THE MICHELIN STARS OF THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY
The award competition for the leading destinations, venues, hotels and individuals – the Meetings Star Award – has become a reference point and sort of Michelin star selection within the meetings industry. Winners for 2023 will be announced in fifteen categories at the gala award ceremony.
WHICH ARE THE BEST RESORT MEETING HOTELS?
Among 277 certified hotels from 19 New Europe countries, winners were announced in five categories (city, resort, spa, boutique hotels and congress centres). A dedicated category awarded the best Slovenian hotels and convention centres.
Each hotel can receive up to three stars in accordance with our criteria:
3 STARS⭐⭐⭐ – final score from 4.81 to 5.00
2 STARS⭐⭐ – final score from 4.61 to 4.80
1 STAR⭐ – final score from 4.41 to 4.6
In the category of resort meeting hotels, 65 certified hotels received the stars. The stars represent recognition for all recipients and prove their quality.
Resort meeting hotels boast a diverse and complex offer, including a sea of additional tourist services. They often boast conference centres. The Adriatic Coast is dotted with many resort hotels. Renowned Alpine tourist towns boast many, too.
BEST RESORT MEETING HOTELS IN 2023
WINNER: Grand Hotel Brioni, Pula, Croatia, final score 4.99
Grand Hotel Brioni Pula has shown that modernist architecture can withstand the test of time. The revamp was radical and sensible enough to have elevated the original extremely functional architectural design. Its style closely resembles modern architectural concepts with a less-is-more approach that has been winning over critics. Above all, we believe the Istrian outpost of Pula has gained a five-star gem that will gain a loyal base of followers. At its core, the hotel is superb and, in many ways, extraordinary, setting new standards in this part of the Adriatic. We do not doubt your attendees will cherish the hotel, too, not least because Grand Hotel Brioni Pula has been hosting public figures and VIP guests for half a century. This hotel is a game-changer that will convince event organisers to discover the tremendously diverse offer of Pula instead of Rovinj, Opatija and Portorož. The incredibly professional staff helped the hotel win the award for the best resort meeting hotel in 2023/2024.
2. FALKENSTEINER SCHLOSSHOTEL VELDEN
Is the hotel the flagship of tourism in Carinthia? Undeniably. Led with German precision and flaunting Austrian charm, the hotel is superb in every segment.
3. GRAND PARK HOTEL ROVINJ
This hotel is adorned by numerous exciting details, but the best reason for optimism is the staff: they are proud of their work with the hotel and put in an enormous amount of effort.
4. REGENT PORTO MONTENEGRO
The hotel sets new regional hoteliers’ standards and sets Montenegro among the most luxurious tourist destinations. You too can book your corner among the VIPs in one of its 51 rooms.
5. THE CHEDI LUŠTICA BAY
The Chedi Luštica Bay stands out from the crowd with its urban hotel philosophy, quality service and architectural approach. The hotel boasts a refined style.
6. KEMPINSKI PALACE PORTOROŽ
Since its inception, Kempinski Palace Portorož has served as a meeting hub for events and meetings. Crystal Hall is its crown jewel and historic venue, unrivalled in the Adriatic.
6. HOTEL MONTE MULINI
There are only a few hotels that impress as the Monte Mulini Hotel does. The hotel looks good, is excellently equipped and exceeds expectations in many ways.
7. HOTEL LONE
This five-star hotel, resembling a luxurious ocean-going cruise ship, is a comprehensive artwork, an exhibition of top design, and an art gallery, where local knowledge is presented throughout.
8. MONTI HOTEL & WELLNESS
Monti Hotel & Wellness is a hotel that lives a double life as a top-tier incentive hotel and a family resort hotel. We experienced both sides of the hotel during our stay.
9. VICEROY KOPAONIK
Viceroy is, in many aspects, the most modern hotel in Kopaonik and Serbia. That can be credited to the intelligent digitalised management within hotel rooms. Guests can adapt everything to their needs.
10. HOTEL BOHINJ
Hotel Bohinj is tailored to the needs of demanding incentive groups. The hotel offers much and heralds the renaissance of the incentive product in this part of Slovenia.
10. LUA RESORT
Lua Resort heralds the future of tourism for the north of Lake Balaton. The region is poised for a five-star transformation. The hotel’s architecture, quality and service are promising signs for its future.
HOW DOES THE EVALUATION OF HOTELS TAKE PLACE?
The competition primarily showcases best-case examples favoured by event organisers and satisfied attendees, tailored to their needs.
The two-phased evaluation includes a self-evaluation by the hotel and an unannounced visit by the hidden congress guest. Our assessors evaluate a hotel based on clear criteria and present where the hotel can improve. The assessors are experts with a wealth of experience in the meetings industry with additional knowledge and experience from the hospitality industry.
Our evaluation matrix is named the Hidden Congress Guest evaluation, comprising 654 criteria. Each category is calculated based on the percentage of fulfilling criteria and the average grade, enabling the hotels to improve each segment and criteria. Find out more about the award competition here.
All certificate recipients can be found in Kongres Magazine’s venue and hotel finder FIND VENUES at https://kongres-magazine.eu/search-venues/. You can seek hotels according to the certificate or final mark.
