer a pre-stocked groceries service so you can arrive at your villa with a full fridge and pantry! Just let us know if that’s something you’d like and we’ll send you the ordering form so you can specify what we should pick up from the supermarket for you. Alternatively, why not ask us to organise a chef to have your dinner to be ready and waiting for you on arrival?