Five-star Croatia holiday at Dubrovnik Palace Hotel

People have another reason to visit Dubrovnik on sailing holidays in Croatia, after a hotel in the city received a top award for its scuba diving facilities.

The Dubrovnik Palace Hotel and Blue Planet diving centre received the prestigious five-star dive resort certificate from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PIDI).

It means that vacationers keen to sail Croatia via the south coast of the Adriatic can now delve a little deeper under the waves to explore the country.

The Blue Planet diving centre has proved popular with guests in recent months with the website inviting divers into the water.

"If you like nature, have adventurous spirit, and if you are looking for new friendships and good fun, we are exactly what you have been looking for," it says.

Last month's World Travel Awards in Turkey saw the Dubrovnik Palace win the best hotel in Europe award for 2011.

The hotel's general manager Rade Malobabic put the win down to the efforts of everyone working at the resort "who constantly strive to create memorable experiences for our guests, whose wishes and needs are our top priority ".