It’s no surprise that Split has become a real tourist mecca in recent years – and the number of beds in tourist accommodation has grown from season to season at a rapid pace. Perhaps, for this reason, it is not so surprising that even the most unsuspecting of groups have jumped on board the tourist train.
Namely, Dalmatinski Portal reports on May 10, 2019, that the Franciscan Monastery in the Split area of Trstenik has transformed into the Pax hotel, and is already receiving reservations via Booking.com. The opening of the new tourist haven is in less than two weeks, said the guardian of the Trstenik monastery, Domagoj Runje.
“One wing of the monastery remained empty after the Faculty of Philosophy left in 2017. We were looking for different solutions, and there were a lot of ideas, but making a hotel has proven to be the most realistic option. We aim to book guests who want peace and quiet. The hotel opens with partner Ivan Livaković from Kaštela. He owns a car wash and has a villa for rent. We gave him the space to rent out, but we do not have the necessary skills for tourism. We entered the project together, and together we financed the renovations,” Runje said.
The hotel Pax is located within the monastery in Trstenik and boasts 40 double rooms. According to the prices on Booking.com, at the beginning of June, a room can be booked for 815 kuna.
However, not everyone is thrilled that the church is moving into the hotel industry. Dalmatinski Portal revealed that they received a letter expressing concern with the Franciscan’s latest acquisition, suspecting that behind the decision to rent part of the monastery, there are the personal interests of certain groups. They also announced that they would address higher church institutions to investigate this ‘shocking’ decision.
Runje, however, saw nothing controversial in the new business venture.
“I do not know why these people did not come to me; I would explain everything to them. There is nothing controversial in the business, the partner is a verified person with references, and I really do not see what the problem is,” Runje added.
Runje was also asked if it is customary for the church to turn its rooms into hotels.
“Of course, nothing is strange here. You have examples of this. The monastery in Bol has its own catering facility,” Runje concluded.
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