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A smallish, privately owned hotel in a leafy district not far from the centre, with the presidential palace and many of the city’s embassies and diplomatic residences nearby. The hotel’s good reputation is perhaps due in part to this exclusive location and its renowned—and expensive—fish restaurant. However, the evidence is that the communal areas are in some need of maintenance, and as the owner wasn’t keen to grant us access to the rooms, we can’t comment on the standards in that part of the hotel. A salon seating 40 can be used for meetings.
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As the oldest hotel in Zagreb—and very nearly all of Europe—the Palace has a proud tradition. Orson Welles signed the guest book in 1970, calling it his favourite hotel in Yugoslavia. Superbly located between the railway station and the main square, it’s part of Lenuci’s ‘Green Horseshoe’, an arc of imperial buildings flanked by fine parks. Interiors are elegant but refrain from kitsch. The feeling is of contemporary comfort, with plenty of space and light. Two conference rooms can handle meetings for up to 100. The Palace’s restaurant has always enjoyed a good reputation and the Viennese-style coffee house is an institution.
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The Esplanade is so gorgeous that staff feel a twinge of regret when it’s time to go home. Dating back to the 1920s, this was a stop-off for travellers on the Orient Express, and famous faces from Sophia Loren to Henry Kissinger have stayed here. The beautiful listed building is sheer art nouveau opulence inside and out. After a massive refurbishment, guests need not sacrifice high-tech creature comforts for period grandeur. The restaurant and fitness suite are indulgence on a criminal scale. Meeting facilities include the spectacular Emerald Ballroom, which seats 280. Twice-a-day maid service makes you feel as if you’re being tended to by an exceptionally devoted mother.
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A newish villa in a pleasant residential area close to the Maksimir park, the Vila Tina is a brisk walk or bus ride from the nearest tram stop to the city centre. Decorated in a classically elegant style, the accommodation is of a high standard for the price, but large amounts of shining marble give a rather sterile feel. The hotel’s lovely indoor pool, with trim cabinets and sauna is, we hear, frequented by members of Zagreb’s Dinamo football team. Perhaps this reflected glory is the cause of the somewhat aloof manner of the management.
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