for its pollution and prostitutes.” Then, three years ago, “artists started to try and change the area”, and now, he says, there are more than 50 new initiatives locally, from galleries to restaurants to design co-ops. On the programme at Mikser during my visit was a theatre production of Lars von Triers’ Dogville, as well as concerts from classical to rock’n’roll, and various children’s activities. Meanwhile, the Belgrade Dance Festival attracts interna- tional performers and audiences, while other events range from annual Fashion and Design Weeks to a host of festivals for food, wine, art and music. This renaissance is accompanied by a reassuring growth in chic cafes and excellent restaurants.
ACCOMMODATION DEALS Those heading to do business in Serbia should be able to obtain good deals on accommodation: according to hotel data specialist STR Global, last year saw a 47.5 per cent occupancy rate for the country, with average daily rate around £66. STR reports that Belgrade has 33 existing hotels with a total of just under 4,000 guestrooms.
Those heading to do business in Serbia should be able to obtain good deals on accommodation
Corporate hotel booking specialist HRS notes that average rates in Belgrade have hardly shifted since 2012 – from Ð74 per night to Ð79 in 2014. “However, we are watching with interest at how Belgrade may become more popular as it grows its reputation in the corporate travel world,” says Jon West, managing director for HRS in the UK and Ireland. He believes Belgrade is in a similar price
bracket to Warsaw, Budapest and Prague, and says Crown Plaza’s opening of a 416- room property shows growing confidence. “It’s also positive to see Belgrade will be
Meet and stay
As well as chain brands, including Hyatt, Radisson Blu and Holiday Inn, Belgrade has some good design-led boutique hotels
SQUARE NINE Luxury 45-room property, with ambient wood-panelling, stone and bronze. It features a basement Sisley spa with an 18m swimming pool, gym, sauna and steam rooms. Standard bedrooms are a generous 32 sqm. A range of indoor and outdoor meetings and events spaces include a rooftop terrace for up to 200 guests.
TOWNHOUSE 27 A 1920s building completely revamped to create a small design hotel with 21 spacious, stylish and well-equipped rooms, conference space for up to 17, and complimentary breakfast ‘snacks to go’ if you’re in a rush.
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
BELGRADE ART HOTEL Sleek modern hotel in the heart of the city on the main pedestrian thoroughfare – Knez Mihailova Street itself is a protected landmark – and surrounded by some of the grandest architecture. The 55-room property showcases work from young Serbian artists – which guests can buy – and features include two conference rooms, a wellness centre and a Belgian waffle bar.
KUSTENDORF/ DRVENGRAD 200km south west of Belgrade, in the mountains on the border with Bosnia, is
playing host to a number of international events this year, which will help further put it on the map. This, coupled with plans for huge investment by the United Arab Emirates to make Belgrade the ‘Dubai of the Balkans’ with an investment of US$3.6 billion expected, should really help boost Belgrade’s profile on the international scene.” The grandiose Waterfront project
is attracting criticism from various quarters, who cite lack of transparency and unanswered questions around funding and timelines. And many of the city’s infrastructure projects await private investment before completion dates can be envisaged.
But the daunting tasks ahead are
not deterring Mayor Mali and his young team. “Our biggest challenge is the lack of financial means to do this on our own,” he says. “So we have to find partners for specific investments. And to do this we must have stable public finances. Our challenge is to find partners that we can build a better city together with, and share the benefits.”
Kustendorf/ Drvengrad, created by Palme D’Or-winning director Emir Kusturica
the surreal wooden film set village created by Cannes Palme D’Or-winning director Emir Kusturica, for his 2004 movie Life is a Miracle. It’s home to the annual Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival – a lively event with an impressive reputation and line-up: on my brief visit, Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron was onstage talking about his films, including Gravity
and Children of Men, and taking questions from an enthusiastic audience of film students.
When not hosting the festival, it’s a mountain resort that offers a distinctive option for meetings and events. It features a hotel, a conference hall and facilities, restaurants, a pool and gym, and guest chalets – and a nearby ski resort. For more information, see
panacomp.net
BBT MAY/JUNE 2015 113
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