Style: A sense of place.
Scene: Quiet Luxury
Seen in the Lobby: The island location influencing every aspect of the hotel, all with a serious sense of luxury and style.

Words like secluded, private, tranquil and relaxing can be thrown around by so many hotels and resorts, but Villa Nai 3.3 actually achieves these goals. During my stay I felt at times almost overwhelmed (in the best possible way) at the luxury that this hotel offers. 

Villa Nai 3.3, located on a 500-year-old olive grove, is remote and secluded, and I immediately felt cut off from the real world. 


After landing in Split, a drive to the port and catamaran to reach the island, it felt like a mission, albeit a very picturesque and pleasant one, to reach Villa Nai 3.3. A helipad is available for those who prefer a more direct route. Regardless of how you get here, the journey is certainly worth it order to benefit of the remoteness of the island which sits halfway between Venice and Dubrovnik.

Our transfer met us at the port and after we snaked up the hill toward the hotel, we were greeted by friendly staff with cool towels and a refreshing olive leaf tea. As I walked into the absolutely beautiful lobby of the hotel, a sense of calm and tranquility immediately washed over me. Time seemed to slow down, and that feeling never left me during my stay. 

A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the three suite and five deluxe bedroom, adults only hotel opened in 2021 and in 2026 was awarded the Michelin Three Keys, the highest recognition in the Michelin Guide’s hotel rating system, for the second year in a row.


Villa Nai 3.3 was ‘Born in Nature, Made in Nature’. Due to the location it was a challenge to build the hotel here, but owner Goran Morović and the acclaimed Croatian architect Nikola Bašić. teamed up to create the stunning hotel. It is clear that building Villa Nai 3.3 was a passion project and it needed both of their vision, creativity and courage to achieve it so successfully. 

Inspired by luxury yachts and perched high on the hilltop over looking the bay, Villa Nai 3,3 wasn’t designed to stand out. It was designed to blend into the landscape and organically evolve from the land. The centuries old olive grove has influenced the layout and sustainability was at the heart of the design. Rocks excavated during the build have been reused and integrated into the hotel’s decor, there has been minimal impact on the olive grove and the design makes use of traditional building styles such as dry walls around the property that help prevent wind erosion of the soil.

The interior design is wonderfully restrained. Natural stone, neutral tones, warm woods, enormous glass doors and beautifully designed Italian furniture throughout the property create interiors that feel sophisticated without ever becoming showy. Everything from the linens on the tables to the high-end designed armchairs in the bar has been carefully considered, but the high end luxury never comes at the expense of the comfort and style.  


As I stepped into my suite, I found myself audibly gasping. It was, quite simply, breathtakingly beautiful. Closing the door behind me felt like adding another layer between myself and the outside world.

My tranquil suite was wonderfully spacious, with every area thoughtfully designed around one very appealing idea: relaxation. My attention was immediately drawn to the floor-to-ceiling glass doors leading onto my private terrace, where the views became the star of the show. Thanks to Villa Nai 3.3’s elevated position, every room looks out across either the ancient olive groves or the shimmering Adriatic.

Inside, it took me a while to take everything in. There was space, light and an effortless sense of understated luxury. And then there was the bathroom. Calling it a bathroom feels almost unfair. It is bigger than some hotel rooms I have stayed in.


The hotel offers tennis courts, lobby bar, cigar lounge, a private jetty to allow swimming in the sea, but the saltwater infinity pool is one of those places where you will inevitably spend a lot of time due to the pure tranquility of it.  With its panoramic views over the island, this is a pool with one of the best views in the world. Overlooking the Adriatic, with islands stretching into the distance and the olive grove behind you, the only sound was the rustling of the olive leaves in the breeze. It was almost a hypnotic white-noise and I quickly grew accustomed to this soundtrack as I made my way around the estate during my stay. 

Despite its intimate size, the hotel also has a spa with sauna, plunge pool, fitness area and treatment room. My olive-based massage (using olive paste produced from the groves) was pure indulgence and I zoned out completely, only to emerge from the massage with my skin feeling its softest and with a great glow. 



The Morović family has owned the olive grove for centuries and one of the most compelling things about Villa Nai 3.3 is that the olive oil that it produces (regularly referred to as ‘liquid gold’ and the winner of multiple gold medals at award ceremonies across the globe) isn't simply served with the food. Olive Oil is an essential part of the hotel’s narrative. 

Snow might seem an unlikely inspiration for a luxury Croatian hideaway, but on Dugi Otok, it is something of a rarity. Nai, meaning snow in the now-extinct ancient Dalmatic language, falls on the island for an average of just 3.3 days a year. And, according to local lore, when the island does turn white, the olive harvest that follows is particularly abundant. It is this unlikely relationship between snow and olives that gives Villa Nai 3.3 its name. 

During the harvest of the olives, which guests are also encourage to take part in, the hotel becomes a rush of energy. During my stay I learnt a lot about the production of olive oil, and more importantly how Villa Nai 3.3 produces1,000 litres of the award winning oil.

Each of the olives are picked and sorted by hand (off-duty staff and friends and family help out) and they only use their own olives. To ensure no cross-contamination, no other oil producers have access to the machines, which are dedicated to only producing Villa Nai 3.3’s olive oil.

The olives and cold-pressed olive oil is prominent throughout the hotel, not just in the cuisine but in the spa treatments, decor, olive oil tastings and even the drinks (we started each evening during my stay with a round of olive oil cocktails and mocktails). Staff understand the importance of the oil and are passionate about talking about it. Bringing home some bottles of the liquid gold olive oil is an absolute necessity. 


The hotel’s two restaurants further strengthen its connection to the island, with both menus rooted firmly in the landscape and local produce.

Ingredients are sourced from local farms, producers and orchards, as well as the surrounding waters and, wonderfully, the hotel’s own gardens. Each morning, the chefs can be spotted harvesting fresh produce from the garden, ready to transform it into that evening’s dishes. It is as local, seasonal and beautifully fresh as dining gets, from garden to plate in a matter of hours.

Dining at Villa Nai 3.3 comes with two distinctly different experiences. At Grotta 11000, the cooking is earthy and elemental, with dishes prepared over open flames and charcoal. At the more formal 3.3 Restaurant, dining takes a more refined approach, with the menu offering a carefully considered journey through the flavours of the island.

What remains consistent across both restaurants, however, is the service. It was always polished and attentive, but never stiff or overly formal. The team has mastered that rather difficult balance between high-end luxury and genuine warmth, making you feel exceptionally well looked after without it ever feeling stuffy.

While the two restaurant offer distinctly different styles of dining, the philosophy is the same: let the island’s bounty do the talking.

At 40km long and just 4km at its widest, Dugi Otok means ‘long island’. As the hotel is so proud of its location, guests should spent some time exploring the beautiful island.
The hotel can arrange boat trips to the spectacular Kornati Islands, fishing excursions, and visits to the nearby Telašćica Nature Park.
A fishing trip comes with a particularly delicious incentive: catch your own dinner, then return to the hotel and hand your haul over to the kitchen, where the chefs can prepare your catch of the day for that evening’s meal. It doesn’t get much fresher, or more satisfying, than that.

For a little more adventure, head to the Veli Rat Lighthouse, combining a walk through the surrounding landscape with a climb to the top for spectacular views across the Adriatic. Alternatively, spend some time exploring Sali, the island’s charming harbour town, where the pace is suitably slow and the atmosphere is wonderfully local.

All good things, sadly, must come to an end and I felt my feet move a little slower as I found myself having to leave but trying to take in the stunning views one last time and commit them to memory.  

Villa Nai 3.3 is for grown-up escapes, food lovers, design obsessives, wellness seekers and anyone who considers privacy considerably more seductive than a scene.

Villa Nai 3.3. might be one of the smallest hotels in the world but it leaves the biggest impact on anyone lucky enough to experience it. 

Sarah Bryans, 10/09/2026