Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sveti Stefan
Like a mirage hovering just offshore, the famously exclusive luxury hotel that makes up the
resort peninsula of Sveti Stefan beckons curious travelers to come, see, snap a photo...and
then wish they'd spent more time elsewhere. While scenic, there's not much to actually ex-
perience at Sveti Stefan (unless you've got a thousand bucks to rent a room); while it's a
great photo op, it disappoints many who make the trip. But for those caught up in Robin
Leach-ian memories of this hotel's glory days, it's worth a pilgrimage.
Once an actual, living town (connected to the mainland only by a narrow, natural cause-
way), Sveti Stefan was virtually abandoned after World War II. The Yugoslav government
developed it into a giant resort hotel in the 1950s. As old homes were converted to hotel
rooms,thenoveltyoftheplace—anditssterlinglocation,surroundedbypebblybeachesand
lush scenery—began to attract some seriously wealthy guests.
During this resort's heyday in the 1960s and 1970s, it ranked with Cannes or St-Tropez
as
the
place to see or be seen on Europe's beaches. You could rent a room, a house, an
entire block of houses, or even the entire peninsula. Anonymity was vigilantly protected,
as the nicest “rooms” had their own private pools (away from public scrutiny), lockable
gates, and security guards. Lured by Sveti Stefan's promise of privacy, celebrities, rock
