Pical Resort, Valamar Collection

We stayed here as a family in early May 2026 for 10 nights. We booked a package deal via Tui to stay in the main Pical hotel on a half-board basis. Pula airport has introduced the EES system which caused a big delay getting through the airport to collect our bags. It was a bit chaotic to say the least. However once through, the bags were already on the carousel. The transfer from the airport was smooth, it took about 45 mins door to door. Upon arrival at the hotel, we were told that we had been upgraded to the family hotel (joined to the main hotel) but still on half-board (the family hotel is all inclusive). Our room was nice, modern with a view of the pools and had a partial sea-view. The design of the bathroom was excellent. We requested a cot for our 18 month old son however they provided a single bed. We had to pack towels and cushions around the bed in case he fell out during the night. The room was set up as a twin when we had booked a king double. The room was located 2 doors away from the kids ball pool and slide. It became apparent that there was a fair bit of noise coming from the corridor where children were running up and down to play on the slide. This was from about 8am-10pm at night (peaks and troughs). During the night, our son fell out of bed and landed on the cushions but this woke him up with a start so we moved him to our bed however we had to rearrange the duvets so that he was prevented from falling through the middle. We went down to reception the next morning to make a complaint and ask to be moved. We were pleasantly surprised to be moved to a 2+2 family room with a king size bed, two TVs, a decent size fridge and a bigger living area. The room was still in the family hotel but much further away from the ball pool, they also us a suitable cot for our son. Jasmine the hotel manager also upgraded us to all inclusive and wiped our lunch bill from the previous day. This was more than acceptable. So, the all inclusive is more like full board +++ as the only place you can use this is in the family restaurant and the family bar. All other bars and restaurants you had to pay. The food was very good in the all inclusive restaurant, plenty of fresh fish, a roast, meats, cold cuts, cheese, pasta, excellent pizzas and lots more. You could get soft drinks, tea, coffee, lager and red / white wine in the restaurant (you could also get prosecco with breakfast). Anything else was chargeable to the room. The family bar was the same, Ice cream, tea, coffee, soft drinks, lager, red and white wine were all part of the all inclusive, everything else you had to pay for. The service in the hotel was fantastic, the staff were friendly and professional. Katerina in the all inclusive restaurant was great with our son and put a smile on his face every time he saw her. The facilities on the whole were great, the hotel is geared up for couples and families alike. At times it did feel like families were segregated away from the main hotel due to the all inclusive only applying to the family bar and not the other bars on-site. One of the negatives was the roof top pool and bar, this was only open to families to "view" between 6pm-7pm. I think this would have been better if it was accessible during the day then adults only after 7pm. The Maro club and Playstation / XBox games room were great for older kids, as were the parks outside with mini zip slide. There was a choice of 2 kids pools, the main pool and an indoor/outdoor pool as well as the main indoor pool. All except one (infinity pool) of the pools were heated to about 36C and checked on the hour. There were plenty of quality sun loungers, sun beds and seating around the various pools. There was also a fully equipped gym and sauna. As I mentioned we went early May so there was still some construction work taking place on the grounds however this was far enough away not to cause any impact to our enjoyment of the hotel and pool areas. We booked half-board so were entitled to swap our evening meal for lunch during our stay so we did and ate at the Oliva Grill (for the second) time. This was excellent. We had starters, then I had rib-eye and my wife had the deep fried squid, our son had a veggie pizza. We also did the dine around option and visited Jaz by Ana Ros which was also excellent. The hotel is about a 10-15 minute walk away from the centre of Porec. All in all we had a great time. The hotel, when fully complete will be excellent and we will hopefully be returning in the future.

We stayed with our 4 and 6-year-old children, and it is one of the best family hotels we have ever been to. Its strongest point is the massive, well-thought-out entertainment infrastructure: a large, high-quality outdoor playground with bar tables for parents nearby, while indoors there is an abundance of climbing frames, trampolines, a separate video game room, and a huge play area with an event hall. The pool complex is excellent and adapted for all age groups — from shallow zones for babies to areas for adults. The territory is beautiful, with mature pine trees, so even a large complex does not feel noisy. ​The service is top-notch right from arrival: the staff greets you at the gates and takes care of your luggage and parking. The housekeeping staff is especially pleasant. ​I will be honest about the shortcomings as well. Pre-arrival email communication was slow — we had to wait a day or even two for a reply. In our room (V-Level Suite), the air conditioning didn't work for the entire stay and the issue was never resolved, and the minibar was not restocked after the initial fill. At the "Terra" restaurant, the food selection is wide and the quality is genuinely good for a family hotel, but some of the staff understand neither English nor German, and the drink service was very slow at times. The evening program is fun (the clown show was simply superb), but the volume is sometimes too loud for younger kids. ​Despite these minor issues, the value for money is very good — it is absolutely worth it for this level of infrastructure and service. A great choice for families looking for maximum activity for the kids alongside relaxation for the parents.

“We had a wonderful family holiday here. The hotel is beautiful, the pools and surroundings are amazing, and the staff were exceptionally friendly, professional, and helpful throughout our stay. Everything exceeded our expectations, and we would be happy to return. Highly recommended!”

Our holiday was booked by our travel agent as an all inclusive. This hotel is NOT all Inclusive. The hotel is divided into, the family, suites & v-level. Each section has their own buffet restaurant for breakfast, lunch & dinner. During these times dispenser soft drinks & local beer & wine are available. The food is nice but not always very hot. There is a family bar where local drinks & ice cream are available throughout the day until 10pm. The pool bar & other bars are not inclusive, but prices are reasonable. You are able to go to the Oliva Grill for lunch if you are not eating in the buffet that evening. They do offer a dine around option (€50 per adult) which they do also organise the transfer for. We ate at Miramare by Fratelli Cerea which is located off shore on small island, during our meal we had the experience of watching the dolphins. The staff here were all so friendly & welcoming. The only other option is the fine dining restaurant which is not suitable for children. The hotel its self has been finished to a high standard, lots of very nice & comfortable sunbeds around several pools. The rooms are nice just not the largest for a family of 4. Unfortunately we found the check in process was not very welcoming/friendly or informative. We had emailed the hotel prior to arrival regarding 2 celebrations but unfortunately no small gestures were made but we did hear other people did have theirs acknowledged, so still worth mentioning. The one thing this hotel is great for is children, from the playland, games rooms to the water slides, indoor & outdoor play areas are all fantastic. The small details of the children’s bedding, robes, flips flops even games & books in the room makes this hotel special for them. The staff are very friendly in the kids club too & if you are fortunate to have just adult time the roof top bar & pool offer amazing views and a nice vibe. (This is adults only & require reservations which we was not informed about on check in) On check-out we found items such as parking on our invoice and several other errors so this is certainly worth a thorough check.

We stayed as a family at the Valamar Pical Hotel with three children (aged 6 and 5, and a 2-month-old baby), and our experience from start to finish was extremely pleasant. We had a room with a terrace and direct access to the pool, which turned out to be an ideal solution for a family with small children. The room was very clean, tidy, and spacious enough for all of us. The beds were comfortable, and an additional advantage was the ability to quickly step outside without extra preparation, which is a huge benefit when travelling with a baby and young children. The restaurant offer was varied and always fresh. There was enough choice for both children and adults, so we had no issues with meals. The food was regularly replenished, and the restaurant staff were fast and well organised, even during busy times. The Maro Club was a real hit with our children. The animators were warm, patient, and engaged, and the programmes were adapted to different age groups. The children happily returned every day and even asked to go to the club themselves, which gave us some time to relax. The animation team in general left a very positive impression. The activities were varied throughout the day, but not exhausting or overcrowded. It was clear that they were experienced with children and that their approach was natural and unobtrusive. The café within the hotel was a pleasant spot for short breaks during the day. The coffee and drinks were good, and the atmosphere was relaxed, with a nice view and enough space to sit comfortably with children without stress. The playground was excellent for our boys. It was safe, clean, and well equipped, with enough content to keep them playing for a long time. We especially liked that it was close to other facilities, making everything easy to combine. The staff throughout the hotel were very professional and kind. From reception to housekeeping and waiters, everyone was helpful and willing to assist, which made the stay even more enjoyable, especially with a small baby. The hotel is excellently suited for families with children of all ages, and the combination of facilities, comfort, and organisation makes it a place we would gladly return to.