One of the youngest capitals in Europe, Bratislava offers a fresh and accessible location for European meetings. Felicity Cousins reports.
If you are thinking about arranging a trip to Central Europe, don’t be put off by the apparent lack of flights to Bratislava from the UK. While Ryanair is the only carrier operating on the route, from London Luton and Stansted, Vienna serves as its secondary hub. The two cities are only 60km apart, and with frequent rail departures throughout the day, and four airlines serving the Austrian capital – BA, Bmi, Austrian Airlines and Easyjet – Bratislava is much better connected than you may have thought.
Peter Pottinga, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Bratislava, says: “Vienna airport is 35 minutes’ drive from Bratislava, only a little further than Bratislava’s airport, and as a meetings destination, one of the benefits of the city is the accessibility. It is a fantastic hub – only two hours from Budapest and four hours from Prague.”
Bratislava became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic in 1993 after the break-up of Czechoslovakia and the collapse of Soviet rule. The country borders Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Austria and the Czech Republic, and has made huge headway in the European community, becoming a member country of NATO in 1993, joining the EU in 2004 and adopting the euro last January.
Floortje Jeukens, general manager of the Sheraton Bratislava, which opened in February, says: “The country has really put itself on the map in Central Europe. It’s an attractive tax climate and big multinationals have offices here.”
Slovakia has strong links with the international car industry – there is a Volkswagen plant in Bratislava and a PSA Peugeot Citroën plant in nearby Trnava. Siemens, Kraft Foods, IBM, Orange, T-Mobile, Microsoft, Accenture, Deloitte and Tesco also have offices in the capital.
As a meetings destination, it has something fresh to offer, Pottinga says. “Bratislava is best described as an undiscovered destination. The service is good, as are the facilities – there are lots of hotels, squares, restaurants, theatres and operas.”
Bratislava sits at the base of the Little Carpathians, part of the largest mountain range in Europe, on the banks of River Danube. The city spreads across both sides of the river, but apart from Incheba Expo – the exhibition centre, which hosts several international events a year and offers 100,000 sqm of space – much of the action takes place around the Old Town and the city’s newest developments.
It’s an easy city to navigate – you can get your bearings by looking down from the striking Bratislava Castle on a hill overlooking the city, which has been undergoing refurbishment and should be finished in June. You can walk from the Crowne Plaza hotel, opposite the Grassalkovich Palace (Presidential Palace), into the heart of the Old Town with its cobbled streets, cafés, historic squares and beautifully preserved buildings, in less than ten minutes.
Walk a few minutes further and you’ll hit Hviezdoslavovo, home to the Slovak National Theatre and the Radisson Blu Carlton hotel. The pedestrianised piazza has a relaxed atmosphere, with people sitting on café terraces watching street performers and musicians – it was also the starting point for the Bratislava marathon in March.
Sonja Dive-Dahl, city general manager for Radisson Blu Carlton and Park Inn hotels, says: “For incentives you can do white-water rafting or go on the wine road, stopping at vineyards and little villages such as Modra. You can also play golf or try goose liver and cabbage pancakes at our goose liver festival, which is a huge tradition here.” Founded in the village of Slovensky Grob, the festival is held throughout the country from September to December, when the goose meat is at its best.
Walter Stecher, director of sales and marketing for the Kempinski Hotel River Park, due to open in June, says: “Bratislava is a perfect place. It is so clean and well maintained – I often compare it with Salzburg. You have modernity and international flare. It’s not just about the Old Town – the whole city is developing.”
In the past ten years, Bratislava has seen an influx of international hotel chains. Radisson Blu (formerly Radisson SAS) arrived in 2001, followed by the Crowne Plaza (previously the Forum hotel) in 2005, and the Park Inn Danube in 2007. These hotels are centrally located in the Old Town, and the links to the automobile industry mean they are well prepared to host large car events and exhibitions – the Crowne Plaza has the Slovak Ferrari Club office in its lobby, with a Ferrari on display by reception. It also often hosts government officials – when I was there the president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, was visiting Slovakia and the hotel was full of Russian delegates.
Pottinga says: “We have been particularly good for government and diplomatic-related events, especially when the Iron Curtain lifted. This is a strength of the hotel – we are in a communist-type large open space so we have flexible meeting and lobby facilities.”
The Park Inn Danube renovated all its meeting rooms two years ago and the Radisson Blu has plans for more conference space. Dive-Dahl says: “The event organisers are so creative. We recently had a tiger at one of our functions.” She adds: “The owner is an American and he sees the potential of MICE here.”
The new Sheraton and Kempinski properties are further away from the centre but are part of a surge of new developments by the waterfront. The modern 55,000 sqm Eurovea Galleria opened in March with 200 shops, restaurants and cafés, a cinema and more than 24,000 sqm of office space. The New Slovak National Theatre, which opened in 2007, is nearby.
Jeukens, the Sheraton’s general manager, says: “It seemed that the city had turned its back on the river – this is the first development of its kind. There’s a boulevard feel with the restaurants and bars and a path for rollerbladers and joggers – it’s a friendly place and you can just enjoy being on the river.”
Another first for Bratislava, but not Slovakia, is the arrival of the Kempinski this summer. The new-build is also on the riverfront but on the other side of the Old Town, in a more residential area.
When I visited, the property was still in the process of being built, but the scale and detail was astonishing. I walked through the 1500 sqm spa area as workmen diligently placed each mosaic tile on to the walls. The executive rooms feature silk wallpaper from Kashmir, there is a central spiral staircase in the lobby, and enchanting terrace views over the river can be enjoyed.
Kempinski’s Stecher says: “We are in a good location and we are very happy that there are other four- and five-star international brands in the city.”
In the next five years there are plans for a huge shopping centre – Metropolis – which will have the biggest casino in Central Europe. The complex will also include an aqua park, restaurants and hotels but there have been concerns over the social cost of making gambling such a focus of the city.
Opponents have suggested that the development should go ahead without the mega-casino, but this has not gone down well with Harrah’s Entertainment, the main investor in the project. Dive-Dahl of the Radisson Blu says: “Some people don’t want it but this is because change doesn’t always come easy here – [if it goes ahead] it will be a huge benefit to Bratislava and will bring business into the town.”
Whatever the decision, the capital remains a great new European option for event planners, who have the historic Old Town, striking new complexes, and the water and countryside to play with. The Slovak city is coming out from the shadow of Vienna, Prague and Budapest, and is glowing with its own treasures.
Hotels at a glance
Crowne Plaza Bratislava
The 224 rooms include Club accommodation offering guests access to an executive lounge. There is 1,200 sqm of meeting space across 12 venues, including a ballroom with a capacity of 350 delegates theatre-style, as well as two restaurants, a bar, gym, pool, large terrace and spa. Go to businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested for a full review.
2 Hodzovo Nam; tel +42 125 9348 111; crowne-plaza.sk
Radisson Blu Carlton
This historic building dates back to 1837 and has 170 rooms and 560 sqm of ground-floor meeting space across eight venues, including a ballroom for 400 delegates for a reception. Wifi is free throughout the property and there is also a restaurant, bar and summer terrace on the main square.
3 Hviezdoslavovo Nam; tel +42 125 9390 000; radissonblu.com
Sheraton Bratislava
Located in the new commercial and business district, the 209-room property has 550 sqm of meeting space, including a ballroom for 280 people theatre-style. It also has a French restaurant, lounge and bar with a private mezzanine area, and an 800 sqm spa, pool and gym. The Club lounge offers executive guests a free breakfast, evening snacks and drinks.
12 Pribinova; tel +42 102 3535 0000; starwoodhotels.com
Kempinski River Park
The eight-storey new-build hotel, with 231 rooms and suites, is due to open this month. It has four meeting rooms, plus two ballrooms for up to 460 delegates, two restaurants, a lounge, cigar club and large riverside terrace. It’s situated in a new high-end residential complex on the river, close to the castle.
6 Dvorakovo Nabrezie; tel +42 123 2238 222; kempinski.com
Park Inn Danube
Located within walking distance of Bratislava Castle, the hotel has 265 rooms, six meeting spaces with a maximum capacity of 300 people, a bar and an eatery serving international cuisine.
1 Rybne Nam; tel +421 2 5934 000; parkinn-bratislava.com
