Every Day Zen
LOCATION
When Graz entrepreneur W. Riedel built the first villa Adelma in the Čikat bay in 1895, he probably couldn’t imagine how the island tourism would develop in the future. Čikat bay has since then become a tourist heart and the most prestigious part of the island, where numerous hotels have been created in captains’ villas, including recently renovated Hotel Bellevue.
ACCESSIBILITY
Most guests come to Lošinj by car and ferry via the islands Krk or Cres The ferry ride takes about 20 minutes and after it, you have a drive of a bit less than 45 minutes on an upgraded island road. It is also possible to reach the island with regular ship lines from Rijeka and Venice.
The company Jadranka is planning a large-scale expansion of the airport, which after renovation will be able to land larger aircraft. They are already offering their own air taxi and depending on the wishes of the guests they also provide a full Meet & Greet service. Hotel parking is spacious and free of charge, and you will also find two very cool stations for electric vehicle charging.
COLD APPETIZER - Architecture and Aesthetics
The original hotel was built in 1967 to the plans of the famous architect Zdravko Bregovec. After the renovation in 2014, which was completed in a record seven months, the Hotel Bellevue became the first five-star hotel on Lošinj. The architectural design is the result of the work of the Croatian studio Ruslan architecture and the design of the rooms came from the firm Art-project. The hotel is situated in a pine forest, which largely conceals its actual size. The architects have kept the original cubic design with a central atrium, but they have added two floors, while at the same time they connected both sides of the atrium with a covered passage that has become the new ‘living room’ of the hotel. The new face of the hotel is fully revealed inside, its beauty to be found in its many details, selected pieces of designer furniture and an incredible garden, which is a true hotel Zen oasis.
WARM APPETIZER - Staff and catering
Today there is a lot of talk about sustainability, but at the same time, there is a lot of talk and little action. In this case, however, local ingredients and respect for local culinary traditions are more than just words: in the hotel Bellevue such sustainable and local dishes – where you can find among the offer the famous Cres lamb, the licensed serving of the Boškarin meat, the indigenous Istrian cattle – are prepared in a modern and very tasty way, enhanced by produce from the herb garden located on the spa roof, which rather than being a decorative feature is intensively used by the chef and his team in preparing some of the best creations of the house. The breakfast is also diverse and of top-quality, as is what’s on offer in the bars. The friendly staff manages to surprise at every step. All in all, this is a superior experience.
MAIN DISH - Conference hotel service
Rooms are technologically excellent and are managed by digital switches and it would be hard to find anywhere else such an elegantly functioning air conditioner. The lighting is intuitive, convenient and well thought out. In addition to the exceptional spaciousness the bedding and in general the whole sleeping experience is sumptuous. The hotel cosmetics in the spacious bathroom are of the Natura Bisse brand and are perfectly suited to the character of the hotel. Every detail has been properly considered, from the Villeroy & Boch ceramic to the nice selection of colours.
The Congress centre is of the latest technological fit out. The largest modular hall, Mundus, can accommodate up to 300 participants and is divided into three parts. The Lantern and Sextant smaller rooms overlooking the magnificent pine forest are especially quaint. The architects have also carefully planned the external space, which offers some exceptional places for banquets, receptions or just coffee breaks.
DESSERT – The extras
Jadranka Yachting’s fleet of vessels – the Elan, Jeanneau, Benetau and Bavaria – can organise a sailing cup or other forms of teambuilding programmes.
FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES
Some smaller architectural issues with structures in the Čikat bay.
TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES
Spa Clinic La Vie en Rose, with its wellness section and series of holistic treatments very impressive.
OVERALL IMPRESSION AND CREDIBILITY
The hotel renovation created an elegant and extremely elaborate, almost timeless hotel, reflected in its exceptional and truly top-class logo. With its richness and diversity of content, it acts as a mini-city into which the convention centre is also nicely and reasonably well placed. A team of Croatian architects, led by the legendary Andrija Ruslan, has done excellent work and created a space that the youthful team is filling with kindness, positive energy, and superior service.
The hotel stands out in many respects from the offer on the Adriatic and deserves the highest ratings.
FINAL GRADE: 4.83 GOLD RESORT MEETING HOTEL
GOLD final score from 4.81 to 5.00
SILVER final score from 4.61 to 4.80
BRONZE final score from 4.41 to 4.60
