Botel Marina
8.1-rated 'botel' on a moored ship in Rijeka harbor — restaurant, bar, sun deck, two minutes' walk from the Korzo and the Jadrolinija ferry terminal.
Botel Marina isn't a hostel building — it's an actual ship moored permanently to Adamićev gat in Rijeka's main harbor, refitted into 35 rooms in 2013. The only floating accommodation in the city, two minutes from the Korzo, two minutes from the Jadrolinija ferry terminal. The on-board restaurant runs Mediterranean and Croatian dinners with happy hour at sunset, and the upper deck doubles as a sun-deck terrace bar with views straight across the bay.
Botel Marina is the most distinctive accommodation in Rijeka — and one of only a handful of permanently moored 'botels' in the Adriatic. The ship sits at Adamićev gat, the long pier that juts into the harbor between the Riva (the Jadrolinija ferry terminal) and the Korzo. From the gangway, the city's main pedestrian street is a two-minute walk; the morning ferry to Cres or the overnight to Split is the same.
The rooms are converted cabins — modernly furnished after the 2013 refit, with private bathrooms, AC, flat-screen TVs, soundproofed walls, and a mix of singles, twins, doubles and family rooms. There are no traditional dorms; the cheapest configuration is a double with shared bathroom, but most rooms are en-suite. Cabin sizes are tighter than a land hostel (it's a ship), and the lower-deck rooms have portholes rather than full windows — book the upper deck if you want a real view.
The public spaces are what make Botel Marina the social pick of Rijeka: a proper restaurant doing breakfast and dinner (Mediterranean, Croatian, fresh fish in season), an on-board bar that runs happy hour 18:00–20:00 with €3 local drafts, occasional live music or DJ nights on the upper deck in summer, a kid's club for families, and a sun deck that doubles as a terrace bar in good weather. The harbor view from the upper deck at sunset is the city's most photographed angle (the Korzo, the Trsat hill behind it, the Jadrolinija ferries pulling in).
The one trade-off: it's a ship. There's a small amount of motion when the wind picks up, and the bow rooms catch the morning sun very early. For travellers who want central, social, with a built-in bar and view — and a story to tell — there's nothing else like it in Rijeka.
- 01Literally on a ship — the only floating accommodation in Rijeka and one of few in the Adriatic
- 02Two-minute walk to the Korzo and to the Jadrolinija ferry terminal — the most central hostel address in the city
- 03On-board bar with daily happy hour, occasional live music and DJ nights on the upper deck in summer
- 04Restaurant doing breakfast and proper dinners (Mediterranean, Croatian fish) on board
- 05Sun-deck terrace with the city's most photographed harbor view of the Korzo and Trsat behind it
- 8.1 rating across 971 reviews — the most-reviewed hostel in Rijeka
- Permanently moored ship refitted in 2013, 35 cabin-style rooms
- On-board restaurant, bar with happy hour, kid's club and sun deck
- Two minutes' walk to both the Korzo and the Jadrolinija ferry pier
“Sleeping on a moored ship was the trip highlight. Two minutes from the Korzo, two minutes from the morning ferry to Cres. Happy hour at the on-board bar was busy and friendly. The upper-deck sunset is the best view in town.”
“Cabin was small but well-designed. The harbor location is unbeatable for early ferries. Restaurant did a solid grilled fish for €16 — better than the equivalents on the Korzo. Lower-deck rooms have portholes, not full windows; book the upper deck if that matters.”
“Came for the novelty, stayed for the location. The bar got lively around 19:00 and stayed friendly until 23:00. There's a slight ship motion when the wind comes from the north — I liked it but light sleepers should know.”
- Korzo (main pedestrian street)2 min walk
- Jadrolinija ferry terminal2 min walk
- Old Town Clock Tower (Stara vrata)5 min walk
- Rijeka Fish Market4 min walk
- Tunel bar (WWII tunnel club)10 min walk
- Petar Kružić stairs (538 steps to Trsat)12 min walk
