A luxury addition to the island of Hvar, as Arqaam Capital and Four Seasons open a sales office in Stari Grad on June 10, 2017.
Arqaam Capital and Four Seasons open the sales office in Stari Grad: ‘We want to stay on the island of Hvar, employ more than 300 workers and cooperate with the local community’
The Four Seasons – Resort and Private Residence project in Brizenica Bay near Stari Grad should be finished in 2019 and will include a hotel with 120 rooms and around 100 luxury villas and apartments.
The Arqaam Capital investment bank from Dubai opened their official sales office in Stari Grad on the island of Hvar this weekend. For the bank as the investor, this is a key milestone in the realisation of the project of the luxury tourism complex, Four Seasons – Resort and Private Residences.
Many well-known entrepreneurs from the island of Hvar and Split-Dalmatia County were present at the grand opening of the sales office. The importance of this project is also confirmed by the fact that the project was put on the list of strategic projects of the Republic of Croatia.
Dennis Wijsmuller, co- founder and Executive Director of Arqaam Capital bank, pointed out that he believes in the successfulness of the project and emphasised that this greenfield investment will surely help Croatia to position itself as one of the leading tourist destinations.
”Unfortunately, in this area, no such high level and quality services currently exist and that’s what we want to provide for our future clients. Luxury accommodation and additional rich cultural, entertainment and hospitality services will contribute to the development of the island of Hvar, of Split-Dalmatia County and of Croatia. We are here, we want to stay and all obstacles we faced so far are all part of this process,” said Wijsmuller.
The tourist project in Brizenica Bay near Stari Grad has been brought the realisation by the Arqaam Capital bank. Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, an internationally known hotel company, will be in charge of the management. Wijsmuller thinks that Croatia has a great potential to develop luxury tourism and he is proud that they are taking the lead and showing the international hospitality community what can and should be done in Croatia.
”We are pleased that with the realisation of this project we will also contribute to the development of the local community on the island of Hvar. I want to thank all the people from Stari Grad and the island of Hvar for the constant support and our goal is to continue to cooperate with the local community for the mutual benefit of everyone. The construction should start by the end of this year and around 320 jobs will be opened,” said Wijsmuller.
The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Hvar will be Four Seasons’ first resort on the Adriatic. Investors are developing a hotel consisting of 120 rooms and around 100 residences that will be on offer to both local and international clientele. Besides the accommodation capacities, the complex will have many additional commodities for relaxation and recreation, such as pools, spa and fitness centres, restaurants, bars and boutiques, as well as conference and banquet spaces.
Wijsmuller’s speech in full:
”Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you today on behalf of Arqaam Capital to the official opening of our sales office and the marking of the Four Seasons Private Residences sales launch. This is a key milestone as we prepare for the imminent launch of the construction phase of the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Hvar at Brizenica Bay.
Ten years ago, we scoured the Croatian coastline for suitable locations to develop a luxury resort. The beauty of Croatia’s coast lends itself to high end tourism and unfortunately this segment of the market has so far been largely underinvested in.
Hvar is the cradle of Croatian tourism and its geographic position, sunny climate, rich cultural heritage and stunning bays make it a destination of choice for the most discerning international travelers. We feel very privileged to be part of Stari Grad which has such rich culture and a deep history.
The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Hvar will be Four Seasons’ first resort on the Adriatic and one of the few in Europe. We are developing a 120 room hotel and around 100 residences that will be on offer to both local and international clientele. Our development is also the first Greenfield development of its kind in Croatia for many years.
At Arqaam, we pride ourselves on being innovators and leaders and here, we once again take the lead and show the international hospitality community what can and should be done and we hope many will follow us.
We are proud to support the Croatian tourism development strategy and contribute to the social and economic development of Hvar and Stari Grad in particular. By developing this project, we will strengthen the region’s tourism infrastructure, create jobs and firmly put Hvar and Stari Grad on the global map of high end luxury destinations.
We look forward to continuing to work with the local community for the mutual benefit of everyone; and to supporting local producers, farmers and fishermen. This is a project that will give back to everyone.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people of Stari Grad for their continued support. I would also like to thank our project manager, Mark Ollerenshaw, for his dedication and devotion to the project over the last few years. We would not be where we are today without his support. I would also like to thank our other partners and consultants from Croatia and further afield for their cooperation, dedication and outstanding work.
Finally, I wish to thank our local team: Diana, Lovre, Kora, Peter and Beckett who have a challenging task ahead of them. You are a great team and you will undoubtedly deliver over the next few years. I wish you all the very best.
Thank you!”
