LOCATION
The first Croatian Hotel, which is a member of Design hotels AG chain, is situated in the Mediterranean park ‘Golden Peninsula’, like some sort of a luxury yacht which has found itself in the middle of a pine forest. The Hotel is located by the bay which it shares with hotels Monte Mulini and Eden, just off the centre of Rovinj and is called Cap Aurea. Rovinj is one of the most photogenic and romantic capitals of Istrian and Croatian tourism with a diverse offer and lately also a solid congress infrastructure.
ACCESSIBILITY
After the construction of the Istrian “ipsilon” (Y) motorway, Rovinj is now connected to all of the main regional highways. Access to near by markets is thus simple and also suitable for weekend tourism. Air accessibility is rather inadequate, especially outside of the main season and during the main season it is limited to mostly low-cost and charter flights and a few regular lines. Rail connection has also been neglected. Until air accessibility is improved, Rovinj will be a strong local and regional congress destination, despite its huge potential which it acquired with the construction of a congress centre at Hotel Lone.
COLD APPETISER – Architecture and aesthetics
The Croatian architectural studio 3LHD is signed under the architecture of the Hotel and numerous Croatian artists and architects co operated in its interior design. The result is a minimalist, balanced Y-shaped terraced architecture with the centre in the Hotel lobby. The most surprising is the airy central space, which is also in general spaciousness, comfort and minimalism. In the Hotel one gets a feeling of modernity and playfulness, which is highlighted with the selected colours and lighting, recliners and selected pieces of furniture by Croatian designers. In every part of the Hotel one comes across design surprises. Selected pieces of furniture were designed by a group of architects ”Numen/for use” including the awarded Satyr chair, which can be found in every room and numerous other pieces of furniture that reflect Croatian creativity, and with these creations by known artists, one gets a feeling of walking through a gallery of modern Croatian art.
WARM APPETISER – Personnel and culinary offer
The staff uniforms are an integral part of the first impression of a design hotel. These were designed for the Lone Hotel by the design duo I-GLE, and from what we have seen, they are nicely highlighting the first impression of the Hotel. The cuisine is superb and in our opinion one of the best and finest breakfasts in the region. The creators of the hotel also took into account the whole concept of breakfast, so eggs are not simply eggs, but rather a real culinary experience which is continued in the concept of the restaurant L-ON-E. The staff is professional and at a very high level.
MAIN COURSE – Congress and hotel offer
The hotel rooms are in accordance with expectations and they justify the placement of the hotel among design hotels. Especially thrilling are the free-standing lamps by Dekor from Zabok and the superb finishing of furniture made of Slavonian oak. Instead of economical graphics, a graphic on fabric by the renown artist Silvio Vujičić awaits you in the room, and at the same time it is a discrete lighting for the bedroom. Excellence continues in the bathroom and in the original hotel communication equipment, under which the awarded marketing duo Bruketa & Žinič are signed. A large multifunctional congress hall for 600 participants is warm and superbly fitted. It is warm because of the oak parquet flooring, which gives it a special charm and functionality. When equipping the halls they were thinking of the modern, permanently connected congress guest. Digital marking system, free Wi-Fi internet that operates without faults and other technological ‘deserts’. There is attention to detail at every step. The timeless David Rowland’s design conference chair provides comfort when listening to the conference . It was created more than 40 years ago but still looks elegant and fresh. There are many external spaces for coffee breaks and receptions. Besides the above, they actually succeeded in creating a functionally sophisticated, complete and consistent hotel-congress whole.
DESSERT – Additional offer
Cultural and visual ”deserts” like the art creations by Ivan Franka in the lobby called “Room for running ghosts” and hanging gardens “In the hanging garden no one speaks” by Silvio Vujičić. Graphics by the same author on fabric that can be found in every room and much more can be discovered all over the Hotel.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS AND CREDIBILITY
We understand design hotels as an experience that includes reflection and very personal contact with culture, nature and the culinary art of the destination. The creators of the first Croatian design Hotel Lone were probably thinking similarly. I like it. Lovers of hotel glamour and kitsch will not like it but we think that luxury is in small details, like a enormous room service menu and the hotel guide in broadsheet newspaper format or in selected fabric for curtains and numerous other details. The hotel is ideal for ”DINKS” and young professionals and a monument of Croatian creativity and the zeitgeist of the new generation.
