Features

Adriatic events

30 Nov 2009 by AndrewGough

Dubrovnik offers more than just postcard views – it’s an emerging destination for events of all sizes, says Michelle Mannion

Dubrovnik Palace

As you would expect from a hotel that hosted two weddings and a summit attended by former US vice-president Dick Cheney at the same time, the Dubrovnik Palace is a vast property with more than 3,000 sqm of meeting and banqueting space. But don’t expect a soulless conference complex – there are 1,500 pieces of art in the hotel, and everywhere you look are views of the Adriatic Sea and Elaphiti Islands.

Situated on Lapad bay, a ten-minute drive from the Old Town, the 308-room hotel was built in the 1970s but damaged during the war, to be reopened by Adriatic Luxury Hotels in 2005. There are two ballrooms – the largest, Mare, has three sections and can accommodate 750 people theatre-style. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer sea views and if you step on to the outdoor terrace, you can even smell it. Dubrava holds 260 delegates and doesn’t have natural daylight, but like Mare is fitted with the latest technology.

There are several smaller meeting rooms, and plenty of choices for functions. One option is to start with cocktails and dinner in the Lenga restaurant and terrace, then move on to the nightclub next door for dancing. But the most spectacular setting for a party is the VIP beach, Vala Club. Overlooked by a cliff, it’s an intimate spot that can be dressed up to host gatherings of up to 350 people.

For incentive groups, the hotel has its own diving centre with a variety of courses available, and like the other ALH properties, it has a good spa offering.


Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik

Steps from the Old Town, the Imperial was the first hotel in the city when it opened in 1897. Like many of Dubrovnik’s properties it was bombed during the war, leaving the opulent exterior intact but causing great damage inside. It hosted refugees during the conflict, and after a full refurbishment reopened as a Hilton in May 2005, with 147 rooms.

The hotel’s seven meeting rooms are well set up for groups of all sizes. On the lower ground floor, the 250-capacity ballroom has its own reception area, a pre-function space and floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening on to an enclosed terrace. The other rooms are split between the ground and lower ground floors and can accommodate from eight to 52 people. They’re traditional in décor, with lots of pictures of ships – the owner is an enthusiast with a big shipping company. The buttercup-walled restaurant opens on to a pretty winter garden with room for 200 people.

Activities that can be arranged for incentive groups include treasure hunts in the Old Town and trips to nearby vineyards.


Excelsior Hotel and Spa

The grande dame of ALH’s Dubrovnik portfolio, the 158-room Excelsior occupies a prime coastal spot a five-minute walk from the Old Town. Originally built in 1913 as the Villa Odak, it became the Excelsior in 1963 with the addition of a new building – the modern glass and steel structure caused quite a stir among locals at the time. A complete renovation took place in 2007-08 and the décor is a combination of traditional and contemporary, with spacious rooms.

There is a range of well-equipped meeting spaces. Lavandula, the largest, can hold 450 people theatre-style and divides into three, with sea views. The 150-capacity Laurea splits in two and has a 230 sqm exhibition area. Other options include the terrace of the ground-floor Piano bar, which has fine views and can hold 180 people – there are plans to remove the central garden bed this winter to take that to 250 – and the 200-capacity Salin restaurant, which has a private dining area for 40 with a striking chandelier. For special occasions, the 210-capacity Palm Terrace can be transformed with lights for gala dinners.

The group’s sister firm, Adriatic Luxury Services, can help to devise incentive programmes, with activities including scuba diving, horse riding and luxury yacht charters.


Kazbek

A great option for smaller groups, the Kazbek hotel has charm written all over it. Open since June 2008, it is housed in a 16th-century castle overlooking the bay of Gruz, 3km from the Old Town. The castle has previously been a summer residence for a local noble family, a Second World War detention centre and, most recently, a school. Now it has been reborn as a luxury property with 13 homely rooms and a variety of event spaces that belie its petite size.

Out front is a courtyard that can host receptions for 150 people, while the pool area can be used for sit-down dinners of 100. The arch-ceilinged restaurant can seat 35, leading on to a light-filled private dining area for eight that can be used for breakout sessions. Upstairs is a small bar that opens on to a covered terrace ideal for small parties, while the building next door has a well-equipped meeting room that can hold 40 people theatre-style.

For bigger groups, owning company Pervanovo has an apartment complex close by with 17 modern residences for two to eight people (50 in total). It also has a yacht and a speedboat, so trips to the nearby islands can be organised. Guests can even be picked up at the airport, taken to the historical port village of Cavtat nearby, then whisked to the hotel via the speedboat – now how’s that for an entrance?


Hotel Bellevue

Built into a 30-metre cliff on Miramare bay, about 15 minutes’ walk from the Old Town, ALH’s boutique offering provides one of the most exquisite panoramas in the city. You would think the ultra-modern glass structure might clash with the setting, but it has been designed in such a way as to defer to the landscape, and the dazzling sea views reflect off the building.

Open since December 2006, it is a super-stylish five-star property with 93 rooms. The first thing you see as you walk in is the sea through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and like many hotels in Dubrovnik, it’s topsy-turvy, with reception on the top floor as you enter.

The main meeting room holds 200 delegates theatre-style. It has no daylight but is bright with shaggy rugs, an earthy colour palette and big wooden blocks on the walls. You can hold events in the restaurant and adjoining Spice bar, a chic spot decorated in chocolate and orange tones – both have full-height panes looking out at the bay. They also open on to a terrace that’s great for cocktail parties, and leading off the restaurant is a TV lounge that can be used for informal meetings. Descend in the lift through the cliff to the private beach and bar, and you can host a party for up to 300 people.


Radisson Blu Resort and Spa, Dubrovnik Sun Gardens

Open since July 2009, this new Radisson is a good 25-minute drive from the Old Town, in Orasac – but as the hotel is almost like a small town in itself, you wouldn’t actually have to leave. It has 201 rooms and 207 apartments, numerous food and beverage options, an Anne Sémonin spa, a nightclub, shops, a beach, indoor and outdoor pools, a gym, squash and tennis courts, pool tables and a climbing wall. A diving centre is planned for 2010.

The eight meeting rooms cover 1,102 sqm and are split across the ground and lower ground floors, accessed by a separate entrance next to the lobby. Downstairs is a ballroom that splits in three and can accommodate 900 for a reception, with a pre-function area. Decorated in shades of brown, cream and rust and with funky bubble chandeliers, it has a high ceiling but no daylight. The smaller meeting rooms on the ground floor do have natural light, and all feature good technology.

Maraska lounge bar on the ground floor is another option – a smart space with a long marble bar, floor-to-ceiling windows facing the sea and an outdoor terrace, it can hold up to 300 people.


Valamar Lacroma Resort

This modern, conference-friendly 401-room hotel opened in May 2009. Located on the Babin Kuk peninsula, ten minutes’ drive from the Old Town, it was originally built in 1976 but was destroyed in the war – e40 million was spent on its transformation.

The 890 sqm Elaphiti conference hall, on the ground floor, is a vast space that can accommodate 1,000 delegates. It divides into four and has a pre-function area and terrace, while on the first floor are seven meeting rooms holding up to 55 people. Elsewhere, Langusto restaurant has lobsters and crayfish in a tank ripe for picking, and with its terrace, provides space for 140 people. Nocturno bar is all dark wood and warm vibes and holds 150 guests.

Activities that can be arranged include guided tours of the Old Town and dinners in its fortresses. There is also a large spa and a gorgeous indoor pool with sea views.


USEFUL INFORMATION

  • For more information contact the Croatian National Tourist Office: tel +44 (0)20 8563 7979; croatia.hr

  • British Airways flies from London Gatwick to Dubrovnik year-round, with Easyjet operating the same route from April to September. Croatia Airlines flies from Gatwick to Dubrovnik between April and October, and to Zagreb from Heathrow and Gatwick year-round, from where you can connect to Dubrovnik. Visit ba.com; easyjet.com; croatiaairlines.com

Loading comments...

Search Flight

See a whole year of Reward Seat Availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls