The Imperial Riviera d.d. Supervisory Board approved an HRK 67 million investment in repositioning Makarska’s Hotel Dalmacija as a Places hotel by Valamar. The investment continues the announced five-year cycle of investments in Croatian tourism worth HRK 1.5 billion, jointly launched by AZ pension funds and “Valamar Riviera.”
After the successful privatization of the companies “Imperial” and “Hotel Makarska,” and the subsequent merger and increase of capital in “Imperial Riviera,” investments in the total amount of HRK 580 million were made, and the hotels “Parentino,” “Meteor,” “Padova,” “Imperial” and Camp Padova were repositioned.
The COVID crisis has temporarily halted and slowed down the investment plan, which is why investments started in 2019 were finalized only in 2021. The approval of the Hotel Dalmacija investment represents a partial restart of the investment cycle. The tourist season has shown the potential for a rapid launch of Croatian tourism and an opportunity for further growth and development of high value-added tourism.
As Slobodna Dalmacija reveals, with the HRK 67 million investment, Hotel Dalmacija will undergo complete reconstruction and refurbishment following the standards of the Valamar Places brand. Recall, the Valamar Places brand is “a new hotel concept for modern travelers seeking freedom of choice and a vibrant Mediterranean holiday by the sea in properties that introduce guests to the destination in a unique way with full respect for nature and the environment.”
Hotel Dalmacija will become the second hotel operating under this Valamar brand from next season.
“After the successful investment in the renovation, modernization, and repositioning of the Valamar hotel “Meteor” in the last two years, totaling HRK 90 million, Imperial Riviera continues to invest in its facilities in Makarska. An additional impetus for the continuation of investment was provided by this year’s successful tourist season, which showed the potential for a rapid recovery of Croatian tourism in the still present COVID circumstances.
The investment includes reconstructing the existing facilities and constructing a new swimming pool, with a sun deck and a new pool bar, and reconstructing the 190 accommodation units and all other spaces in a modern lifestyle design. In addition, the existing restaurant, ground floor, and lobby are designed as one unit, thematically separated by zones, and the current wellness facility will be branded in the Places Spa.
The focus will be on the unique atmosphere, ambiance, offer of local food and dishes, with people at its center. The target markets will be the UK, Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, and, of course, the domestic market,” said Imperial Riviera, adding that lifestyle hotels today are a particular genre in the hotel industry, based not on the classic features of luxury and high gastronomy but on a specific type of service intended for target consumer groups who value unique experiences with people of similar affinities and affiliations.
“Makarska is a destination that has already successfully positioned itself in the market, so it was chosen as an ideal place to implement this type of hotel. This means contributing to the continuation of diversifying the hotel segment, not only in Makarska but also beyond,” concluded Imperial Riviera.
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