First Five-Star Hotel in Split County Opened

The hotel "Lav", the first five-star hotel in Split County which is part of the international chain of hotels Le Meridien - Starwoods Group, was opened in Podstrana near Split on Saturday.

The hotel, which is the only five-star hotel from Opatija to Dubrovnik, was renovated by its owners Ivica Kurtović and a returnee emigrant from Australia, Slavko Jim Bošnjak.

The hotel, worth some  HRK 600 million, was opened by Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.

Present at the opening was also the Minister of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development Božidar Kalmeta. During his speech he pointed out that in Croatia hotels represent 11 percent of the total tourist accommodation capacities and that five and four-star hotels are very important since they enrich the tourist offer and prolong the season. He added that Croatian tourism this year was once again marking outstanding results. Statistics show that during the first ten months 4 million tourists visited Croatia. Thanks to those figures, until the end of 2006, Croatia will mark a EUR 6 billion profit in tourism.  

The hotel has four accommodation complexes with 382 rooms, a congress hall for 2,500 people, a two-storey parking area, tennis courts, a wellness centre, a pool complex and a half a kilometer long beach with a marina.

Apart from bars, restaurants, gambling halls and a trade centre, the hotel also has a library, a chapel and an amphitheatre. The hotel will be open throughout the year and it will employ some 500 people.

The opening ceremony was attended, among others, by Australian Ambassador Tracy Reid.