Hotels
Lofty ambitions in Lošinj
CROATIA ’ S LOŠINJ HOTELS & VILLAS IS IMPROVING ITS CONNECTIVITY INCLUDING WITH A PLAN FOR A NEW RUNWAY EXTENSION TO BROADEN ITS MICE APPEAL . SIMON GEORGE REPORTS
S ecluded and serene , Čikat Bay situated on the Croatian island of Lošinj in the northern Adriatic , exudes natural beauty , privacy and a sense of wellness , characteristics not lost on Austro-Hungarian aristocracy more than a century ago . So impressed was Emperor Franz Josef with the location and its recuperative air , that he installed his mistress , Katharina , in one of the villas ( Karolina ) that grace the bay . The potential for both leisure and business tourism did not escape the attention of Jadranka Turizam either , whose portfolio of luxurious properties , marketed through the brand , Lošinj Hotels & Villas ( LH & V ), is concentrated in the area .
I inspected two high-end villas , the Sea Princess Nika and the Captain ’ s Villa Rouge , and two 5-star hotels , the Bellevue and the Boutique Hotel Alhambra , belonging to LH & V ; and spoke with Milan Pejić , the group ’ s head of MICE and Zoran Pejovic , chief growth and strategy officer at Jadranka Turizam , who described the group ’ s ambitious plans to build another 5-star hotel with significant meetings capacity close to the Bellevue . There will be a golf course , and , crucially , a potential to be a real game-changer for LH & V – expanding the island ’ s airport , a project that will certainly require significant funding .
As Pejovic explains : “ The development of the local airport will significantly enhance accessibility to the island .”
Palatial villas LH & V offers five high-end villas overlooking Čikat Bay including the recently renovated seven-bedroom villa , Sea Princess Nika which opened in June and can be adapted for weddings and small meetings and offers a plush home cinema room . The Captain ’ s Villa Rouge , Villa Hygeia , Villa Mirasol and Villa Hortensia complete LH & V ’ s villa portfolio .
The 206-room ( including 21 suites )
Left : Loop luxury fair
Bellevue hotel with its art deco , ocean liner façade offers the largest meeting facilities in LH & V ’ s portfolio . Its biggest conference room holds 350 people and there are two smaller event spaces adjoining the hotel ’ s terrace .
During my stay , the Bellevue was hosting a two-day conference for Belopo , a Croatian pharmaceutical company , and Pejić reports bookings are 40 % up year-on-year in Q1 .
In April the hotel hosted Loop , a luxury MICE travel trade show attended by 300 agents , mostly from the DACH market ( Germany , Austria , Switzerland ). A classic car auction event was held at the end of May and in June the hotel held a launch event for the new Porsche Taycan , which will be followed by a marketing event for Armani fragrances ( L ’ Oréal Luxe ).
The neighbouring Boutique Hotel Alhambra has two meeting rooms , each with capacity for 18 people theatre style , and a wood-panelled library that can host boardroom-style meetings .
Both hotels offer luxurious , awardwinning spas .
Activities that can be packaged in with any stay include wine tasting , yachting ( on the Catriona II ) swimming and exploring nearby islands ( i . e . Susak , Ilovik ), biking , or you taking a guided tour to Mali and Veli Lošinj , ending up at Providenca for drinks and the perfect viewpoint over the island .
Pejić says the focus is on small groups / incentives ( up to 50 rooms ), which can be easily be transferred from Croatia ’ s main international airports . “ We are planning to extend the airfield by 900 metres , which means Airbus 320s could land .” Planning permission for the airport expansion has been approved , but completion date is yet to be announced .
The group is also in the process of tying up contracts with boat companies to bring in big groups from Pula , the nearest airport on the mainland , in less than an hour . n
ISSUE 131 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 23