October the 12th, 2024 – The very first island Marriott Hotel, and one from the gorgeous Autograph Collection at that, has opened its doors on Cres.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, just several days ago, the “The Isolano” hotel began operating on the stunning island of Cres. It is branded with the prestigious Autograph Collection by Marriott label.
This, otherwise the first island Marriott hotel, represents an investment of 17 million euros that was started a little more than two years ago. Behind it stands the company Valdarke d.o.o., owned by a successful hotel manager and Cres native, Nikola Avram.
With the implementation of this massive project, Croatia got its first island Marriott hotel from the most prestigious and largest hotel chain in the world, Marriott International. The Autograph Collection, on the other hand, denotes a sub-brand of Marriott that is reserved solely for boutique luxury hotels categorised as having five stars.
It’s worth mentioning that the Autograph Collection sub-brand alone boasts more than 300 hotels located in the most beautiful locations in as many as 50 countries across the world. Croatia is now very firmly on that map, and harmonises well with efforts to attract large tourist investments and transform tourism into a sustainable, structured and luxury industry.
The new resort The Isolano Autograph Collection on Cres will boast 49 spacious, elegantly decorated rooms in five categories, two outdoor heated pools, a beach bar, an event hall, several different gastronomic locations, as well as a modern wellness and SPA centre. There’s also exclusive access to the beach, just a few steps from the rooms.
The design of the first island Marriott hotel on Cres evokes authentic Adriatic charm. As such, this hotel contains stone from the island of Brač, carefully integrated into the architecture and decor, so that guests feel the history and tradition of the entire climate of coastal Croatia from the moment they arrive. The interior decoration has been done by Croatia’s very own talented Kristina Zanić.
The exterior of the first island Marriott hotel is surrounded by untouched Mediterranean landscapes and hidden beaches. It also offers direct access to the coast and a beautiful view. As if that wasn’t enough, it is located just a ten-minute walk from the very town of Cres. The entire facility was conceived as a harmonious combination of modern design with decent elements, while the interior has been inspired by the relaxed and authentic ambience of old stone villages and colourful houses along the Cres waterfront. Special attention has been paid to the preservation of its traditional appearance, where the Venetian architectural influence that has remained present on the island for centuries can be clearly seen and felt.
Investor Nikola Avram said that although the hotel started operating in mid-October, he expected it to open its doors back in August.
“With such large and complex investments, it often happens that the deadlines are slightly exceeded, but due to all the logistics and also the position of the island, we extended the entire process by two months in order to make sure that everything was properly in place regarding the legal and functional side of the hotel.
On top of all that, we wanted to perfect our employees, of whom we now have 65, and who are under the mentorship of our general manager, Marijo Ivić. We’ll be open for a few more weeks and then we’ll start preparations for the next season and the hotel will open again in March. Right at the beginning of spring we’re planning to organise the grand opening of the hotel in the form of a reception that an investment of this size deserves.
We’re immensely proud that with this kind of project we’ve succeeded in additionally positioned Croatia as an ideal tourist destination that is open to the growth and development of a key industrial branch,” stated Avram of the first island Marriott hotel on Cres.
