HIDDEN GUEST: Hotel Materra

A profound admiration for the Pannonian Plain has been following entrepreneur Marko Pipunić throughout his life. He is renowned as a key figure in the agricultural sector and the owner of Žito Group, a company with over 2,500 employees. This year, he expanded his business to healthcare and the hospitality industry. One of his quotes best captures his guiding principle: “What you do for yourself dies with you, but what you do for others stays eternally.” His philosophy may be why Hotel Materra rose like a phoenix from the Pannonian plain in Čepin near Osijek. Within spitting distance, guests can venture to the regionally famous producer of meat products, Dobro. The incredibly picturesque and practical location is a stone’s throw away from motorway Slavonika. The centre of Osijek is only ten kilometres away. Upon reaching the hotel, you will be mesmerised by the tidy surroundings of the hotel that can compete with the best luxury hotels in the region. The tidy horticultural layout, with over 400 trees and lush plants, adds value to the hotel and offers much-needed tranquillity during the night. The serenity is soul-soothing if you arrive from the hustle and bustle of megalopolises.

The only way to reach the hotel is by car or organised transport from Osijek or even Zagreb. You will need five kilometres to reach the hotel from the motorway exit Čepin. Once there, you will have no problem finding the hotel’s parking place with dedicated places for EVs. Osijek’s centre is nearby, and the diligent hotel staff will gladly arrange a transfer for you. Perhaps the greatest challenge of the Slavonian capital is air accessibility. If you wish to fly to Osijek, options are scarce, particularly in winter. Train connections, too, are unfavourable, as the train ride from Zagreb can take up to five hours. Hence, the best option for public transport is Flixbus, which regularly and punctually connects the centre of Croatia and the east hinterland. As mentioned, travelling by car is the best option for crisscrossing the picturesque surroundings of Slavonia. As this part of Croatia is ideal for cycling, you can rent bikes at the reception.

The hotel is like an island amidst the Pannonian plain, organically seeping into the surroundings. That is predominantly thanks to the proportions of the facilities (with only three storeys and a ground floor) and the earth hues that appear throughout the hotel. Green shades also adorn the hotel, blurring the line between interior and exterior. We were well impressed by domestic Slavonian materials, including oakwood used for flooring and furniture. The latter is predominantly the work of local artisans. Handpicked furniture from local brand names such as Prostoria, Artisan and Nunc and artwork from a slew of young Croatian artists embellish the interior. The stunning lights atop the reception desk and the wooden Sectro illumination in the dining area turn heads. The architectural design was conceived by architects Oliver Grgić and Branimir Kljajić. Their design is a contemporary take on modernism, reminiscent of the legendary Hotel Bellevue in Lošinj. The interior, created by Sirrah Studio, harmoniously completes the minimalist design.

First impression counts, and they know that in this hotel. The herbal welcome tea with Slavonic honey and the exceptional receptionist won us over with their unfaked charm. In all positions, the staff adds value to the hotel. In an era when hotels are teeming with fake hospitality, Materra knows what genuine human touch means.

You will need to show Solomonic wisdom when choosing the restaurant. Both the hotel restaurant and the Crna Svinja Restaurant are superb. We dined in the latter, where the minimalist menu follows the modern less-is-more trend. In any case, we recommend tasting the mouthwatering prosciutto from the black Slavonian pig that comes literally from farm to fork. The esteemed Dobro pork company happens to be within spitting distance of the hotel. Complementing the gastronomy is a thought-out wine list with a great selection of the best Slavonian wines and international classics.

The breakfast befits the four-star standard, with a stand-out selection of meat delicacies Dobro, local juices and the obligatory Slavonian prosciutto meticulously cut on a black Berkel meat slicer. We missed a more diverse offering of other local products and a solution for coffee, as their coffee machine was out of order. If the hotel aims for a wholeness approach, they should follow that at breakfast, too. Although nothing was amiss, there is room for improvement.

Hotel rooms

The bright, airy and elegant superior room impressed us. Like elsewhere in the hotel, the floor features oakwood parquet, charming to look at and even better to walk on. The oakwood work desk was equally impressive, as was the slick frame of the LED TV. Instead of nightstands, the room features two sandglass-like pieces made from oak. The furniture pieces beautifully match the earth and beige hues of the walls, which have a coarse finish, a trend on the rise in the hotel industry. Elegant white furniture adds prestige to the minimalist design. The headboard clad in fabric stretches across the breadth of the room, exuding elegance. The bed and the bed linen are superb. Within the spacious bathroom, the materials follow the design with ceramic tiles in earth-grey tones and a terrazzo-style sink adorned with elegant oak details. A unique feature of the hotel is the luxury vegan cosmetics Beigic. A balcony overlooking the Slavonian plain that seems to stop time for guests enlarges the space optically. Our only remark concerns the air conditioning, which was challenging to manage. Regardless, the rooms in Hotel Materra could even be labelled higher than the official four stars.

Meetings centre

The hotel seems ideal for incentive groups and team-building programmes. Although the boutique multifunctional hall accepts only up to fifty guests, the Terra Negra event hall across the road offers more space. It has gained fame as an ideal venue for weddings, parties and business meetings for up to 200 attendees. The advantages are hard to overlook, considering the superb cuisine, holistic wellness and all the rest offered by Slavonia. That is why we invite you to visit this incentive jewel before other event organisers uncover it. We predict the waiting list to host an event will be incredibly long.

DESSERT – The extras

The wellness centre covering 1500 square metres envelopes the entire first floor of the hotel. Even though we did not try the holistic massages or rituals, we were amazed by the design, especially the sauna part. You will understand what wholeness means in this hotel. Exceptional!

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES

We were bothered by the air conditioning, which we struggled to adjust. A temperature of 25 degrees Celsius is too much for quality sleep. We believe our case was solitary and hope guests in other rooms did not have similar issues. As the hotel is an excellent starting point for exploring Osijek and its surroundings, more information in digital form would be appreciated. However charming the magazine in the room may be, they could make improvements.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES

If we needed to choose the most hospitable region in Croatia, Slavonia would likely be our first choice. Slavonians are simply loving, charming and warmhearted. You will experience that firsthand when staying here. In the hospitality industry today, this is more often an exception than a rule.

SUSTAINABLE ENDEAVOURS

The hotel is a best-case example of sustainability and is practically self-sufficient in energy production. The management installed solar panels atop the facilities and the roofing of the parking garage. For heating, the hotel uses geothermal energy sourced from 84 geothermal boreholes in the vicinity. Also, the hotel has banned plastic or reduced it to a minimum. All cosmetics and shampoos come in dispensers. We were most impressed by the farm-to-fork concept, which the company actively follows. The cuisine is seasonal and incredibly tasty. Hotel Mattera could easily acquire international certificates in this field. Most importantly, the hotel walks the talk in sustainability.

While countless hotels blow their own horn and brag about sustainability, a hotel near Osijek became a paragon of sustainability without any superfluous pomp or grandeur. In a time when most hotels grumble about staff shortages and their diligence, this Slavonic pearl showed the opposite picture. It is delightful to see young, enthusiastic locals who work with pride in the hotel. Seemingly, only when a hotel investor is not a classic hotelier can a hotel develop a less conventional, more radical hotel story. All this captured our imagination when staying in the hotel that positioned Osijek on the regional map overnight. Hotel Materra has opened the way for incentive groups who previously bypassed this part of Croatia. We believe this neglect is undeserved, as Osijek and its new hotel have plenty to show. Although the price is not the most affordable, it is reasonable compared to the competition and fair, given the features and quality of the facilities. Some guests may have reservations about refined, modernist architecture. Yet, Materra has proved it can go head-to-head with the best Croatian incentive hotels thanks to its design, holistic offering and professional staff.

FINAL GRADE: 4.94 THREE MEETING STARS⭐⭐⭐ Spa Meeting Hotel 

3 MEETING STARS⭐⭐⭐ final score from 4.81 to 5.00
2 MEETING STARS⭐⭐ final score from 4.61 to 4.80
1 MEETING STAR⭐ final score from 4.41 to 4.60