A great hotel in a wonderful town.
More than seven hundred years passed since the birth of the most famous resident of Korčula, Marco Polo when a team of interior designers and architects from Croatia and Asia designed the renovation of the Lešić Dimitri Palace inspired by the famous traveller and his adventures on the Silk Road. The palace was built by Bishop Vincenzo Lessio in the 18th century. The palace was inherited by his nieces, and later it was acquired through marriage by the Dimitri family, reports Večernji List on July 19, 2018.
Fourteen years ago, it was bought by British banker Michael Unsworth and his wife Maša, originally from the Lozica family from Korčula. They invested more than 6.5 million euro to buy and renovate the palace in the old town of Korčula, not far from the birthplace of its most famous resident. The palace has been turned into a five-star luxury hotel, combining rich history and cultural heritage with modern elements.
“Most of our guests are from English-speaking countries and are interested in cultural events. There are a lot of bikers, artists, architects...,” said Ivana Pačić Unković, the hotel’s marketing director, refusing to reveal anything about famous guests who have stayed there.
You do need to spend several thousand kuna for this luxury, but there are many guests who do it gladly. The hotel has transformed one of the apartments into a spa area, also inspired by the Silk Road influences, Thailand and the Mediterranean. The hotel has received a number of awards for its architecture and hospitality, and three years ago Forbes listed it among the top ten most romantic island venues.
The Lešić Dimitri restaurant has recently received a Michelin recommendation. Chef Marko Gajski modestly says that it is a result of efforts by the whole team and that his main contribution was the energy which he brought a year ago. “My cuisine is personal and the guests have recognized it. A Michelin inspector came to Korčula to visit us. Our ambitions are larger than a recommendation – we want a star to be a consequence and not a cause of what we are doing. I would be more disappointed to receive it unjustly than for them to skip us,” said Gajski. The head chef Marko is from Slavonia, just like the superb sommelier Dražen Matković. The entire team loves the job they do, and the full hotel terrace is the best proof of their success.
Lešić Dimitri Palace collaborates with local certified organic food producers, and last year it organised, together with local restaurants, a spring festival of food and wine to present the best which Korčula has to offer. Encouraged by the success, the restaurants established an association whose goal is to develop Korčula as a high-quality tourism destination based on top gastronomy offer, wines and hospitality.
A combination of tradition and modernity, why not? Marco Polo would certainly be pleased.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Marina Borovac).
