May the 25th, 2023 - A brand new hotel has recently opened in continental Croatia, but this new addition to the Cakovec hotel scene isn't exactly what you might expect. Meet the Cakovec insect hotel, which is now ready to serve its winged and multi-legged guests.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as part of nature protection week, another Cakovec hotel has come to be. Neither tourists nor tourism workers seeking to fatten up their wallets stand to benefit from it, but nature will. This new hotel is intended for insects and was built together by the students of the School of Economics and the employees of the county public institution 'Medjimurska priroda/Medjimurje nature'. An HRT team followed the construction of the Cakovec insect hotel and found out just why those tiny flying creatures who like to come into our homes and somehow not manage to get back out are being given the five-star treatment.

Antonio Kruselj, a man employed to take care of the local nature, was the first to get to work. Planks, saws, a drill, a stapler and a hotel where solitary bees, ladybugs and other tiny winged creatures will come and stay, was half finished by that point.

"It's bese extremely important," said Bina.

"Considering that we also have occupations that can be connected to nature protection and sustainability, such as florists, agricultural technicians, businessmen, this fits nicely into our programme," said Lea Sprajc, a professor at the local Cakovec Business School.

The new Cakovec insect hotel is still waiting for its new residents in the park near the School of Economics.

"We like to choose such urbanised areas where we humans have reduced biodiversity through our influence, and as such unfortunately reduced their habitats," said Ivana Horvat from the Public Institution for Nature Protection 'Medjimurska priroda'.

"Most children are afraid of insects, some people know that they're useful, but unfortunately they don't do anything about it," said Katja from the 3rd grade, who is currently majoring in floristry.

Maybe people will now finally understand precisely how important insects are for the environment and as such for us all, because incentives can now be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture for the installation of such habitats for insects in orchards.

We'd like to wish all insects who find themselves staying at the new Cakovec insect hotel a very nice time!

For more, check out our news section.

April the 24th, 2023 - The cult Split Bellevue Hotel now has brand new owners, the Retoi company, which is also from Croatia's second largest city and has close ties to... shoes.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the brand new owner of the well known Split Bellevue Hotel is the company Retoi, which is also from Split, and which offered a massive price of 14,111,111 euros for it. The company is owned by Alex Birkenstock, who also owns the renovated Ambasador Hotel in Split.

Bids were initially opened at the Commercial Court in Split on Friday, and Retoi offered the highest among the six bids received. The company Rico Coca offered 13,100,000 euros, and Ruzarija from Zagreb had a total offer of 13,130,000 euros.

The company Tu doma submitted two identical offers of 9,109,000 euros, Porto Hvar offered 8,008,008 euros, and Mediteran trade offered 7,423,002 euros. Klaus Alex Birkenstock, one of the world's largest shoe manufacturers, otherwise the owner of the huge Birkenstock brand, bought the equipment and furniture of the hotel with the Laurus building, including 23 works of art that decorate its walls, writes Vecernji list.

The Split Bellevue Hotel was sold in the bankruptcy estate of Laurus, and the lowest total price could not be lower than 7,167,031.65 euros. All bidders also had to pay a 2 million euro bond.

This complex is otherwise one of the oldest Croatian hotels in the most prestigious location in the City of Split. It was first mentioned around 1875 under the name Hotel de la Ville. It was run by Spiridone Tocigl, and was known for its famous coffee house and medicinal baths. It has hosted numerous very notable personalities during its time.

Back at the beginning of the 20th century, J.L. Crown became the owner of the cult Split hotel and changed its name to Grand Hotel Bellevue. The first major renovation was carried out in 1933, when the hotel got heating, hot water, a lift and bathrooms next to the rooms, the greatest luxury one could thing of back at that time. Among other people, Agatha Christie, Anatole France, and Orson Welles have all stayed in the Split Bellevue Hotel.

For more, make sure to check out our news section.

February the 15th, 2023 - Croatian hotels have been present at the very first virtual job fair in this region, which promises to ''make things easier'' for those in this particular sector in Croatia and also across the immediate region.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, four larger hotel chains and three luxury resorts from the Republic of Croatia, along with several leading companies from neighbouring Montenegro and Serbia, have been participating in the first regional virtual job fair, the Virtual Hotel Job Fair, which opened on Tuesday and will last two full weeks, 24 hours per day.

This is otherwise the very first virtual edition of the job fair that the employment agency Friendly HR from the Serbian capital city of Belgrade previously organised in a live edition, but the advantage of this concept is that the fair is accessible at any time and to anyone. It also significantly simplifies the process of getting information and ensuring the application of potential workers to jobs that interest them.

"The situation on the labour market is equally difficult for everyone across the region, quality accommodation facilities that want to provide top-notch service don't have enough professional staff as they have gone to Western countries in search of better salaries, or it's simply that increases in capacity haven't been accompanied by an increase in the number of educated staff.

We're here to make it easier for everyone in the region, and at the fair we have companies from Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia, which we help to make contacts with potential workers or employers. Thanks to technology, we have the ability to provide them with information on the platform and enable direct contact via chat, as well as direct applications for specific jobs", explained Tamara Danojlic, project manager of the Friendly HR agency, which also organises fair for future students in Serbia.

The Friendly HR agency provides a wide range of services in the field of human resources, from finding talent, evaluating and educating employees, employer brand to the organisation of team activities and corporate events. The idea is that the Virtual Hotel Job Fair will take place twice a year, and this first one is important because it is taking place before the summer season, when the search for workers for Croatian hotels is in full swing.

There numerous Croatian hotels present - The chains Falkensteiner, Liburnia Riviera Hotel, Losinj Hotels&Villas and Aminess and the resorts Maslina from Hvar, Marina Novi from Novi Vinodolski and the Obonjan Resort are all participating in the fair.

The platform has a rich animation that gives visitors the impression of a virtual walk through the fair, and in addition to visiting company stands and talking to representatives of hotel companies, visitors can attend a series of lectures in the fair's conference hall.

"We wanted to add this educational component as well, by offering content that candidates would otherwise have to pay for, and here all the content is free. There will be training sessions and lectures in the field of catering, where participants will be able to learn new things, expand their knowledge and gain additional experience in this exciting and dynamic business. These activities will allow visitors to learn more about the hotel industry and to better prepare for their future jobs," stated Tamara Danojlic.

That the demand for workers across Croatia is stronger than last year was shown by the recently held online seasonal job fair Sezonac.hr, which recorded more than 200,000 visits and more than 1,200,000 page views, as well as more than 7,200 applications for their advertised jobs. Those interested could apply for a record number of more than 200 job advertisements, and according to tourism sector estimates, 10 to 15 percent more tourism workers will be required in Croatia this year than last year.

The search will be more difficult than it has been over the past few years, given that tourism is returning to all countries in an environment without public health restrictions. Looking for workers from third countries will be a little easier for employers than it was in previous years, given the new rules regarding the employment of seasonal returnees and faster procedures have been announced.

For more, check out our dedicated news section.

February the 7th, 2023 - Zagreb hotel capacities are set to increase significantly this year, with numerous projects in the pipeline down on the coast from Dubrovnik to the Istrian peninsula.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, although the aforementioned items are investments that have been going on for a few years now, 2023 will bring the most news to the Zagreb hotel scene, which is finally returning to pre-pandemic tourism numbers, and business events are going along with it. Maistra is set to open the newly renovated former Panorama, Arena in the centre will open Radisson, a in Praska ulica, a hotel is being completed by an Albanian investor - the Abau company.

After the implementation of several large projects down on the Adriatic over the past few years, such as Adris's Grand Hotel Park, Arena's Grand Hotel Brioni, Hotel View in Postira, summer destinations mostly have minor adaptations or investments set up for this season, aimed primarily ay improving the quality of the content and services. Several new large projects are being prepared, which won't be completed until the beginning of the 2024 summer season, such as Split's Marjan or the first Croatian Hyatt, which the Turkish Dogus has now finally started building.

These are all projects that were planned long before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic or the jump in inflation that slowed down or postponed many such projects. In addition, Croatia still has unresolved issues of tourist land and maritime property, which partially slow down decision-making on investments all along the Adriatic.

A survey conducted by the Association of Employers in the Croatian Hotel Industry back at the end of the last season showed that around 400-500 million kuna will be invested in the preparation of the next tourist season, which is roughly half of the potential it does boast. At the same time, the total investment potential of the members is about 35 billion kuna, but only when it comes to ''ready-made'' projects. Part of those projects will be financed through the NPOO, for which the tender is still ongoing, and so far the public is only partially informed about investment projects in thermal capacities in the continental part of the country.

Although the revenues of tourism companies over the first nine months of last year were higher by 22 percent compared to the revenues in the same period of pre-pandemic 2019, at the same time, operating expenses increased by 41 percent. The costs of raw materials and other such items increased by 45 percent, and labour costs by 26 percent, which is why most of the standard financial indicators of tourism companies last year had a negative trend, both in relation to 2021 and 2019.

The gross profit margin of tourism companies, which was 13.5 percent back in 2018, was almost halved last year to 7.6 percent, the share of profit before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in total revenues decreased compared to 2021 for 8 percentage points, and the rate of return on business has also decreased compared to 2019.

The analysis showed that tourism companies' pre-tax profit of 1.238 billion kuna from 2021 and 2022 (estimates for the entire year based on results achieved over the first nine months) still doesn't cover the pre-tax losses of 1.551 billion from pandemic-dominated 2020. On top of all that, the rate of change in long-term tangible assets fell, which is indicative of a slowdown in the investment cycle, and this potentially endangers the realisation of the business results of tourism companies in the future.

As has now been learned, investments in the tourism portfolio managed by Valamar Riviera for the year 2023 are planned in the amount of 58 million euros, which includes various projects in all of their destinations, as well as the continued development of the Istra Premium Camping Resort.

Investments worth around 32 million euros are also underway down in Dubrovnik, related to the repositioning of the Valamar Tirena Hotel to 4*, the rebranding of the Valamar Club Dubrovnik hotel to the Sunny Plus brand, and the investment in the Valamar Lacroma Hotel and Maro World facilities for children, which are all part of the investment cycle of Imperial Riviera after the recapitalisation of Dubrovnik hotels by both Valamar Riviera and AZ pension funds. A special emphasis of investments in 2023 will be placed on further investments in digitisation, sustainability and product improvement, the company says.

The total planned investments of Adris Group in the tourism part of the business in 2023 will amount to a massive 820 million kuna, of which more than 300 million kuna will be directed to improving the quality and offer of Istria's many campsites. Preparations for two strategic tourism projects, the Westin hotel in Zagreb and the Marjan hotel in Split, are also in the pipeline. The reconstruction and repositioning of the former Zagreb hotel Panorama was part of the investment plan for last year and amounted to almost 220 million kuna, and they expect the opening of that particular new Zagreb hotel this spring.

That Zagreb hotel will undergo a major transformation, and one of the main ideas of the project is for the lower part of the hotel to be maximally open to the public and become the lifeblood of this part of the capital. Adris also noted that they have invested more than six billion kuna in tourism so far, and in the period 2023-2025, they plan to invest an additional 460 million euros in total.

Furniture is already arriving at the hotel in Zagreb's Praska ulica, and this upcoming Zagreb hotel is taking shape well, although the exact date of the opening, as well as the amount of the investment that was launched five years ago by the Abau company in the building it bought from Zagrebacka banka, hasn't yet been communicated. The company Abau was founded back in 2015 with its headquarters in Lovran by the Albanian company Gener 2 SHKP, which is in the construction and energy business, and among others, they are involved in the construction of the Adriatic pipeline.

After the completion of the Arena Franz Ferdinand hotel in the Austrian Nassfeld ski resort, in the second quarter of this year, the Arena Hospitality group plans to complete the project of the Zagreb Radisson Hotel, a high-category lifestyle hotel that was launched back in the autumn of 2021.

This 118-room Zagreb hotel will include a restaurant and bar, wellness and spa facilities, a fitness centre, event spaces and parking. The hotel will also include the first and only rooftop pool and bar in all of the City of Zagreb. While the project is progressing without any underlying construction or structural issues, delays and complications related to the supply chain adversely affect the planned completion of the works. As a result, the project is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2023 only, the investor noted in the third quarter report.

They also added that the group is still exposed to the high inflation costs that are continuing to prevail throughout all of Europe, which negatively affects the cost of purchasing goods and services, not to mention raw materials. The expected profitability over the coming months is therefore affected by the increasing operating costs, overheads and salaries. The group is working on a number of energy conservation initiatives across its operations and is also planning to invest in solar energy to reduce energy costs.

Arena's important investment this year will also be the beginning of the second phase of the repositioning of the Arena Stoja camp, a project worth around 3 million euros. This phase includes a new entrance to the camp, an extensive renovation of the main restaurant and cafe bar, along with major infrastructure upgrades.

After last year's investment of 45 million euros, the Sunce hotels company is continuing its investment cycle in its Bluesun hotel chain, and they're set to enter into the renovation of Hotel Afrodita in Tucepi and Hotel Bonaca in Bol on the island of Brac, which is why the Arab investor Eagle Hills Real Estate plans to recapitalise the company with almost 9 million euros. As has since been learned from that particular company, in addition to the renovation of these two hotels, there are also several smaller operations to improve their offer and raise the quality of services in other facilities going on.

A big investment cycle is also starting further inland in Plitvice, where the renovation of the Plitvice and Belevue hotels, the demolition of the Grabovac hotel and the construction of a new hotel with four stars, 146 rooms, a swimming pool and a congress hall are underway.

Works are also starting on the Hyatt Regency Zadar Maraska hotel, which should open its doors next year, as many as eight years since the Turkish Dogus announced its entry into this investment. Hyatt Regency Zadar Maraska will operate as part of the well known Regency brand of Hyatt International Group, and is the first hotel under the Hyatt brand in all of Croatia so far. This Zadar hotel will have 133 rooms and suites, a bar, restaurants, a spa area, and a conference hall spanning an impressive 400 square metres in total.

For more, make sure to check out our news section.

February the 1st, 2023 - A very welcome fifteen million euros is set to be poured into a Sunce Hotels investment as part of yet another such cycle. As things begin gearing up for the 2023 summer tourist season, it's a move that can't come too soon.

As Jadranka Dozan/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Sunce Hotels (Hoteli) has taken yet another step towards the continuation of its investment cycle. At an assembly held recently, the proposal on recapitalisation was confirmed.

Along with the recalculation and adjustment of the share capital as part of the conversion to the euro (by reducing the nominal value of the share from 13.27 euros to 13 euros), the proposal to increase the share capital by slightly less than nine (8.86) million euros, from 92.88 million euros to 101.75 million euros was accepted.

This new increase will be implemented through the issue of new shares, which will be subscribed by the majority owner, the Arab Eagle Hills Real Estate, through its company in the City of Zagreb. Since the registration of new shares is planned at 22 euros per share, which is significantly above the "nominal value", 15 million euros of fresh capital will flow into the company through recapitalisation.

After about 45 million euros were invested last year, this will ensure financing for this year's planned investments. Sunce Hotels investments are already taking on a very firm shape, as the company has already announced the renovation of Hotel Afrodita in Tucepi on the mainland and of Hotel Bonaca in Bol on the island of Brac.

In addition to the above, there are also plans for several smaller operations within the new Sunce Hotels investment cycle to improve the overall offer and raise the quality of services provided in their other facilities. So far, it is not known whether Eagle Hills will also take over the state's stake in Brac Airport.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

November the 25th, 2022 - The general manager of Zagreb's well known and very popular Esplanade Hotel, Ivica Max Krizmanic, has won the prestigious World Luxury Hotel Award for 2022.

As Suzana Varosanec/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the general ,anager of Zagreb's Esplanade Hotel, Ivica, Max Krizmanic, is the winner of the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2022 for the best general manager in all of Southern Europe. This is otherwise a very prestigious award that is traditionally awarded to the absolute best in the demanding hotel industry.

The press release stating that Ivica Max Krizmanic had received this year's prestigious award was signed by Sanda Sokol, the PR & Marketing Manager of the Esplanade Hotel, stating that "this significant international success is the crowning achievement of the impressive career of the general manager of the Esplanade Hotel, Ivica Max Krizmanic and is a great honour for the hotel itself, as well as for the City of Zagreb".

"I can say that I'm surprised, I didn't expect that this great international recognition would go to me. This is a special honour and certainly a motivation to achieve even better results in my future work. I'm glad that I built my career here at the Esplanade Hotel, which is the pride of Croatian tourism. And I'd first of all dedicate this award to my colleagues, who are the main link in the overall work and successful business of the hotel,'' said Krizmanic when receiving the award. It's worth noting that this year, he'll mark around 30 years of work at the Esplanade Hotel and exactly one decade in the position of its general director. The above makes him one of the longest serving directors of the Esplanade Hotel in history.

"The merits for his work have been recognised at the international level, where he has already been awarded for his success in the past. Back in 2018, he received the prestigious international Five Star Diamond Award for excellence in the hotel industry, and in 2021, the Fest - Antonio Conte Charter award, which was awarded to him for his professional excellence, creativity, achieved results, exceptional contribution to the promotion of Croatian tourism and the improvement of tourist cooperation,'' it was stated in the press release.

It's worth noting that Ivica Max Krizmanic also holds many other important positions: he's a member of the Council of the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb and the Assembly of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), he's an honorary member of FIJET (Croatian Association of Travel Journalists and Writers in Tourism), a member of SKAL, as well as a member of the international gastronomic society Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and the organising committee of AmCham Talents. On top of that, he also acts as a mentor to future professionals. He is also an Ambassador of Knowledge at the Life Learning Academy and a long-time prominent member of the prestigious European Association of Hotel Managers (EHMA).

Ivica Max Krizmanic grew up in the City of Zagreb, and is a mechanical technician by profession. He was educated at the management schools of the Rezidor hotel group, as well as at Cornell University, Ithaca NY, in the USA. In 2012, he took over the management of the Esplanade Hotel and year after year since, the hotel has recorded constant growth and quite significantly increased revenue.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

November the 8th, 2022 - Croatian hotels could soon become the practical classrooms for students from Austria's private IMC Krems as the need for high quality staff in tourism becomes more pressing.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, Croatian hotels could soon become classrooms for the practical parts of classes for students studying tourism and the wine business at the Austrian University of Applied Sciences (IMC), a leading private university with international significance that generates top-class personnel in tourism around the world.

With the growing need for top quality staff in tourism operations and management, it is also expected that the IMC university campus in the Austrian university town of Krems could attract more and more Croatian students. Even though it is a private university, thanks to significant state subsidies, tuition fees for IMC Krems are extremely affordable.

"Our University is the most international in Europe, and since its foundation back in 1994, it has been the first private university for tourism in all of Europe. We're committed to innovation and an international approach, with a special emphasis placed on the practical part of the teaching that our students must do abroad," revealed Karl Ennsfellner, president of the University's board, at a press conference.

IMC Krems was founded back in 1994 as the International Management Centre (IMC) by Dr. Heinz Boyer, who is now chairman of the university's supervisory board and majority owner, while the Austrian city of Krems itself holds a 30 percent stake.

Eight years after its establishment, they received the status of a higher education institution, and since then the university has grown rapidly. IMC Krems currently offers seventeen bachelor's and ten master's programmes, as well as three continued education courses, and about 40 percent of the programmes are taught in English. Programmes in three core areas - business, science and technology, and health - are all offered to full-time students, as well as those who choose to study while working.

Their programmes are closely related to the university's core focuses on business, digitalisation and engineering, health and life sciences, and they generate the most income from biotechnology studies, in which they closely cooperate with leading pharmaceutical companies. IMC Krems has more than 160 partner universities and they have attracted students from 50 different countries.

The practical part of the 22-week course takes place in hotels abroad all over the world, and currently students are very interested in South America," says Bauer-Krösbacher. In addition, classes take place at partner universities in Egypt, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, China, Latvia and Vietnam, and Croatian hotels may well be the next practical classroom for students.

For more, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.

November the 1st, 2022 - The Croatian company Valamar has enjoyed some excellent results and impressive revenue growth, but could all that end up being threatened by inflationary pressures? It seems rising costs are already making a dint.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to Valamar's business report for the first nine months of 2022, this huge Croatian tourism company achieved results that confirm the recovery of business operations after two years dominated by the public health crisis, and they also indicate the significant impact of the new crisis on business costs.

2.32 billion kuna in operating income was successfully achieved by Valamar, which was an increase of 14% when compared to the pre-pandemic 2019, primarily as a result of an increase in average prices of 19.5%. Operating profit (EBITDA) during the first 9 months of this year reached 943 million kuna, representing growth of 7.7%. The highest growth was achieved by premium hotels and campsites, which confirmed the justification of Valamar's previous investments in tourism with high added value. Northern destinations have also been recording higher demand and faster recovery than southern Croatia has, although hotels down south in Dubrovnik also reached the level of traffic they enjoyed back in 2019 during the main summer season.

Operating costs for the first nine months of 2022 grew by 19% compared to 2019 due to the significant increase in energy costs and the growth of other operating costs under the influence of spiralling and ongoing inflation. Electricity costs increased by a massive 89 million kuna, while other costs increased by a total of 126 million kuna when compared to back in 2019. The biggest impact on the increase in costs has been a staggering three-fold increase in the price of electricity to 230 euros per MWh, due to which, the work of many larger accommodation facilities during the off-season has been shortened.

"With revenue growth of 14% compared to 2019, Valamar Riviera has achieved full recovery from the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Through the increase in service prices, primarily the price of accommodation in the premium segment, we managed to amortise the enormous increase in energy costs and the increase we've seen with other operating costs.

Ahead of us is a year full of a lot of uncertainty and challenges owing to the energy crisis, inflation, the cost of financing and geopolitical disturbances, but there's also good news such as Croatia's impending entry into both the Eurozone and into Schengen. The country's tourism sector should turn to the preparation of the next tourist season as soon as possible in order to ensure competitive business conditions and sustainable growth of tourism in time,'' said Zeljko Kukurin, President of the Management Board of Valamar Riviera.

Despite the crisis, investments in the amount of 530 million kuna were realised this year within several facilities managed by Valamar. The investment in Valamar Amicor Green Resort in the amount of 220 million kuna has significantly raised the quality of the offer on the Central Dalmatian island of Hvar, and refers to the construction of the first summer resort that follows the highest standards of green construction and sustainability. On the mainland in Makarska, the Dalmacija hotel was completely renovated and became Valamar's second lifestyle hotel under the PLACES brand. The Corinthia Hotel in Baska was renovated according to the standards of the Sunny Plus brand, and back in July, the acquisition of the third hotel in Obertauern was finalised, which will open for the 2022/2023 winter season, welcoming guests as Valamar Collection Kesselspitze Hotel 5*.

Valamar is otherwise the largest employer in Croatian tourism by far, employing 7,700 employees this year alone. In order to improve working conditions and retain local employees, 15 million euros were invested this year in salary increases and numerous reward programmes. By entering the TOP 10 most desirable Croatian employers, Valamar has confirmed its long-standing position as the best employer in the country's tourism sector. Back in June this year, Valamar presented its brand new sustainability strategy and ESG goals which it intends to implement until the year 2025, within which, over the next three years to be precise, it plans to become a carbon-neutral company in the first and second scope and to invest 50 million euros in the further development of its destinations and sustainability projects.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

October the 9th, 2022 - Croatian hotels have the best reviews and ratings in the entire Mediterranean region, but there is one thing which could use some improvement...

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, Croatian hotels have the best guest ratings in the Mediterranean, but they haven't valorised them through their prices which remain lower than both in Italy and France, especially in the pre- and post-season.

In other words, claims that Croatia has become too expensive have little to no basis, especially in the five-star hotel segment. Admittedly, the country is still weak when it comes to the world of card payments, as was revealed by the leading analysts who gathered recently at a panel as part of this year's Days of Croatian Tourism event in Sibenik.

According to an analysis by Trust You based on guest ratings on all online platforms, Croatian hotels have higher guest ratings than hotels in France, Italy, Greece and Spain, and this country remains the most competitive in terms of friendly service, as stated by Larisa Dedus, the director of Trust You.

"Croatian hotels lead the way in high ratings when it comes to guest satisfaction. The top four categories that contribute to excellence and are mentioned the most in guest's texts are room categories, hotels in general, location and services. The guests give the highest marks to the friendliness of the staff, which contributes to the guest feeling good in Croatia," sais Dedus.

Sandra Jankovic from the Faculty of Tourism Management pointed out, however, that Croatian hotels didn't fully valorise these good ratings.

"Croatian hotels had the lowest room prices in the entire Mediterranean, and five-star hotels had lower prices than their competitors in both France and Italy, especially in the period before and after the height of the summer season, with room prices of less than 100 euros. However, in 2022, the average price per room increased by 25 percent. Despite higher costs and slightly lower utilisation, this season, five -star hotels managed to pick the cream of the crop, seeing them achieve an increase in gross operating profit,'' pointed out Jankovic.

When it comes to card payments, which is a proven generator of tourist spending, the Republic of Croatia is significantly below its competitors.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

September 15th, 2022 - The much anticipated Split Hotel Ambasador is now officially open! Split's high-class tourism offer has received an extraordinary boost in the form of Hotel Ambasador.

This brand new hotel received its first guests last week and is a true jewel in the crown of the city's hotel offer; the Split Hotel Ambasador was designed from the beginning as a link that connects the urbanity of the large city centre and the untouched beauty of the nearby Dalmatian islands.

Its position in the very heart of the city, on the promenade (Riva) from which you can cast your eyes over the most beautiful panorama of Split, and get a fantastic view of the harbour and the entire Split archipelago, are the reasons why the renovation of the Ambasador - in the first incarnation of the classic modern work from 1937 by the architect Josip Kodl - was from the beginning under the enormous magnifying glass held by the wider public. The ''old'' Split Hotel Ambasador was very much a part of the city's collective memory, and every change to it inevitably aroused considerable interest.

The new Split Hotel Ambasador will indeed offer more than any hotel in the immediate vicinity: this project by Nora Roja, Nene Kezić and Emil Šverk has been categorised as 5*, with 101 rooms (including three suites) - each of which has an open view of the city or the harbour. It is located in the Zapadna obala part of Split, which connects the famous Riva and Diocletian's Palace on one side, and the ACI marina, the city's most beautiful beaches and heavily forested Marjan hill on the other.

With its luxurious yet comfortable decoration, it invites you to indulge in some relaxation and permeation with the spirit of Split being the heart of the Mediterranean lifestyle.

The interior (designed by Pero Vuković from ARHIV studio) was created with special attention to natural materials. In its key accents, it brings the story of the tradition and exclusivity of the Split Hotel Ambasador. So, for example, all areas in the hotel, from the lobby to the rooms, are decorated with ''typically Split'' historical or recent scenes that were recorded or collected by Split photo chronicler Feđa Klarić.

The reception desk is the handiwork of no less than Slavonian master carpenters, made of black oak, so-called Abonos (bogwood), which comes from the bottom of the Sava river and is 1850 years old. There is also a dedication to the architectural history of the Republic of Croatia in the form of chairs designed by Bernardo Bernardi, along with a number of other details that the trained eye will easily notice. The design of the rooms sees the use of top-quality materials and calming neutral tones combined with the lively scenes outside.

The common areas are oriented conceptually ''outside'', according to what is the greatest asset of the Split Hotel Ambasador - the sea and the city, from which the guests are separated only by a narrow strip of the promenade, and in this way, they communicate with the hustle and bustle of life in the second largest Croatian city, becoming an integral part of the city life.

Within the hotel lies the Méditerranée Restaurant with a total of 210 seats, which, under the leadership of chef Ivica Katić, will offer the best of Mediterranean cuisine - from Lebanon to Gibraltar, with the use of local organic ingredients from local OPGs (family farms) and small producers as a guarantee of top product quality. Right next to it is Bar Split, dominated by an imposing-looking bar which boasts a truly excellent selection of drinks and a comfortable interior that invites you to come on in and socialise. The terrace with the most beautiful view of the city contributes to this already extremely attractive offer, so this bar will surely become a favourite gathering place for many Split locals as well.

The open swimming pool with a view of the City of Split and the harbour and the associated pool bar is another in a series of effective advantages of this particular hotel, and the Split Hotel Ambassador's speciality is the multifunctional conference centre with a capacity of 80 people, which was conceived above all for high-profile business events, while the rooftop bar is designed as an exclusive space for private events intended for a smaller number of people.

The hotel, of course, also offers a whole range of beauty and spa services within the 500-square-metre Hacelia Wellness & Spa, the concept of which was designed by the consulting company Vita Vitalis. It offers guests various face, body and hair treatments and massages, all with the help of exclusive natural cosmetics, and a separate fitness centre with cardio machines ready for use.

Another feature that will make the Ambasador stand out from the current Split hotel offer is the ample garage space, which is a rarity for a hotel in the city centre.

''Given that the construction of the hotel took longer than initially expected, largely slowed down by disruptions on the global market caused by the coronavirus crisis, this large project, worth more than 35 million euros in total, was extremely demanding to finalise,'' they state from the hotel's management, who also thank all participants in this process which led to the opening of the Ambasador hotel this tourist season.

The market position of this truly exceptional hotel doesn't suggest excessive dependence on seasonal trends. The Ambasador was designed and constructed to offer the best of what Split, Dalmatia and Croatia have to offer all year round - relaxed luxury, stunning beauty inside that underlines the opulence boasted outside, gastronomic highlights with the best local ingredients, being classed as a unique destination on the world map, shining the spotlight on Split, and in short, a superior experience of the Mediterranean.

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