134 destinations and 318 certified hotels
The Meetings Star Guide, the most comprehensive guide to the leading hotels and destinations in the region of New Europe, has published the official brochure for the past year. The comprehensive brochure includes 134 destinations from 33 countries and 318 certified hotels from 21 countries. The guide also includes featured interviews and insights from team members who curate the Meetings Star Award competition.
The purpose of the Meetings Star Guide has been to find the best meeting hotels and destinations in a region once considered a grey swathe of Europe on the east side of the Iron Curtain. Over the years, the evaluation has grown extensively thanks to precise qualitative and quantitative data, a matrix with 681 criteria for hotels.
The Meetings Star Award competition relies on a transparent and credible set of criteria and data. The competition prides itself on the objectiveness of the evaluation, ensured by hidden guest assessors.
Hidden guest assessors report objectively while providing subjective assessments of aesthetics, architecture and more. Their unique insight into the human side of the hospitality industry cannot be replicated by AI engines. As new destinations emerge as key players in the region and new hotels continue to mushroom in cities, valleys and coasts, the numbers continue to grow.

“Hospitality and events are about people, emotions, and authenticity— things AI is still far from mastering.” – Gorazd Čad, founder of the Meetings Star competition
Here is what Gorazd Čad, the founding father of the evaluation, said about AI replacing the Meetings Star Guide and the power of events: “Not anytime soon. While AI helps us foresee trends and analyse statistical data, it cannot replace the expertise and human touch of our assessors. If we allowed AI to take over, we would risk losing credibility and exclusivity. Venues and destinations deserve to be evaluated by experts, not by algorithms designed to deceive. This year’s Meetings Star Award ceremony at Cankarjev dom proved that we are on the right path. We will continue nurturing the human heart and soul of our competition. After all, hospitality and events are about people, emotions, and authenticity— things AI is still far from mastering.”
Learn all about the Meetings Star Award here.