HIDDEN GUEST: Remisens Hotel Metropol

The concept and architecture that makes the Hotel a recognisable part of Portorož is the work of renowned Slovenian architect Edvard Mihevc. The design was carried out between 1968 and 1971 and the hotel was completed in 1972. It is located on an elevated position on the Sv. Lovrenc hill, at the point where the Villa of San Lorenzo with the casino once stood. After nearly two decades, the hotel was thoroughly renovated in 2010. The resort now consists of the luxury Remisens Hotel Metropol ***** and the hotels Remisens Casa Rosa **** Annexe, Remisens Hotel Lucija ***, and Remisens Casa Bel Moretto **** Annexe, which offer their guest a complete tourist offer and are suitable for all ages.

The hotel is close to the centre of Portorož, which is primarily an automotive destination, as the Italian motorway is 32km away and the Slovenian motorway just 16km. For train travellers, the railway station in Koper is 15km away and for those coming by plane, Ljubljana Airport is 145km distant, although the Ronchi airport is much closer, just 80km from Portorož. For smaller groups, access is possible via the Portorož Airport, which is aiming to improve aviation connectivity. The hotel is in close vicinity to Portorož Marina, which also allows arrival by boat.

The hotel’s shiny, brown facade is a trademark of the hotel in Portorož. In addition, the hotel and the city is full of trademark elements of domestic architect Edvard Mihevc: walls and scarps lined with stones, painted facades, columns, windows with white stone frames (jerte) and window shutters, picturesque chimneys, open staircases and corridors covered with roof tiles. The ensemble performs as a nice Mediterranean resort, which gives the feeling of a small coastal city. Whilst some like the architectural collage on offer, others do not, but over the years the ideas of Edvard Mihevc have been steadily rising in value.

The friendly staff is definitely one of the advantages of the hotel, foremost being their responsiveness and carrying out any requests rapido. The hotel also makes you feel welcome and appreciated, perhaps brought about by the new owners who have given it a fresh wind and new sense of energy.

The hotel has built a team that wants to cook traceable and local food at the highest level, which comes across in the very wide selection of dishes for breakfast. Their wine list is not extensive, yet modern and with an emphasis on local wines. The a la carte restaurant has a few extras in it, however. The offer in the Lobby bar is excellent, especially the coffee, which is among the best in Slovenia. The hotel bar is considered a real classic hotel institution.

The essence of the hotel lies in the rooms, which have a sense of prestige. The fine materials, solid square footage and a thorough renovation in 2010 have really freshened up the rooms, with the new equipment and furniture being classic but with a touch of modernity. The hotel beds are extremely good, well deserving of a high score.

The Metropol congress centre includes five modern, multi-purpose halls, reception, office and a large lobby designed for exhibitors and socialising during breaks. The congress centre is standardized in accordance with the Slovenian Convention Bureau and is very popular among corporate conference clients. The largest hall is Largo, which seats 250 people.

DESSERT – The extras

The resort has a very comprehensive offer that enables a variety of incentive programmes to be carried out on the beach. The extensive sports offer is particularly noteworthy.

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES

The price/quality ratio during the high season.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES

The offer of other hotels in the resort, as Roža, Lucija and Barbara nicely round the hotel part of the offer and allow congress guests to choose from among the hotels.

In our opinion, the Metropol Hotel is certainly worthy of consideration, but everything would depend on organiser wishes and expectations. The hotel’s history is illustrious enough that it is a pity only to be used for the classic casino guests. After a rather long-awaited renovation in 2010, the hotel is now slowly gaining a reputation as one of the best in Portorož, around which future tourism in the city will revolve. With the arrival of new owners and the re-naming, the hotel can expect a tourist season in high demand. It fulfils all of the necessary requirements for its placement among the best Slovenian hotels with conference facilities.

FINAL GRADE: 4.43 BRONZE  CITY 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