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Copy linkContinental shines on as Crowne Plaza – New Belgrade-based hotel officially opens its doors December 30 (PHOTO)
(Crowne Plaza)
New star of the Belgrade hotel industry was unveiled to journalists today. Former Continental is transformed into Crowne Plaza, the first hotel of this world-famous chain in Serbia and the region. The five-star facility in which Delta Holding invested EUR 40 mil will officially open its doors December 30.
Crowne Plaza covering 33,000 square meters offers 416 rooms, 100 club rooms, 31 suites, 12 meeting rooms, two restaurants, lobby bars, candy shops. Visitors can also use fitness and spa center as well as the largest hotel swimming pool in Serbia.
- The hotel adorns both Belgrade and Serbia and we are very proud of it. The hotel is a part of InterContinental Hotels Group, with which we did not sign a franchise contract but a management contract for a period of 20 years. IHG has the largest number of hotels in the world, 4,600 more precisely, as well as nine brands in 60 countries. The company opens a new hotel every week somewhere on the planet – Zivorad Vasic, director of Crowne Plaza, said at a press conference.
London-based architectural bureau Virgile&Stone, which is traditionally hired to implement IHG Group projects, was the one to draw designs for the Crowne Plaza hotel, while the construction supervision was entrusted to the US company Turner Constructions.
Vasic mentioned that 50 local companies were hired for the reconstruction, adding that the main contractor was Belgrade-based Exim.
- We have been working with many foreign companies operating in Serbia such as Siemens, Schindler, Eurolux, etc. We are proud of winning the first Saint-Gobain Rigips Trophy for interior design - Vasic said.
A total of 4000 people applied for a position at the new Belgrade-based hotel and 250 of them were hired.
As the head of the hotel said in his interview with eKapija, the facility mostly reminds of Amsterdam-based Crowne Plaza.
- InterContinental Hotels Group is very happy about the job we did. We are constantly receiving appraisals and are fascinated with this facility. I am proud of the fact this is the best Crown Plaza in Europe – Zivorad Vasic said for our portal and added that Belgrade-based hotel is the largest in capacity in the region.
A presidential suite on the eight floor of this hotel really stands out. Those who prefer absolute silence will love the rooms in a so-called quiet zone where silence is mandatory from 8 p.m. until 9 a.m.
Vasic points out that the biggest novelty in the hotel are the halls which are bigger now, and there are seven of them now instead of 12.
The chef is Jovica Neskovic who promised familiar but also new, local and international specialties at Crowne Plaza restaurants.
Huge interest of guests
The information that 30,000 overnight stays have already been booked for 2014 show how large the interest in Belgrade-based Crown Plaza is.
- So far, we are very pleased with the interest of our future guests. 14 popular weedings have been booked, 30 corporate events, 3 world conferences. It is a pity Sava Center is not renovated because we would have fewer congresses in Belgrade. Next year, our hotel will host a congress for doctors from all over the world, congress of neurosurgeons as well as a seven-week world cooking competition. If we had 6 congresses in the first year of business, we would be very satisfied – our collocutor says.
As the hotel announces, the price of bed and breakfast will range from 130 to 160 euros, depending on the season.
- We expect an occupancy rate of 53% in the first year, 60% in the second, 65% in the third, and 70% in the fourth year. Apart from congress tourism development, our target groups are athletes, sports teams, representations from all countries in the world, film groups, businessmen, weekenders – Vasic says for our portal.
Spa center
Crowne Plaza has the biggest swimming pool in Belgrade. Guests will be able to use a gym, massage rooms, sauna, and a Turkish bath.
Guests who are not staying at the hotel can use these facilities but only if they pay an annual membership.
The plan is to turn the space in front of the swimming pool where green area is now situated into a summer garden.
New Year’s Eve at Crowne Plaza
In line with the tradition of former Continental, Crowne Plaza is preparing an unforgettable New Year’s Eve celebration. The popular hotel chain offers a rich program – rich dinner, top drinks and nice time with Lepa Brena and Hari Mata Hari.
As Zivorad Vasic said, more than a half of tickets have been sold and the interest is even bigger for January 1.
Suzana Obradovic
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