The Day of St. Blaise, the 3rd of February, has a special significance for hotel Hilton Imperial in Dubrovnik. In 1897, 118 years ago, the Hotel Imperial opened its doors for the first time, just ahead of the Day of St. Blaise.
Construction on this iconic Dubrovnik hotel started on the 2nd of June 1895 and marked a turning point for tourism in the Dubrovnik region. [pullquote]It can be said that the opening of Hotel Imperial all those years ago began tourism in Dubrovnik.[/pullquote] Hotel Imperial was a pioneer in the city, the first building in Dubrovnik with electricity, running hot water and lifts. The connection to the Day of St. Blaise is unbreakable, the hotel is today one of the only hospitality objects in Dubrovnik that serves the traditional macaroni free of charge to guests on the eve of St. Blaise Day.
In 2005 the long history of the Hotel Imperial opened a new chapter when the international hotel chain Hilton started managing the hotel, renamed to Hotel Hilton Imperial. The hotel was seriously damaged in the Homeland War with the building suffering many direct hits from shells. However Imperial was lovingly resorted to its former glory and once again shines as one of the leaders of Dubrovnik tourism.
“We are proud of the past 10 years, which for us is an extraordinary achievement. To continue the tradition of a historical hotel with excellent business results is a challenge for all of us. The motivation is the positive comments we have received from our guests, business partners and customers, this is our real reward. To be named as the best Hilton in Europe for the third time is also an honour,” commented the Marketing and PR Executive at Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, Vlaho Margaretić.
