One of the most luxurious Zagreb hotels, Esplanade Hotel Zagreb, has had a 40% increase in demand over the past six months, poslovni.hr reports
Due to more and more tourists coming to the city, Zagreb needs more hotels, especially deluxe ones, poslovni.hr reported on June 27. There are more and more days when luxury hotels are full, says Ivica Max Krizmanić, Esplanade Zagreb CEO, pointing out that, this year, the hotel has had a 40 % higher demand than last year.
"The increase in our business has been above all expectations - there has been a 4% increase in overnight stays and an 11% increase in profit compared to the same period in 2016, with a 7% increase in prices. We have had a 40% increase in demand compared to last year. Our current announcements for the summer also exceed our plans, with the highest number of guests being couples and families with children," Mr Krizmanić said in an interview for Hina.
He also pointed out that because of such high demand for hotels; they are struggling with accommodation capacities because they are limited.
Part of this rise in demand is explained by the growing popularity of Zagreb in the tourist markets, as well as the new airport and the arrival of new airlines with guests from new markets, so he believes that the Esplanade will be completely booked during half of the year.
“Most of Esplanade's guests come from the United States (12 %), followed by the UK, Germany and France; 70% from Europe in total. 14% of our guests are from America, including Brazil and Mexico, 10% are from Asia, and around 5% are from the Middle East," says Krizmanić, pointing out that the hotel has also had a 60% increase in business group arrivals in the first five months of 2017.
Guests complain about façades, but love everything else
The average guest stays at the hotel for about two days, because most of them make a stop in Zagreb as part of their Croatian tour, but it is evident that the increase in the number of events in the city has led to more and more guests staying in Zagreb for several days, some even for a week.
"There are currently a lot of hotels, hostels and private facilities in Zagreb, but they are not our direct competitors. On the contrary, we love seeing the city full of tourists and young people, many of whom stop by our restaurants because someone has recommended it to them," says Krizmanić.
He also says that guests tend to follow the events and the offer in the city, and they don't like old façades and graffiti, while wealthier guests complain about the lack of luxury stores. However, they love everything else - it is very easy to go sightseeing, people are accessible, there are green parks, beautiful architecture, public transport runs smooth, there are festivals, the streets are clean, and they feel very safe, which is essential for a relaxed vacation.
"We do a lot of work in the field of socially responsible business, we support numerous humanitarian, sports, social and cultural projects in Zagreb, and, apart from hotels, we invest a lot in promoting Zagreb as a destination in many luxury service markets by cooperating with the foreign media," Mr Krizmanić concludes.
