Until fairly recently, Zagreb was overlooked by visitors in favour of Croatia's more obvious coastal destinations. Zagreb may not be as pretty as Ljubljana, as happening as Budapest or as culture-stuffed as Vienna, but it certainly has its own pulls. The city's laid-back vibe and budget prices are increasingly coaxing city-breakers to the capital, while it's impressive Advent programme stands shoulder-to-shoulder the best-established yuletide celebrations in Europe.
With the realisation that Zagreb is becoming a destination in its own right, the past few years have seen massive changes in the city's hotel industry. Following the recent announcement that two new Hilton hotels will be opening in the city this year, there is chatter of two or maybe even three more luxury hotels, opening as early as autumn this year.
Image: Amadria Park Hotel
The first of the new developments will be opened by Amadria Park Hotels that run several boutique hotels in Šibenik and Opatija. They plan to renovate the 1920s Wiener Bankverein building on the corner of Jurišićeva and Palmotićeva into an intimate 112-room boutique hotel, which will carry a 'Heritage' badge.
Image: Amadria Park Hotel
Plans to renovate another building on Praskoj 6, just a few hundred meters away, have been submitted to the city by another company, but they are yet to release details. There are rumours about the hotel taking over the Croatia Osigurnanje building on the main square, but legal disputes surrounding ownership have halted any major movements - a depressingly familiar situation in Croatia.
Image: Amadria Park Hotel
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