This Resort in Montenegro Delivers the Best of the Riviera, Without the Drama or Fuss

Stay Here For

A lesser-expected European riviera vacation that’s heavy on the glamour—but light on the crowds.

Set at the entrance to Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor (aka Boka Bay), One&Only Portonovi feels less like a place to show off—like the characteristically glossy resorts endemic to Europe’s most popular rivieras—and more like a place to just sit back and take it all in. Trading flash for an unmistakable Adriatic hush, the resort’s low-slung villas with their terra-cotta roofs cascade down to a quiet, gleaming marina, while cypress, stone and sea keep the mood Mediterranean without being showy. This is a property that understands restraint as luxury: Space, light and silence are deployed as deliberately as the excellent cocktails, and the effect is transportive.

The staff strikes that rare balance—genuinely warm, quick to read a room and impressively on top of things without ever hovering. Days are split between the resort’s boats (as much a part of the experience as the rooms) and long, lingering meals, whether that’s local-leaning plates at the Italian-inflected Sabia or something more sceney at Tapasake, the Japanese-Peruvian restaurant that draws a dressed-up, cocktail-in-hand crowd by night. And the Chenot Espace wellness program gives the whole place a bit of loftiness, but you don’t have to buy in fully to benefit from the atmosphere: It’s enough to just be here, looking out at the water and feeling your shoulders drop a fraction lower with each passing hour.

The Essentials

The Location

Riding around in one of the resort’s kitted-out speedboats is practically mandatory.

The 60-acre resort sits on a stretch of coastline near the entrance of Boka Bay, which eventually trickles into the Adriatic Sea. Here, mountains meet the water in spectacular fashion, and the area has a mix of old-world charm and natural beauty that feels both relaxed and a little bit special. You’re close to historic towns and scenic views, but it’s not overrun—just a great place to soak up the quieter side of Montenegro.

The Bars and Restaurants

Though restaurants cling to the coastline like so many barnacles—glamorous Adriatica Restaurant, with its breeze-blown white tablecloths, feels redolent of Saint Bart’s—what’s offered on-site could keep you happy for a long stretch.

La Veranda, the hotel’s versatile all-day restaurant, is a Montenegrin steak house. And while there are certainly bona fides to support that, like a weekly dinner featuring grilled meats and live music, it does everything well, including the daily breakfast buffet, which bubbles over with local provisions like kajmak, a creamy, cheese-like spread; pork neck; pickled vegetables; and all manner of whole and poached fruits. (Don’t sleep on the à la carte offerings, though, which straddle continental and traditional Montenegrin specialties, from avocado toast to Balkan scrambled eggs, baked in a rich tomato sauce and served with house-made pita.) Weather permitting, there’s no reason not to dine en plein air at one of the tables on the patio, which spills out onto the lawn leading down to the water’s edge.

By contrast, Tapasake, the resort’s glossy, Japanese-inspired spot, could’ve been drawn straight from Miami. Imagine: a grown-up–feeling pool party that’s a little flashy, with a swim-up bar, pulsing beats, private cabanas and even a swinging beach bed hanging over the water, accessible right from the dock. It’s the kind of place where a liquid lunch seems eminently appealing; later, order edamame studded with Maldon salt flakes and nuggets of crispy rice and beef tartare. It’s a perfect snack for that inevitable late-afternoon stretch when you’re feeling the mixed drinks and sunshine, but it’s too early for dinner.

Have a pistachio sour or Tom Collins at Caminetti, a nook of a cocktail bar just beyond the lobby with a balcony overlooking the water. Appetite whetted, you can head down to Sabia, the glittering, waterfront Italian restaurant serving plates of pasta and perfectly charred proteins. Few things feel more indulgent than tucking into a plate of tagliolini al limone e bottarga—fresh strands of golden pasta swirled in a lemon butter sauce and topped with mullet bottarga, similar to dried caviar—while a live band plays and the sky darkens.

The Room

Rooms and suites are both suitably spacious, many with views of the water or surrounding landscape.

Even a Portonovi Room, which is among the resort’s entry-level categories, is princely, with a foyer, a generously sized king bedroom, an outdoor balcony or terrace large enough for a two-person daybed and a bathroom anchored by a freestanding chaise longue ideal for post–soaking tub naps. The tech is both unobtrusive and spot-on—blinds and shades open with the press of a button, and outlets abound—though the rooms never feel overengineered or alienating. Instead, everything seems intuitive, in service of comfort rather than spectacle, with materials (stone, wood, linen) doing as much heavy lifting as any touch screen. It’s the kind of room that’s less about immediate wow factor than about how easily, within a few hours, it begins to feel like your own.

The Standout Feature

The resort’s purpose-built beach is among its most impressive—and useful—features.

Pound for pound, the beach—a man-made strip of sand shipped in from elsewhere in the country, and kitted out with complimentary kayaks and floating noodles that let you take full advantage of Boka Bay’s placid, relatively warm waters—probably takes first place. Talk about catering to a crowd.

The Time to Go

The warm summer months along the Adriatic are predictably popular. But the best times to visit are during the shoulder seasons of May/June and September/October, when the water is still warm enough to swim, the crowds have thinned somewhat and the temperatures are comfortable enough for hiking, without sweating through your matching set.

The Vibe

You’ll be dreaming about the swinging daybed at Tapasake Club long after your trip ends.

The highly specific reason you’d come here: To get away—in style and relative secrecy.

What are people drinking? A glass of wine, sourced from within Montenegro or a neighboring country; think Serbian pinot noir or Montenegrin Vranac.

The type of movie that could be filmed here: A spy thriller in which the sparkling blue waters of Boka Bay (and the leather-lined house boats) play a starring role.

The perfect spot for your social media post: Without a doubt, the swinging daybed overhanging the bay at Tapasake Club.

What you’re buying from the minibar: Any of the premade drinks—like a Kumbor Nights, made with scotch, coffee liqueur, crème de cacao and Frangelico, or an Adriatic Delights, a mix of gin, Cointreau and St-Germain—which you can pour over ice and enjoy from the comfort of your soaking tub.

Everything Else