The popular Esplanade Hotel in the Croatian capital city of Zagreb is experiencing a massive drop in bookings, but has taken it upon itself to offer its guests the ability to download its menus and newspapers via their smartphones, safely and in a contactless way.

Croatian tourism has taken a very heavy blow thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has reared its ugly head once again following a couple of weeks of peace after the questionable holding of a tennis event in Zadar. As such, Croatian hotels have little choice but to try to ride the storm during which the waves keep getting higher.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of June, 2020, Zagreb's Esplanade Hotel currently has an occupancy rate of just 20 percent, which, although low, is much better than it was back in May, but the situation is unpredictable because reservations are being made from today to tomorrow.

The above was revealed by the hotel's director, Ivica Max Krizmanic, on the occasion of the presentation of the hotel's new promotional film.

''Last year, we had more than 3000 overnight stays in this period, and this year we've only a little more than 400 of them. In the last month, most of our guests came from Croatia (28%) and neighbouring countries, Serbia (12%), Germany (10%), the US (5%) and the UK (4%), and those who came were here mainly for business.

The rest of them are tourists, individuals, and there are currently no groups, there probably won’t even be any soon, either,'' Krizmanic pointed out.

The Esplanade Hotel has offered guests the contactless ability to download the hotel's menus and daily newspapers via their smartphones, and the hotel’s own mobile app allows for possible room service orders.

The Health Club and limousine service are running but continue to take very strict precautions in their operations, and the rooms are thoroughly cleaned, ventilated and placed in 48-hour isolation.

"In these uncertain times, we shot a promotional video in which we're trying to bring potential guests closer to what we offer, and that's a combination of a sense of security, luxury and the Esplanade Hotel's special charm," said Krizmanic.

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The few people who do not live here in Zagreb but who have somehow found themselves travelling through the city during these strange days can count the hotels that remain open on their fingertips. One of them is the popular Zagreb Westin Hotel.

As Dora Koretic/Novac writes on the 12th of April, 2020, there are exactly seven of them, and the largest among them that, despite the coronavirus pandemic, is keeping its doors open to travellers is the aforementioned hotels on the once busy Savska cesta.

Until recently, it was central place for travellers who have somewhat deeper pockets, boasting a bar in which a good part of the Zagreb business scene was arranging various jobs. These days, however, it is eerily quiet, witha reduced workforce twiddling their thumbs and wondering when the epidemic will pass.

Otherwise a member of the Marriott Group, the Zagreb Westin Hotel has remained open as the only facility belonging to a major hotel chain in the Croatian capital city, following the announcement of the closure of hotel facilities, mainly to accommodate guests arriving in Croatia on a mission, such as medical staff, European and international officials, and of course - scientists.

According to the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), there are so few people in Zagreb at the moment who don't actually live here that they would not be able to fill a single floor of the Zagreb Westin Hotel.

As touched on before, at the moment, there are seven open hotels in Zagreb. Although they didn't want to disclose how many guests are currently staying at the Westin, it has since been learned that during the pandemic, the hotel is mostly occupied by individual guests from Croatia and a small number of foreigners, mainly guests from the USA, and special measures have been introduced due to these unprecedented circumstances in accordance with the recommendations of Croatian health institutions, and especially with regard to the restrictions imposed by the Civil Protection Headquarters throughout the country.

Thus, we've learned that all of the Zagreb Westin Hotel's catering facilities are closed, so there is no hotel bar or dining at the hotel restaurant. However, in order for the hotel guests to be able to receive food normally, all meals are prepared in the hotel kitchen and delivered directly to people's rooms.

"We're always focused on the well-being of our guests and employees, even in these unexpected circumstances," a statement from the Zagreb Westin said.

Interestingly, despite the fact that there are no guests, nor is it likely that there will be any soon, they say from the Zagreb Westin Hotel that they didn't significantly change the hotel's pricing policy at the time of the pandemic.

"The overnight rates have not changed significantly due to this new situation. In particular, an overnight stay in a double room from April 8-9 amounts to €91, €122 for bed and breakfast,'' it was revealed.

Maistra hasn't disclosed what additional services are available to guests during these special circumstances, but given the regulations and the special regime, the spa and wellness centre are not currently available at the hotel, and from Maistra they advise that, in accordance with the recommendations of health institutions, they provide guests room service and food delivery services exclusively, with all staff equipped with the proper masks and gloves.

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Several popular Zagreb hotels are now shutting their doors, with one of them remaining open, but how long that will last is unknown.

Hotels are putting the keys in the locks of their respective doors across the country. Zagreb, the capital city of the country presiding over the EU Council which was counting on big revenue from the numerous official EU meetings which were set to take place in its hotels - is closing their doors.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 18th of March, 2020, as of today, the Zagreb hotels Sheraton, Panorama, International and Jadran are closing their doors, so far, only Westin remains in operatation.

Certain workers who are working on fixed-term contracts will not see their employment contracts extended, others will go on annual holiday from now until April the 20th, 2020, and if the situation persists, unfortunate workers will be informed of further proceedings as the coronavirus situation unfolds.

Like others, until just a few weeks ago, HUP Zagreb was actively looking for employees for its Zagreb hotels, which were due to experience excellent revenue as a result of Croatia's EU Presidency. As has since been learned, the situation was being treated as normal until around the March, when the number of guests started to decrease, having been reduced to just a few here and there over the last, crucial week.

As the coronavirus situation continues to hold the global economy in its tight grip, Zagreb hotel employees sadly don't know what will happen after their annual holiday expires if the hotels do not reopen their doors by then.

It is not known until when Westin will continue to operate normally, which, according to unofficial information, could soon become Zagreb's only hotel to have remained open. Namely, as was announced yesterday, new measures are planned to be adopted in Parliament today to try to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, which should include the closure of restaurants and hotels.

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As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 4th of February, 2020, the Arena Hospitality Group confirmed on Tuesday that their latest investment, which will be in a new Zagreb hotel, will be located in Amruseva street, confirming unofficial information which has been circulating since last week.

As is already known, the Arena Hospitality Group, owned by the Dutch PPHE Group, announced on Thursday that it is investing in a luxury hotel in the historic part of the City of Zagreb. Since then, it has been unofficially learned that the facility is being rented by the Jewish Community of Zagreb.

"We plan to open a modern, upscale five-star hotel in Amruseva street with approximately 120 rooms, meeting rooms, a wellness centre and a restaurant. The architectural project is under construction and the total investment will be known soon, as will as brand under which the hotel will operate,'' they stated from the Arena Hospitality Group when discussing their new Zagreb hotel investment, noting that they will soon be able to reveal more and offer a clearer picture.

In addition to their impressive Croatian portfolio in Pula, which will be joined by the new Zagreb hotel in about two years' time, PPHE Hotel Group has hotels across Europe in some of the continent's most popular cities, including Berlin, Budapest, London, Utrecht and Amsterdam, operating under the desirable Park Plaza and Art'otel brand. They recently announced the opening of another new hotel in Europe, more precisely in London and one much further afield, across the Atlantic in New York.

Last spring, they opened the Holmes Hotel in the City of London, followed by the opening of the Park Plaza Vondelpark Hotel in Amsterdam in the autumn, in which they invested a massive 10 million euros, six million euros was invested in the renovation of the Park Plaza Hotel in Utrecht.

In addition to the new Zagreb hotel, the opening of Art'otel London Hoxton in the United Kingdom will be announced in 2023, which it will manage itself, and a project is underway in New York.

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As Novac/Dora Koretic writes on the 4th of February, 2020, after an attractive piece of property on Zagreb's Victims of Fascism Square has sat empty almost a decade, the building that once housed students and boasted a student polyclinic could finally have a new, much more specific function.

This empty building on Victims of Fascism Square would likely take on a tourism-oriented function, given that the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which also owns the property, recently launched a non-binding tender, with up to eleven bidders, with most of them interested in converting this attractive building into a hotel.

This was revealed by HAZU President Velimir Neidhardt in an interview with Nedjeljni Jutarnji, confirming that interest in turning the property into yet another new Zagreb hotel is extremely high, but investors who see a polyclinic or a private university being placed there also applied for the competition.

''It is true that a total of eleven bidders applied for the tender, but it was a non-binding tender, after which, a binding tender will be announced very soon. We can't find reveal any of the names of the bidders so far,'' a statement from HAZU said in response to an inqury on the matter.

A little more detail was revealed by Neidhardt in his interview for Jutarnji, and he confirmed that the facility is likely to become a hotel, although HAZU has been negotiating with the Department of Science for years, who have been wanting to find a more convenient location for its headquarters.

"For many years, we've been negotiating with the Ministry of Science who have a desire to move here... We expect the Ministry to make itself known. If it doesn't decide on that, then we'll have to go with other projects. We will definitely break into all that within a month or two. We're getting a new investment,'' Neidhardt announced. However, as the aforementioned publication reports from the Ministry, no agreement was reached between them and HAZU, and it is unlikely that this will happen any time soon.

The idea has faced a lot of criticism, however.

A non-binding tender for the lease of the building was launched back in November last year, and it was evident that HAZU was being offered the lease a building of four dilations in an attractive, protected urban area of the city, involving a protected monument of pre-war architectural heritage. In the general urban plan, it is located in zone D for public use and, most importantly of all, requires a thorough renovation before being put to use for any purpose.

Otherwise, it is a building for which HAZU has received quite a lot of criticism over the years, especially since the Academy got rid of the "Ivan Mestrovic" student home from the building back in 2011 after a lawsuit, and later the student polyclinic after the lease between HAZU and the Health Centre expired.

From then until today, that is to say, for nine years now, this attractive piece of real estate in the centre of the city, more precisely located on Victims of Fascism Square, has been lying totally vacant, and although journalists have occasionally questioned what academics will do with this valuable property over the last nine years, until just one month ago, it wasn't possible to get a concrete answer from HAZU at all.

The courtyard building covers a total of 8,500 gross square feet, and it also has a driveway and some ancillary buildings. The estimated lease value in the non-binding tender has not been defined, which means that the number of tenderers in the binding tender may be slightly different.

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For many years, the Croatian capital of Zagreb was all but overlooked when it came to tourism. Foreigners much preferred the glitz and glam of the glorious Dalmatian coast and its rugged beaches and crystal clear sea, with only a handful here and there visiting central Zagreb for a dose of continental Croatian charm. 

Over recent years, that has changed, with more and more foreign tourists discovering the varied beauty of continental Croatia. Far from the sea, but steeped in history and full of rolling hills, mountains and gorgeous architecture which looks entirely different from that dotted along the coastline.

With continental Croatian tourism firmly on the up and visits to not only central Zagreb but far beyond, trickling into Zagreb County, Lika and indeed further east into neglected Slavonia, the hotel industry has stepped up its game, with its eye on central Zagreb in particular.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 30th of January, 2020, the new hotel in central Zagreb will enhance the geographical spread of the Pula-based Arena Hospitality Group's already impressive portfolio, which is currently centrally positioned on the Istrian coast. The move will reduce seasonal exposure, a statement from the company claimed.

The Arena Hospitality Group announced on the Zagreb Stock Exchange this morning that they have signed a 45-year lease "for the purpose of developing and operating a modern branded hotel in Zagreb", which means that bustling central Zagreb will be richer for yet another gorgeous hotel in just a couple of years.

When finally complete, the new hotel will boast as many as 115 rooms and a restaurant, bar, a wellness centre and spa, a fully equipped gym, conference facilities and even parking. For those who know Zagreb well, they'll know that the parking part in itself is something to celebrate.

"This transaction is another important milestone for the Arena Hospitality Group in executing its strategy to strengthen its presence across Central and Eastern Europe. The new hotel in central Zagreb will enhance the geographical spread of the Group's portfolio, which is currently centrally positioned on the Istrian coast, and reduce seasonal exposure. This addition to the portfolio will also help strengthen the Group's profile in the high and lifestyle segments," the company stated.

Follow our travel page for more. If it's just the Croatian capital that you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow or check out our dedicated Zagreb in a Page for all you need to know about the home of Croatia's EU presidency.

The Croatian EU presidency is now in full swing and the country will chair the rotating presidency of the bloc for the next six months, after having taken over from Finland. While numerous events are set to take place in Croatia, hotels, especially those in Zagreb, are already experiencing a boom in filling up their capacities, as we reported on recently.

As Barbara Ban/Novac writes on the 4th of January, 2020, the current Croatian EU presidency will unarguably contribute to the better occupancy of hotels in the capital city of Zagreb, however, the largest HUP hotelier in Zagreb, under whose cap operate highly popular hotels including The Westin Zagreb, Sheraton Zagreb, Panorama Zagreb, International, Adriatic and Zagreb, with a total capacity of 1,227 units, is not yet revealing any figures publicly.

During the Croatian presidency of the EU, the highest interest was recorded in hotels of the highest category, The Westin Zagreb and the Sheraton Zagreb Hotel, which are already very well filled and extremely popular among tourists and those in Zagreb on business alike.

''We believe that we will realise a better occupancy compared to the same period in 2019,'' reads a statement on the matter from Rovinj's Maistra, which after managing the sale of shares and strategic partnership between the Adris Group and HUP Zagreb, manages these hotels located in Zagreb today.

''The hotels have a solid team of experts in them who have hosted numerous international conferences and summits for many years, and our hotels, restaurants and conference halls are ready for the upcoming event. A special menu has been prepared for EU delegates to present the diversity of the Croatian gourmet offer. Namely, each region will be represented through the choice of traditional food and drink,'' they conclude from Maistra.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more on the Croatian EU presidency and Croatian hotels.

Croatia's upcoming EU presidency benefits those in tourism, particularly Zagreb hotels, as they will host 25,000 EU delegates. The political weight that Croatia holds when it chairs the Council of the European Union in the first half of next year also has a direct financial benefit.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Radmila Kovacevic/VL writes on the 23rd of December, 2019, the benefit's of Croatia's presidency of the EU will be primarily felt among those working in tourism, who will host about 25,000 delegates during the six months of Croatia's presidency. Zagreb hotels, which will be the venues for most of the official events, should see about 35,000 overnight stays realised.

The estimates also speak of 10,000 official lunches and 5,000 such dinners, and it should be noted that, in addition to prime ministers, ministers, diplomats and other EU officials, members of their families should certainly also be expected in one part.

The largest hotel group in Zagreb, Maistra's Westin, Sheraton, Panorama, International, Adriatic and Zagreb hotels with 1,227 accommodation units, say they're confident that they will realise a better occupancy compared to the same period in 2019. They also revealed that greatest interest during the Croatian EU presidency was recorded in the highest category Zagreb hotels, Westin and Sheraton, which are already very well occupied.

"The preparations are going well. The hotels have well-trained teams of experts who have hosted numerous international conferences and summits for years, and our hotels, restaurants and conference halls are ready for all of the upcoming events. We'll prepare a special menu for the EU delegates to showcase the diversity of our offering, and Every region will be represented by a choice of traditional food and drink,'' they say from Maistra.

The president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce's Hotel Association and the director of the Hilton Hotels in Zagreb, Josip Jutt Ferlan, estimates that the EU Council Presidency could bring Zagreb hotels 15 to 20 percent more overnight stays during the six months of Croatia's EU presidency than in the same period in 2019.

"In addition to the main events, there will be a number of smaller events held in the margins, all of which are great for our hotels. Many have already been booked, some rooms will no longer be available, but those six months will not only work for delegates but for other guests who are also coming to us,'' noted Jutt Ferlan.

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As Novac writes on the 26th of September, 2019, the Croatian capital of Zagreb has now received its third Hilton hotel which is worth a massive twenty million euros, according to Zagreb City Hotels, the company that manages Hilton hotels in Croatia's capital city.

Zagreb's brand new Hilton Garden Inn opened its shiny doors for the prestigious Hilton's 100th anniversary, and the four-star hotel is located on Radnička cesta (road), just a twenty-minute drive from Zagreb's Franjo Tuđman Airport.

The hotel boasts 153 rooms, a fitness centre The Shop, which is a small shop, and a self-service laundry room. In addition, on the eighth floor of the Hilton Garden Inn, there is a convention centre spanning 1,000 square metres, and within the complex lie five spacious multifunctional halls that can accommodate up to 1,000 people at any one time.

In addition, the hotel also has a restaurant on the ground floor, which, as they emphasised from Hilton using different terminology, can be adapted to different settings. It serves breakfast, a daily lunch and a la carte meals, yet this large space can also easily be transformed into an event space, house car promotions and other events which command a large space.

With the opening of this brand new Hilton hotel, according to the company, the increasingly popular City of Zagreb ''got a quality new offer for its tourist offer, a new, modernly equipped congress hall with a striking design overlooking the city and a modern restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel which will become new, very attractive places for organising weddings and other exclusive events.''

Hilton is the world's leading hotel company and commands respect from travellers the world over. It currently operates in 113 countries across the globe, with more than 5,600 hotels currently under its belt.

For images of the new hotel's interior, click here.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes on the 19th of September, 2019, after the DoubleTree and Canopy hotels, this is the third Zagreb hotel operating under the Hilton brand in Zagreb, it boasts a four-star categorisation, with Zagreb City Hotels investing a massive 20 million euros into it.

Although it only opened its doors this summer, the Hilton Garden Inn which opened on Radnička cesta (road) back in July is already full of guests, and Croatia's presidency of the EU Council already guarantees some good traffic for the first half of next year and beyond already, according to Josipa Jutt Ferlan, the director of the Hilton Hotel Cluster in Zagreb.

As previously mentioned, following the DoubleTree and Canopy hotels, this is the third Zagreb hotel to operate under the Hilton brand in the Croatian capital city, it has a four-star categorisation, and Zagreb City Hotels has invested 20 million euros in it through a desirable greenfield investment. The brand new Zagreb hotel features industrial design and a modern “easy” decoration concept, boasts 153 rooms, a fitness centre, a small convenience store, and a place to do self-service laundry.

The eighth floor convention centre is spread over 1,000 square metres, with five multifunctional halls that can accommodate up to 1,000 people in them, and along with other modern equipment, the halls have a built-in inductive loop for hearing impaired people.

The restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel is a polyvalent concept. It serves breakfast, daily fast-food and a la carte meals, the space can be turned into an event venue and is the only hotel space in Zagreb where cars can be parked. In addition to all that, the space is also suitable for promotions from the automotive industry.

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