Marriott sure is expanding its luxury footprint in Serbia’s capital. The St. Regis Belgrade recently opened its doors, and now plans have been announced for the city to also get a Ritz-Carlton.
In this post:
Basics of the Ritz-Carlton Belgrade
Marriott has signed an agreement with Danube Riverside Beograd, to open the Ritz-Carlton Belgrade in 2027. Details are limited as of now, though the property is expected to feature 193 guest rooms and suites, a club lounge, and two distinct dining venues. There are also plans for an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, spa, and meeting and events space.
The hotel will be situated on the Nikola Tesla Boulevard, right on the Danube riverfront, in close proximity to government buildings and the business district.
The new build property is expected to be part of the site of the revitalization of the former Hotel Jugoslavija, bringing this historic property back to life. I’m curious if this is truly a new build, in the sense that the old property will be torn down, or if some of the “bones” will still be used, since the building looks sort of similar.
Here’s how Ivan Bošnjak, a representative of Danube Riverside Beograd, describes this development:
“We are honored to collaborate with Marriott International to bring The Ritz-Carlton brand to Serbia, a global symbol of luxury and quality. On the site of the former Hotel Jugoslavija, a modern complex will rise becoming a prestigious new destination in Belgrade designed for both our fellow citizens and tourists from around the world. The Ritz-Carlton, Belgrade will be the centerpiece of a project that also includes residential and office towers, a conference center, a marina, and a promenade. We believe this project will bring new energy to Belgrade and strengthen its position on the global map of luxury destinations,” said
Below is the only rendering of the property so far.
Belgrade’s luxury hotel scene is improving nicely!
Historically, Belgrade hasn’t exactly had a lot of international luxury properties. There’s a Hyatt Regency that’s fairly decent, and there’s also Metropol Palace, which used to a Luxury Collection property, but is now independent. Arguably the city’s other best hotel has been the Square Nine Belgrade, and that’s an independent property. Now we’ve also seen the opening of the St. Regis Belgrade.
I’m not surprised to see the level of development in Belgrade. I really enjoyed my visit there several years back, and found it to be a dynamic place. Beyond that, Belgrade seems to have an increasing amount of demand for another reason — Russians are flocking there.
Given sanctions between the European Union and Russia, Serbia has become a popular place for Russians, including many wealthy ones. After all, Serbia isn’t part of the European Union, so there are advantages to that.
The one thing that surprises me about this property is that it’s yet another Marriott branded hotel. You’d think that developers might have gone for a different brand, like Waldorf Astoria, given the existing St. Regis.
Bottom line
Plans have officially been announced for the Ritz-Carlton Belgrade, which is expected to open in 2027. The riverfront property will feature 193 keys, two restaurants, a club lounge, an indoor swimming pool, and more. It’s cool to see the amount of development in Belgrade. For now I’m looking forward to checking out the St. Regis.
What do you make of plans for the Ritz-Carlton Belgrade?
I like when people from inside-out corrupted countries like US triggered by some new resort or hotel development in Eastern Europe
The old hotel is currently being demolished, so it's going to be a new build. The St Regis Hotel is open but surrounded by tower blocks that are being built. It's going to take years before the building work on the Belgrade Waterfront is completed and all the noise stops.
In July I stayed at the Moxy Belgrade because it was near the A1 airport bus stop in Slavija. It looks like 35K cert gets a night at the St Regis on the Sava, but I wonder if it would take a 50K or 85K to stay at the Ritz on the Danube.
Oligarchs are building, and Marriott’s happy to be branding.
True story!
Not a great location for tourists but I guess it will likely be mainly business travelers staying there. I drove by the old Hotel Jugoslavia back in September and it brought back a lot of memories from the communist days. The Courtyard Marriott on Republic Square is an excellent hotel but only a 3-4 star so Belgrade could use a few more nicer properties.