Dejan Perić

Hyatt Regency

Kotor Bay Resort

– Second to None

Dejan Perić, the General Manager of Hyatt Regency

Kotor Bay Resort in Montenegro shares with

TRAILBLAZING

MAGAZINE why this hotel is the new irresistible magnet for all the tourists.

Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort opened its doors on June 7th, representing Hyatt Hotels’ first foray into Montenegro, one of Europe’s fastest growing travel regions. Krolbay, owner of Blue Kotor Bay Premium Spa Resort hotel, signed a cooperation agreement in August 2022 with US-based Hyatt Hotels Corporation to operate the hotel under the Hyatt Regency brand starting June 2023

The hotel features 205 rooms, 21 premium apartments and 26 deluxe apartments.

Please tell our readers the direction and forte of Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort and what it provides to be ahead of its competitors.

Montenegro has, in recent years, witnessed an expansion in its luxury offerings to both business travelers and tourists. Moreover, the increase in tourism offers, underpinned by the unified efforts of the state and the private sector to position our amazing coast and destination in its entirety, has provided ample space for all to concentrate on their fortes and distinct and exclusive strengths.

Healthy competition is an advantage and incentive, and most importantly gives way to innovation and creativity. It is often said that travelers shape the trends, but we firmly believe that it is our constant drive, and hospitality stakeholders in general, to go a step further to innovate and create new experiences, the driving factor of what influences the travelers’ wishes and expectations. We believe that Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort has no direct competitors, in the sense that the distinct brand and what it brings and is known for, the magical position of the resort, gastronomic offer and our wellness and well-being segment, to name a few, differentiate and distinguish us.

How would you describe your primary focus, and how do you plan to fulfill it?

Our primary focus is an unforgettable experience for all our guests, whether they visit us for a relaxing vacation, weekend away, conference, team-building event, dinner, or for rejuvenation. Fulfilling this might seem challenging given the varying dynamics involved, but our professional team and the all-encompassing guest journey is an equation for success. With extensive training, development, team spirit, dedication, love and ability to listen to the guests and their feedback, we will deliver and fulfill dreams.

How would you describe the customer experience at your hotel? What are the key factors to delight and keep customers coming back?

First impressions, both pre-arrival and upon arrival, are always important, and brand loyalty surely fortifies this. However, there is something that we make sure we are always there for, and that is the individual approach and a “home away from home” trait. It might be said that big brands or large luxury resorts cannot provide this, but it is very much possible with that extra step in design, comfort, approach and the elevated human factor. Even though we are fully in line with technological hospitality trends which might detach the guest from the host at first glance, we found a way to not only co-exist but for these spheres to supplement each other. Communication between our teams, interaction and listening are required for the creation of special experiences, and we know that our learning and understanding of guests’ views and needs is a finishing touch that results in loyalty and repeat visits to Kotor Bay and Hyatt Regency!

How does Hyatt Regency Kotor

Bay Resort present luxury and

Luxury and refinement make up what Hyatt Regency is, and our resort was a perfect fit with all its aesthetics and facilities, supported by Kotor Bay and its cultural, historical and natural beauty. In travel, luxury and refinement mean uniqueness. It is a lifestyle flair that exceeds details, from a yoga space to a local supplier that will use our mooring for guests’ yachts to bring in the freshest fish caught that morning, with our chef awaiting the catch impatiently so he can dream up that day’s special. It is the morning views of the bay and the funky DJ spinning hits at our Ole Beach Bar, where the cocktail master will make sure to refresh your taste buds with a cocktail made just for you. Luxury is in our decadent dishes whose taste is improved by the herbal hints in the breezes coming down from the Vrmac mountain, in the refined experience at the Piano Bar, in the serene moments in our spa’s hammam, over to well-kept memories in private hot tubs or swim-up pools. The list is endless. Our guests are there to experience, relish and delight in these moments.

The hotel caters to various categories of clientele. How do you keep this position despite the strong competition?

Each of the luxury hotels in Montenegro, even the Adriatic, has more or less its own signature. We believe ours is all the more persuasive and ideal with the position of the resort and the proximity to the experiences and adventures beyond the property, regardless of whether we are talking about Montenegro or the region as a whole.

What can you tell us about the hotel’s gastronomic offerings?

With Mediterranean luxury resorts, it is truly impossible to imagine not having a Mediterranean restaurant. At our a la carte restaurant, The Lighthouse, Mediterranean cuisine is enhanced with a fresh selection of local ingredients and herbs, and a seasonal menu that not only incorporates the tastes and influences of our heritage but also represents what the travelers brought with them and introduced to our modern cuisine.

Our gourmet restaurant one might say is the norm, but themed nights promise surprises for taste buds, and we excitedly promote Montenegrin cuisine as well with food corners, while the Hedonist Rooftop is a surprise in the making for all who wish to taste or are already aficionados of Balkan cuisine with a twist. And this is only the beginning. There are Latin dishes too at Ole Beach Bar, and the gastro segment overall is one of the aspects of differentiation for our resort. The easiest answer to this question is to invite your readers to experience it for themselves.

What does Kotor offer to Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort to complement its position in the market?

Kotor is a charming fortress town and the center of the Natural and CulturoHistorical Region of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with fascinating history, a unique culture formed from centuries of trade and seafaring with remarkable architecture and a hospitable flair that has crowned it for centuries.

Kotor thoroughly complements all that is unique, luxurious and outstanding, and our devotion and love for the location is mirrored in all that we do. It truly inspires us daily.

As for the visitors, I am in awe sometimes of the feedback from guests who visit Kotor Bay and Kotor for the first time, almost jealous of their impressions and excitement. Every step our guests take in Boka Kotorska is an Instagram moment on its own, but even more importantly, these are moments filled with memories that last for our guests, as tastes, smells, views and feelings cannot be recorded or noted, only experienced.

A1. What stands behind the design of the resort?

The lighthouse, the olive tree, the pebble beach, the winter snow on mountaintops and fish playing with waves are some of the scenes reflected. The nature that surrounds us inspired our interior and even exterior. The resort itself was fitted and built around the natural curves of St Marco’s Cape, and the interior had to follow. From soft eco lighting and preserved natural surroundings due to our passion and efforts for sustainability, to curated art with the promotion of local artists, and carefully selected comfortable bedding to promote our guests’ dreams, we always and, throughout the resort, highlight our surroundings.

A2. What inspired the wellness segment of the resort?

Health & Wellbeing Retreat De’Mar – Vrmac is inspired by the towering mountain that protects our resort and the bay itself, known for its nurturing natural powers for centuries. We incorporated modern technology and expertise into a natural oasis in order to create a unique place with personalized medical and wellness offers. The existing programs are designed to rejuvenate, invigorate, improve and enhance physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

“Our Pipeline currently holds 63 hotels and 14.448 rooms in 21 different countries. It aims to consolidate our strategic position in countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Albania, UK, Germany, Dominican Republic, Latam, Cuba, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam. Additionally, we are thrilled to introduce our portfolio of brands in new markets such as Malta, Saudi Arabia, Montenegro and the Seychelles.”

Being one of the leaders in the leisure and bleisure segments we are very proud of our developments in the last years. Most of our signatures have been in the primary holiday and bleisure destinations around the world. We refer to these destinations as the “leisure axis,” which includes the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and South-East Asia.