MAISON 2 Chambres, PATIO TERRASSE

There's so much to say about this place, but to tell you everything would be to spoil the surprise of discovering it for yourself. If you're used to standard holiday accommodation - shiny taps, fierce aircon, a couple of blunt knives in the kitchenette - this isn't it. It's a beautifully created and curated sprawling home, right in the heart of old town Stari Grad. The owner Zoran runs his adjoining artist studio on the ground floor, and is readily available and helpful. The property brims with art, with interesting nooks and crannies everywhere. The kitchen is made for cooking and with a supermarket round the corner, it couldn't be easier or more pleasurable. We stayed in a scorching hot August week and the rooms without aircon were still cool enough for sleeping. The terrace is lovely, surrounded by the terracotta tiles with the background soundtrack from the (excellent) restaurant opposite and neighbouring families.

As with any 'real' home, not everything is new; stairs are steep, floors uneven. The dishwasher is temperamental. (Don't worry for a moment about the dry toilets, they're totally fine.) But they're all minor niggles or irrelevant, really. Big picture: this property is an experience.