Ulcinj Set to Welcome a Five-Star Resort Spanning More Than 12.5 Hectares – Faro dell’Adriatico Planned with 244 Accommodation Units and 736 Beds

The Faro dell’Adriatico tourist complex, planned by Adriatic Project in Donji Štoj, in the hinterland of Velika Plaža in Ulcinj, will comprise hotels, hotel annexes and villas, together with supporting hospitality, wellness and recreational facilities, swimming pools, landscaped pedestrian areas and parking. The preliminary design envisages 64,799 square metres of gross floor area, 244 accommodation units and 736 beds, while total parking capacity is estimated at 635 spaces.

The project involves a five-star tourist resort on an urban development plot covering a total area of 125,833.58 square metres, or approximately 12.58 hectares.

According to the project documentation, the complex will have a total net floor area of 56,571.19 square metres, while the total building footprint is planned to cover 18,507.48 square metres. The hotel buildings account for 42,705 square metres of gross floor area, while the annexes and villas account for an additional 22,094.11 square metres, according to the figures provided in the design documentation.

The urban planning and technical requirements indicate an estimated workforce of approximately 300 employees, although the organisation of work across shifts has not been confirmed.

The spatial concept of the Faro dell’Adriatico complex is based on a longitudinal central pedestrian axis connecting the accommodation facilities, service amenities, squares and open spaces. The main hotel buildings and parking areas are positioned in the northern part of the plot, while building heights and development intensity decrease towards the south, where the annexes and villas are grouped.

The first phase comprises Hotels 1A, 1B and 1C, Hotel 2, six annexes numbered One to Six, and five villas. Access roads, parking, utility infrastructure and landscaping are also planned as part of this phase.

Hotels 1A, 1B and 1C form a connected complex in the northern part of the site, with the upper floors set back. The hotel zone will concentrate guest reception, hospitality facilities, spa and recreational amenities, as well as spaces for conferences and other supporting activities.

Annexes One and Two are located in the northeast, while Annexes Three to Six are situated west of the central area. The five villas are arranged along the western edge of the complex, with dedicated access routes, terraces, parking spaces and swimming pools.

Hotel 2 is planned in the southeastern part of the accommodation zone, in the form of two interconnected volumes. Its lower floors are intended for hospitality facilities, spa amenities and swimming pools, while the remaining areas will accommodate accommodation units and supporting functions.

The central part of the resort is organised around a main swimming pool covering 1,595.68 square metres, while private pools and fountains are planned within the individual accommodation areas.

Pedestrian paths, squares, open spaces and landscaped green areas are intended to connect the different parts of the resort. Motor traffic will mainly be routed around the perimeter of the complex, with emergency access to the central zone, while two entrances on the eastern side are planned to serve the tourist and recreational areas.

The project also includes pergolas over parking areas, green roofs, landscaped terraces and tree planting to provide shade. Native and Mediterranean plant species are planned for the landscaping, with invasive species and plants with high water requirements to be avoided.

The complex will also include supporting technical infrastructure, reservoirs, water treatment and drainage systems, energy and telecommunications installations, and other facilities required for the resort’s operation.

A separate part of the project is the southern zone, covering 33,262.8 square metres, which is excluded from the calculation of the main urban development parameters. Its final use has not yet been defined, and the documentation stipulates that any future development must be aligned with the site’s natural characteristics and applicable environmental protection regimes.

One of the options under consideration is an educational and interpretive trail dedicated to the habitats of the Velika Plaža area, featuring short wooden walkways, a viewing point along the edge and information boards. Such a concept would be designed for quiet daytime visits, without sound systems or decorative lighting.

The documentation provides for the preservation of wet meadows and halophytic vegetation, while allowing for the possible consideration of lightweight, elevated and reversible structures only in locations where valuable natural features would not be threatened. No buildings, paths, utility installations, ground levelling, parking or construction machinery movement should be permitted in the most sensitive depressions.

Consequently, facilities considered in earlier proposals, such as a lake and a children’s swimming pool in the southern part of the site, cannot be regarded as confirmed elements of the current project.

Following the initial stage, the documentation envisages additional accommodation capacity. Phase Three concerns Hotel 3, planned in the southwestern part of the plot, between the villas and annexes, the central area and the southern recreational zone. The lower floors are intended for reception, hospitality facilities, spa amenities and swimming pools, while the upper floors will accommodate accommodation units and supporting functions.

Phase Four includes Annexes Seven to Ten, planned east of the central area and south of the main swimming pool. Each will form a separate accommodation unit connected to the shared infrastructure, with parking and swimming pool facilities.

However, the project documentation does not confirm that all phases have been completed or that the construction schedule has been finalised.

Information about the planned construction of the complex has been published on the website of Montenegro’s Environmental Protection Agency after the investor submitted a request for a decision on whether an Environmental Impact Assessment Study needs to be prepared.

According to the document, the site is located in the flat coastal hinterland of Velika Plaža, between the Adriatic Sea and the built-up and agricultural hinterland of Donji Štoj and Gornji Štoj. It is connected to central Ulcinj via the R-17 Ulcinj–Ada Bojana road, across the Port Milena Bridge, while existing and informal access roads are located in the immediate vicinity.

The project documentation specifically highlights the need to protect two halophytic depressions in the southernmost part of the plot, as well as a valuable pedunculate oak tree known as the Skadar Oak. Protecting the tree will require avoiding excavation, foundations, utility trenches, parking and other activities within the designated protection zone, as well as installing a protective fence before construction machinery enters the site.

Planning and construction works in the southern zone will have to comply with the relevant studies and protection regimes, while specific solutions for sensitive habitats will depend on expert assessments and confirmed requirements.