July the 23rd, 2023 – The prestigious hotel brand, Autograph Collection by Marriott, is coming to the gorgeous Kvarner island of Cres.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the hotel currently under construction by a company called Valdarke on the island of Cres will operate under the Autograph Collection by Marriott brand. This was just learned by the Croatian media by Nikola Avram, the owner of Valdarke, who signed a contract with the global hotel chain just this week. As is already fairly well-known, this five-star hotel is being built on the location of the Šumica restaurant, which has been owned by the Avram family for years now.
Cres to join the marriott chain
Nikola Avram is also the founder and chairman of the board of the Belgrade-based company Alpha Hotel Management, which has a very impressive portfolio of either ownership or manegement that includes the Westin Vranjska Banja, Swissotel Kopaonik, Marriot Kotor, Pullman Kolašin and AC Hotel Split. The company is also the holder of the Marriott International certificate, so it is already known that this brand new hotel in Cres will be part of that chain, and exactly which brand it will fall under has now been revealed.
The Autograph Collection
The Autograph Collection brand belongs to the so-called “premium distinctive” group of Marriott hotels, which in terms of luxury, sits somewhere comfortably in the middle (between luxury and select hotels), and in terms of content and style, they are unique hotels that emphasise local culture and history. About a hundred hotels operate under the Autograph Collection brand across five continents, most of them here in Europe, as well as in Central America and in the Caribbean. Another hotel under the Autograph brand is being developed in Komiža on the island of Vis, invested in by the Modra špilja/Blue cave company, with the majority shareholder being the pension fund PBZ Croatia osiguranje/insurance.
“Cres as both a town and an island that left a great impression on me and my youth is still one of the hidden gems of the Kvarner islands. My great desire was to give something back to it in some way for all the beauty and love that was given to me in this idyllic island setting. After a long series of years of work in tourism and the development of many destinations, it’s now time for me to leave my mark in my hometown. We’re developing a completely new concept of hotel services that puts Cres firmly on the map of exclusive Croatian destinations,” Avram explained.
Soon, more new details about the project on Cres will become public. So far, it is known that it is a facility boasting 49 rooms and apartments with a minimum size of 40 square metres, it will have a heated outdoor pool and a beach with a beach bar, a themed restaurant with a capacity of 80 people, and a spa, gym and a wellness area spanning 500 square metres. An underground garage and an outdoor car park will also be available to guests arriving with their own cars.
Investment figures
The investment is estimated to stand at around 15 million euros, and the hotel should have opened its doors by the time the next summer season rolls around, with the plan for it to remain open almost all year round.
