THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR MARIBOR?
LOCATION
Habakuk Hotel is nestled against the Pohorje Mountains, a natural green oasis revered by the locals of Maribor that encloses the city in its southernmost part. For many, Pohorje is considered the heart of Maribor. Until recently, the mountainous plateau hosted the Golden Fox, a FIS Alpine Ski World Cup race. The Pohorje Mountains are home to the largest skiing centre in Slovenia, with over forty kilometres of slopes. Here, professional Slovenian mountain biking gained traction. The pristine natural beauty of Pohorje represents Maribor’s living room both in the summer and winter. You can take the newly electrified city bus number 6 to reach the foot of the mountains and the cabin cable car. The bottom station is in the immediate vicinity of the hotel. The location is one of Habakuk Hotel’s most noticeable advantages – for business and other guests arriving in Maribor.
ACCESSIBILITY
Habakuk Hotel is only ten minutes away from the city centre of Maribor by car. A spacious roofed garage that can capacitate up to 200 vehicles awaits guests. It is rarely entirely occupied and thus perfect even when large-scale events are organised in the hotel. One of the benefits of the hotel is its interconnectedness with the efficient public transport. The legendary bus line 6 will take guests straight from the city centre to the hotel. We must praise the public transportation company for rendering most of their drive park electric and hybrid. When staying at the hotel, active guests can rent a bike and cycle to the city centre. Given the rental is cheap, you can rent your bike at the reception or nearby rental shops. With the number of cycling routes steeply rising year-on-year, the paths are becoming super easy to navigate.
Flying to Maribor by plane is slightly more complicated. As the local airport virtually does not operate, the first option is the Graz Airport, sixty kilometres away. Since Croatia entered the Schengen Area and the border-crossing regime changed, Zagreb Airport is another option, 120 kilometres away. We do wish Maribor had better train connections. Although train connections are slowly improving, they are poor compared to similar regional cities. Because air accessibility is relatively underdeveloped, Maribor depends on car accessibility. That impacts the structure of guests and events.
COLD STARTER - Architecture and aesthetics
Following the latest hotel renovation, the original ground plan, dating to 1998, has not changed substantially. The proportions of the hotel and the conference centre have remained the same. One of the novelties after the architectural makeover is a minimalist facade entrance, reaching up to the mezzanine floor. It took the form of an elegant dark arcade coupled with glass surfaces. With the new exterior, the reception, cafe and restaurant turned towards the foot of the Pohorje Mountains, rendering the hotel more elegant and exclusive. The lobby, once appearing almost claustrophobic, was given a new look. The new lobby bar, boasting a striking LED screen and future wine shop, now gleams in fresh hues. The lobby appears like a mountain-inspired space because of the stones and wood design. The iconic circular staircase leading to the restaurant, adorned by a beautiful chandelier, was beautifully renovated, too.
What caught our eye was the architecture in the halls of the new hotel part. An intriguing combination of sky blue, pink melon and grey colours definitely turns heads in the corridors. Although confounding at first, the colours go hand in hand together and continue in the hotel rooms. We also found the hotel surroundings tidy and alluring. The owners still plan to renovate the outdoor pool complex, which slightly blemishes the overall appearance. Still, the management announced to finish that part too. The renovation has transformed Hotel Habakuk into a fresh and compelling hotel, seamlessly blending into the green setting of Pohorje.
WARM ENTRÉE - The staff and the culinary experience
The hotel staff includes older and younger staff members. We still remember some of them from times when Terme Maribor dominated most of the tourism in Maribor. The personnel did not lack professionalism, yet more enthusiasm and verve would go a long way and further improve the satisfaction of hotel guests. A genuine smile makes a lasting impression. It is evident that there is a correlation between the personal satisfaction of employees and their kindness towards guests.
Generally, the hotel is well-maintained, barring a few tiny drawbacks that arise with every renovation (the stunning colour combinations are very delicate). The hotel breakfast meets the expectations of a four-star hotel. We only wished there was more creativity in dish presentation and that the menu included more local cuisine. Nonetheless, the breakfast is satisfactory and will not leave you hungry. Although we did not taste the gastronomy in the à la carte restaurant, we must praise the charming hotel terrace serving excellent coffee and desserts. Reviving the tradition of their formerly famed brunch menus is another praiseworthy move.
MAIN COURSE – The meetings offering at the hotel
Hotel rooms
If possible, opt for the renovated superior rooms. They will amaze you with their spaciousness and unusually colourful interior. The furniture is easy on the eye, gleaming in sky-blue hues and pairing seamlessly with the wooden elements and ornate pink details dominating the corridors. A beige carpet with motifs depicting mountains enriches the unusual colour combination and matches the furniture. Unlike many other hotels with empty minibars, the ones in Hotel Habakuk are well-stocked. One of the trump cards in Habakuk Hotel’s rooms is the bathroom offering everything from a walk-in shower and bath to luxurious ceramic tiles. The hotel could be a bit more innovative and sustainable when selecting cosmetics. We must praise the illumination – although not entirely digitalised, it is very intuitive and functional. One more thing: the work desk is incredibly spacious and well-equipped. In a way, it functions as an office away from the office.
Meetings centre
The congress centre was a welcome addition to the hotel in 2002. Upon its opening, it gained recognition as one of the most complete hotel congress centres across Slovenia. The quality of the design is still evident today. Even though they did not renovate the conference centre, it remains fierce competition for other meeting hotels. The Turner Hall, boasting an impressively high ceiling, professional stage and backstage, can host the most demanding events and productions. There is also plenty of space for accompanying events. That is one of the reasons why the conference centre in Habakuk Hotel is still the first choice for organisers of scientific congresses in this part of Slovenia. Its only drawback is the impractical entrance through the hotel reception and narrow corridors. We hope the next renovation will solve this issue.
DESSERT – The extras
The well-equipped wellness and spa centre is one of the greatest advantages. The spacious indoor pool stretches 740 square metres. In this beautifully designed pool, you can relax after a long day. The saunas, easily the best in this part of Slovenia, enrich the offer. Not having to queue for the saunas is another benefit.
FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES
In modern hotels, there is no room for outdated printed hotel guides. We believe the hotel should promptly digitalise all information and include data about the tourist offer in the hotel surroundings.
TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES
The range of saunas is fantastic. Guests can choose between a Finnish, Turkish and infra-red sauna. After a visit to the pools and saunas, guests can relax in the salt room.
SUSTAINABLE ENDEAVOURS
We did not come across any sustainable initiatives during our stay. The hotel should start advocating and implementing sustainable measures promptly.
FINAL IMPRESSION AND CREDIBILITY
The hotel was in dire need of a thorough renovation, both technology-wise (kitchen, restaurant and wellness) and architecture-wise. If you ever stayed at Habakuk Hotel in the past, you will now enter a hotel with a distinctly different character. The architecture, design and quality of materials are premium and could easily be mistaken for a five-star hotel. That is – when guests stay in the renovated rooms. With the new architectural look, the management now has an excellent platform on their hands that they can build on. Still, everything depends on the staff, who should go the extra mile to make the hotel one of Slovenia’s leading. The refurbished hotel heralds good news for local event organisers. Just a few steps away from pristine nature and the diverse offer of Maribor and Pohorje Mountains, Habakuk Hotel seems ideal for incentive groups. Maribor thus has a timely opportunity to reestablish itself as a competitive incentive destination. Finally, the value for money at Hotel Habakuk is good. The prices are lower than in other Slovenian meeting cities. Maribor has a great answer to the rising prices of hotel accommodations elsewhere. We hope it stays that way.
FINAL GRADE: 4.78 SILVER 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
