This brand new hotel received its first guests last week and is a true jewel in the crown of the city’s hotel offer; the Split Hotel Ambasador was designed from the beginning as a link that connects the urbanity of the large city centre and the untouched beauty of the nearby Dalmatian islands.
Its position in the very heart of the city, on the promenade (Riva) from which you can cast your eyes over the most beautiful panorama of Split, and get a fantastic view of the harbour and the entire Split archipelago, are the reasons why the renovation of the Ambasador – in the first incarnation of the classic modern work from 1937 by the architect Josip Kodl – was from the beginning under the enormous magnifying glass held by the wider public. The ”old” Split Hotel Ambasador was very much a part of the city’s collective memory, and every change to it inevitably aroused considerable interest.
The new Split Hotel Ambasador will indeed offer more than any hotel in the immediate vicinity: this project by Nora Roja, Nene Kezić and Emil Šverk has been categorised as 5*, with 101 rooms (including three suites) – each of which has an open view of the city or the harbour. It is located in the Zapadna obala part of Split, which connects the famous Riva and Diocletian’s Palace on one side, and the ACI marina, the city’s most beautiful beaches and heavily forested Marjan hill on the other.
With its luxurious yet comfortable decoration, it invites you to indulge in some relaxation and permeation with the spirit of Split being the heart of the Mediterranean lifestyle.
The interior (designed by Pero Vuković from ARHIV studio) was created with special attention to natural materials. In its key accents, it brings the story of the tradition and exclusivity of the Split Hotel Ambasador. So, for example, all areas in the hotel, from the lobby to the rooms, are decorated with ”typically Split” historical or recent scenes that were recorded or collected by Split photo chronicler Feđa Klarić.
The reception desk is the handiwork of no less than Slavonian master carpenters, made of black oak, so-called Abonos (bogwood), which comes from the bottom of the Sava river and is 1850 years old. There is also a dedication to the architectural history of the Republic of Croatia in the form of chairs designed by Bernardo Bernardi, along with a number of other details that the trained eye will easily notice. The design of the rooms sees the use of top-quality materials and calming neutral tones combined with the lively scenes outside.
The common areas are oriented conceptually ”outside”, according to what is the greatest asset of the Split Hotel Ambasador – the sea and the city, from which the guests are separated only by a narrow strip of the promenade, and in this way, they communicate with the hustle and bustle of life in the second largest Croatian city, becoming an integral part of the city life.
Within the hotel lies the Méditerranée Restaurant with a total of 210 seats, which, under the leadership of chef Ivica Katić, will offer the best of Mediterranean cuisine – from Lebanon to Gibraltar, with the use of local organic ingredients from local OPGs (family farms) and small producers as a guarantee of top product quality. Right next to it is Bar Split, dominated by an imposing-looking bar which boasts a truly excellent selection of drinks and a comfortable interior that invites you to come on in and socialise. The terrace with the most beautiful view of the city contributes to this already extremely attractive offer, so this bar will surely become a favourite gathering place for many Split locals as well.
The open swimming pool with a view of the City of Split and the harbour and the associated pool bar is another in a series of effective advantages of this particular hotel, and the Split Hotel Ambassador’s speciality is the multifunctional conference centre with a capacity of 80 people, which was conceived above all for high-profile business events, while the rooftop bar is designed as an exclusive space for private events intended for a smaller number of people.
The hotel, of course, also offers a whole range of beauty and spa services within the 500-square-metre Hacelia Wellness & Spa, the concept of which was designed by the consulting company Vita Vitalis. It offers guests various face, body and hair treatments and massages, all with the help of exclusive natural cosmetics, and a separate fitness centre with cardio machines ready for use.
Another feature that will make the Ambasador stand out from the current Split hotel offer is the ample garage space, which is a rarity for a hotel in the city centre.
”Given that the construction of the hotel took longer than initially expected, largely slowed down by disruptions on the global market caused by the coronavirus crisis, this large project, worth more than 35 million euros in total, was extremely demanding to finalise,” they state from the hotel’s management, who also thank all participants in this process which led to the opening of the Ambasador hotel this tourist season.
The market position of this truly exceptional hotel doesn’t suggest excessive dependence on seasonal trends. The Ambasador was designed and constructed to offer the best of what Split, Dalmatia and Croatia have to offer all year round – relaxed luxury, stunning beauty inside that underlines the opulence boasted outside, gastronomic highlights with the best local ingredients, being classed as a unique destination on the world map, shining the spotlight on Split, and in short, a superior experience of the Mediterranean.
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