HIDDEN GUEST: Hotel Vita

LOCATION
Unspoiled nature, rich cultural heritage and preserved countryside attract tourists to the northern part of Celje between the slopes of Paški Kozjak and Pohorje. Terme Dobrna is the oldest Slovenian health resort with over 600 years of tradition. The first spa story was created in 1624, since when the spa began to bloom. Today, the spa includes several hotels and buildings related to the health resort of which the most prestigious and newest is Hotel Vita. The hotel is situated at the immediate entrance to the spa complex. It is the youngest hotel where the entire offer has come together under one roof, including the congress centre.

ACCESSIBILITY
The hotel is halfway between Celje and Velenje and only 14km away from the main motorway connection. Dobrna is located approximately halfway between Ljubljana and Maribor, which is 69km away. The nearest airport is 60km away in Maribor, Ljubljana airport is 85km away and the airport in Graz 120km. The hotel is also accessible by regular bus connections from Celje. Guests can enjoy an extensive car park, which is sufficient for most needs, even during major events.

COLD APPETIZER – Architecture and Aesthetics
The health resort has been through various development stages in which some striking buildings have been created. Hotel Vita, which also includes a health centre, was built in 1979 in a modernist style and today represents the largest hotel complex in Dobrna. An extensive renovation of the hotel was carried out between 2002 and 2004, and today the exterior of the hotel stands out with its modernist façade, but at the same time is balanced against the outstanding resort park and its position in the surrounding greenery. The interior is classical, which is functionally well designed but some touches of modernity or the contemporary wouldn’t go amiss.

WARM APPETIZER – Personnel and cuisine
The friendly hotel staff is a welcome boon and they are always ready to help guests. Given the size of the hotel, the most complaints are aimed at the average breakfast on offer: the choice of food is mediocre and more adapted to spa and pension guests. Also, due to the high occupancy, the space doesn’t allow for the normal fare and intimacy. Unfortunately, the lunch or the dinner doesn’t do much better than the breakfast. The most reliable part of the offer is the Café, with an excellent selection of house desserts. The hotel cuisine is much better when it comes to special events, where the hotel kitchen knows how to make an effort and indeed at times even amaze. The high level of cleanliness and maintenance is praiseworthy.

MAIN DISH – The hotel’s congress service
By today’s standards the hotel rooms are outdated and desperately in need of renovation. Hotel hallways and shared spaces are full of various sales promotions and outdated. There are 8 rooms available for congress events of different sizes: Conference hall Vivat, Seminar room Viva, Spa hall, Blue Salon at the Zdraviliški Dom Spa, Glass hall at the Zdraviliški Dom Spa, Holistic centre and the a la carte restaurant in Vita hotel. Further, there are two modern halls in the Cultural Centre Dobrna. The quality of the congress facilities is satisfactory.

DESSERT – Extras
With its wooden benches and tables with a large old wine press and roughly plastered walls the wine cellar under Vila Higiea has a welcoming atmosphere. This is an environment where you can sing, dance or eat something good. In addition to a selection of native species of Slovenian wines they also offer a wide variety of dishes and snacks.

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES
Noisy air conditioning and outdated equipment in the rooms.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES
The friendly and hearty staff.

OVERALL IMPRESSION AND CREDIBILITY
The hotel is not bad, but with the arrival of new hotels on the scene meeting organisers are spoiled and now expect a lot more from a hotel. The hotel is reasonably designed, but it is time for a well-needed renovation. In terms of event organisation, the most disturbing aspect is the mixing of spa and conference guests, which is not the best idea. Following the visit, we can’t help feeling that a 3-star classification might be better, in terms of the service being offered.