Regent Hotels to Open Regent Porto Montenegro in 2014

Big news from the Adriatic's luxury hotel scene: Regent Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of an agreement with Adriatic Marinas d.o.o to manage the Regent Porto Montenegro. The luxury waterfront hotel is scheduled to open in May 2014. Originally an Austro-Hungarian naval base, Porto Montenegro has become a popular destination for tourists, yacht owners and celebrities.

Located directly in Porto Montenegro marina in the Bay of Kotor, the 80-room hotel will have 35 guest rooms and 45 suites with interiors designed by Pisano Atelier. Cool design touches: London-based ReardonSmith Architects, the recent recipients of four European Hotel Design Awards, are reportedly designing the hotel exterior in a Renaissance Venetian style, complete with a terracotta roof, inspired by Venetian aesthetics and drawing on the countless Italianate palazzi around the Bay.

The Regent Porto Montenegro will have a ground-floor café and brasserie, fine dining restaurant and cigar lounge, meeting facilities, a signature Regent Spa and two spectacular swimming pools. A central atrium with expansive views of the sea and surrounding mountains will lead to a tranquil water garden connected to a private island for exclusive events and dining.

Outside of the hotel, guests will also have full access to Porto Montenegro. The world-class marina features 184 boat berths, a village center with casual cafes, fine-dining restaurants and upscale retail stores offering both local and international designer brands. Village amenities include a day spa, hair salon, yacht club and nautical museum. In the next few years, Adriatic Marinas d.o.o also plans to double its berth capacity from 185 to 370, re-develop a superyacht maintenance and refit facility in conjunction with ASY Bijela just 5km away in the Bay of Kotor, and add a premium casino to its offering.

With 62 miles of coastline, the Bay of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest natural harbor in the eastern Mediterranean. The bay is surrounded by Italian architecture, a reminder of the area's 400 years under Venetian rule. Best of all for time-pressed travelers, the bay is only minutes from Tivat International Airport.

Photo of Montenegro courtesy of www.portomontenegro.com.