My New Happy Place: A Review of the Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi, an All-inclusive Resort in Montenegro

I’m a big fan of Iberostar resorts, thanks to their beachy locations, all-inclusive rates, and family-friendly vibes. So when I found the Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi in Montenegro, I was excited to try it out during a trip to the Balkans.

I stayed there as part of a 12-day road trip through Croatia and Montenegro in August 2025, and I picked the hotel thanks to its glowing reviews, kids club, and gorgeous photos of the resort. During my stay, I discovered a couple of minor downsides, but in general, it’s a dreamy place for the perfect family vacation — and a hotel I’d definitely return to in the future.

Here’s my review of the Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi in Montenegro.

Booking Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi

I wanted to take advantage of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card‘s fifth-night-free benefit, so I decided to stay 5 nights on points at the all-inclusive property. The total came out to 248,000 IHG One Rewards points for my family of 3 in the lowest room category, a garden-view double.

Cash rates for the garden-view rooms were more than $500 per night. It’s worth noting that if you go in the shoulder season, rates are significantly more affordable using both points and cash.

The all-inclusive rate included:

• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the buffet restaurant
• 4 bars with snacks and drinks
• Children’s activities at Star Camp
• Daily shows and entertainment

Hot Tip:

Love Iberostar as much as I do? Check out my reviews of the Iberostar Waves Quetzal and the Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites.

Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi Location

The Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi sits on the coast where the Bay of Kotor meets the Adriatic Sea.

A short drive (about 6 miles, with the time depending on how busy the crossing is) from the Croatian border crossing, the hotel is across the water from Herceg Novi, which you can reach by car or boat taxi.

Croatia’s Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) is approximately 16 miles away, and Montenegro’s Tivat Airport (TIV) is about 18.5 miles away.

Getting There

Getting there is simple, whether you’re coming from the border crossing or from the other direction, like I did, as I was arriving from a stay at the Hyatt Regency Resort Kotor Bay.

The last mile or so before reaching the resort was on a single-lane road, so I was mindful of oncoming traffic and needed to pull to the edge of the road a few times to let oncoming cars pass.

Checking In

Pulling up, the reception didn’t look fancy, but I got a warm welcome upon checking in.

The lobby wasn’t exceptionally large or special, and it was in a standalone building in front of the rest of the hotel. I wasn’t particularly impressed with its appearance, but after getting a cold drink and being told about my upgrade, things seemed much rosier. The reception staff were friendly, welcoming, and told me information I needed to know about my stay.

Upon check-in, I was also told (this is typical at many European hotels) that I’d need to pay about €3.50 (around $4) to use the safe and a €20 (around $24) deposit for each towel. The safe I was able to pay for on my card, but — something I’ve never seen before — the towel deposit had to be in cash.

Don’t be fooled by the lobby’s basic conference room appearance. The rest of the hotel was where I found those beautiful sea views.

Elite Benefits

I was upgraded, thanks to my Platinum Elite status with IHG One Rewards. I was expecting an upgrade to the next room category, a garden-view with balcony, especially since the hotel was at full capacity during these peak-season August dates, but I ended up getting upgraded to a sea-view junior suite with a massive balcony.

I was thrilled with the upgrade, and it made paying with points an excellent deal, considering the hotel is all-inclusive and rates for this room category were more than $800 per night.

Hot Tip:

My IHG Premier card offers IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status as a complimentary benefit. The card also comes with numerous perks, like a free annual night certificate and the ability to earn up to 26x IHG One Rewards points at IHG properties.

Sea-View Junior Suite

The hotel had 4 different buildings: Luna, Stela, Venera, and Luna.

I had read that some of the rooms closer to the beach and pool were noisier at night thanks to the entertainment, but my room, 1201 in the Stela building, was set back a bit and had gorgeous sea views.

I was thrilled to walk into the icy air conditioning, and the room, though rather bare-bones, was spacious and felt newly renovated. The living area and the bedroom were separated by a partition, with a television on each side.

The sofa bed was already set up for my son.

There was a desk area with a coffee machine (it came with 2 capsules, and a note that said additional capsules started at €4, about $5).

The bedroom had 2 twin beds on a single base and 2 bedside tables. I appreciated the outlets next to each bed.

There was also a refillable water jug and 2 glasses, and I noticed water machines on every floor.

The air conditioning had a digital in-room control, and the closet had a good amount of storage space, as well as a safe and minifridge.

The balcony stretched the room’s full length, offering peaceful views of the pool and the bay.

Overall, I had a great sleep in the room, which was comfortable, spacious, and quiet. I also enjoyed waking up to the gorgeous views each morning.

Bathroom

Compared to the room, the bathroom seemed dark, dated, and small, with a tiny sink and a tub ledge so tall I could barely step in and out.

Despite this, the water pressure was strong, and the showers were hot, so I didn’t really mind. The bath amenities were nothing special, but smelled fine. The shampoo and conditioner were from Cosmos Organic, and the body wash was from Be-Therapy.

There wasn’t an outlet in the bathroom, which meant I had to plug in my curling iron in the room.

Amenities

The hotel was on the side of the mountain, and I spent the week climbing stairs to burn off everything I ate at the all-inclusive buffet.

Although there was a ramp down to the beach, there were stairs for the restaurant and to get to some of the rooms, so this particular hotel wasn’t great for anyone with mobility issues. Luckily, my 4-year-old son, to my surprise and delight, didn’t complain at all about climbing the stairs, but if this had been a couple of years ago, coming with a stroller would have been a pain.

The all-inclusive package included wine and beer on tap and soft drinks from a machine. While the red wine on tap was surprisingly tasty, the soft drinks were off-brand. The fake Coke didn’t taste that great, and there wasn’t any Sprite or transparent soft drink. However, the machine did have apple juice, orange juice, sour cherry, bubbly orange, and lemon drinks.

The entire animation team was off on Saturdays, so there were no planned activities, and the kids club was closed.

Water Taxi

It took a bit of time to drive to Herceg Novi, but the water taxi could get you there in a short ride. The hotel had its own small dock, and the taxi went back and forth every 30 minutes to an hour pretty much all day. The boat costs €15 (around $18) per person, round-trip, cash only (children were free).

Beach

Like most beaches in the region, the beach next to the resort was pebbly and rocky. This didn’t bother me, but I saw many people wearing water shoes. The beach wasn’t private, but it was mostly frequented by hotel guests.

There was a cool reuse area where people could take and leave beach toys, floaties, snorkel equipment—pretty much anything beach-related. My son found a toy pirate ship there, and it entertained him for many hours.

The beach area, though crowded (people reserved chairs by 9 a.m. each day), was beautiful and inviting.

The water was crystal clear and refreshing, and swimming out to the platform every day was fun.

Although my son could swim, I appreciated that there were practically no waves, making it a safe beach for him to play and enjoy.

Outdoor Pool

The pool offered stunning views of the bay and was large, with lots of lounge chairs (though guests also reserved these each morning) and umbrellas.

There were a few cabanas, but they cost €40 (about $47) per day, and no one bothered to pay extra for them; they were consistently empty. The loungers had sunshades at the top, which made it easy to read in the sun. The pool had a lot of activities and entertainment, like an aqua gym, contests, music, and more.

My son enjoyed the small kiddie pool, and the pool area was busy, lively, and fun.

Kids Club

One of the reasons I love staying at Iberostar properties is the Star Camp, the kids club for children ages 4 to 12. My son always has had the best time there.

He knew the mascot, Starky, and the activities were educational and fun. My 4-year-old went on treasure hunts, made sand art, played basketball, dressed up as a pirate, and did all sorts of other activities with Maria and Naz, the women who were running the camp during our stay.

Although the actual facility was small, with one indoor room and a small outdoor play area, I could tell the kids were really enjoying themselves.

Every day at 5 p.m., there was a small disco where the kids club staff led the kids in singing and dancing on the stage near the beach bar.

Spa

The spa offered facials, massages, a sauna, and even Botox and fillers. They pushed spa services hard, walking around the beach and pool and asking guests if they’d like to reserve a service. I skipped any skin care treatments, but I was a bit sore from lugging my heavy beach bag around, so I decided to get a massage at the spa for €70 (around $83).

I got the sport fit massage, their version of the deep tissue, and it wasn’t really done well. The masseuse didn’t ask me if I had any specific areas of pain, and I could tell she wasn’t very experienced. I would recommend skipping the spa, or at least the massages.

Fitness Center and Fit n’ Fun

The hotel had 2 different fitness areas: a small room near the spa with some weights and machines, and the Fit n’ Fun, where you could learn bachata or lift wooden weights with views of the sea.

Both facilities were very limited in space and equipment, but they were fine for a few days or a week to work out.

The Fit n’ Fun center had a list of activities, and next to it was a small_, sandy area for soccer, a Ping-Pong table, and petanque.

Parking

Parking was simple and free, as there was a lot behind the building where my suite was.

Food and Beverages

I found the quality of the food to be very high at this resort. It wasn’t necessarily fancy, but the food was well-prepared, tasty, and varied.

La Bahia Restaurant

Unlike other Iberostar properties I’ve stayed at, this hotel had only 1 dining option, the buffet at La Bahia. During our 5-night stay, I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner here. The restaurant was mainly indoors, with a small smoking and bar area outside with high tables.

Many of the booths and tables had gorgeous sea views.

For breakfast, there was a nice spread of tasty fresh fruit, pastries and cereals, hot food, and an omelet station.

I particularly liked the smoothie station with raspberry, mango, and banana smoothies.

Lunch offered hot international food, including pizzas and pasta, fresh vegetables, meat and seafood, and desserts.

Dinner had themed nights such as Spanish, Mexican, and Montenegrin, as well as a solid selection of international and Mediterranean food.

In general, I enjoyed the seafood, which included clams, hake, and salmon; the dessert section, which featured different types of cakes, mousses, and pudding; and the ample cheese section. My son especially enjoyed the ice cream.

Pool Bar

The pool bar featured self-serve drinks, an espresso machine, and a bartender whipping up cocktails. You couldn’t get food here, but it was open all day, and in the evening, there was entertainment, like a flute player one night, a guitar player another, and even a casino night set up with gaming tables one evening.

Beach Bar

Each day, the beach bar had snacks, food, and drinks from 12:30 to 6 p.m. The spread was limited but did the trick: a salad bar, pizzas, burgers, pasta, fresh fruit, and ice cream.

Although most days I ate lunch at the restaurant to get fish and vegetables, I loved being able to grab an iced coffee or a delicious slice of watermelon on a hot, sunny day. My son also really enjoyed his daily ice cream there. It was a pleasant and inviting space to enjoy lunch or a midday snack, complete with views of the water.

If you do happen to visit the beach without staying there, you can pay to eat there. Prices were reasonable, especially given the gorgeous views, around €10 (around $12) for a burger or plate of pasta.

Rooftop Bar

Our room and the entire resort offered stunning views of the bay, the resort, and the sparkling Adriatic, and I really didn’t think it could get better until I visited the rooftop bar at sunset.

Although it was a small space, it had comfy swinging chairs and sofas, and the views were fantastic.

Service

Every member of the staff I interacted with (with the exception of my masseuse, who seemed apathetic) was delightful. From the lifeguards who high-fived my son daily to the smiles of the kids club staff and the friendly waiters, bartenders, and reception staff, everyone was friendly and welcoming.

Final Thoughts

While I wouldn’t consider this hotel to be a luxury spot, I found it to be a hidden gem — and the perfect spa for a stress-free family vacation. The room was bare-bones, but who needs knickknacks when you have views this incredible?

I recommend that any family that doesn’t mind climbing a few stairs stay here for a beautiful, sunshine-filled vacation. This hotel stay was very memorable for my family, and I would love to come back to the Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi in the future.