Half a century after receiving one of the biggest international awards in tourism - the "Golden Apple", the biggest Montenegrin tourism brand - the hotel "Sveti Stefan", is now in the dark.
The padlock is on the "Miločer" villa, but also on the restaurants, playgrounds, spa center... - with no prospect that "Svetac" will receive guests this summer.
The beaches have been turned into fairgrounds, on Kraljičina, once reserved for guests of the hotel complex and the political elite, now everyone swims.
Although the tenant of the elite hotel complex, the company "Adriatic Properties" has concluded an annex to the contract for the lease of four beaches - Kraljičina, Velika Miločerska (Kraljeva), the western and part of the eastern Svetostefanska (beaches on both sides of the waterfront leading to the city-hotel), the bathing areas are unorganized , there is no beach furniture, the showers are not functional.
With the exception of trash cans on all beaches, and security guards who observe events from the "edge", the care of the beaches is left to the visitors.
The metal, two-meter-high gate at the very entrance to what many consider the most beautiful Montenegrin beach - Kraljičina, is open, and the scene is not at all representative of the beginning of the main season. Multi-colored umbrellas, placed in no order, one shower in funkcji, no buoys in the sea and lifeguards.
The security of the complex sits in the shade and does not deter anyone from the intention to enter the beach, while on the other side a large metal chain is placed on the approaches to the closed spa center.
The situation is similar at Kraljeva beach, where everyone is also allowed to swim. There is no furniture on the beach, none of the showers work.
Villa "Miločer" is closed, the gate at the entrance to the terrace of the former royal residence is closed.
The walk through Miločerski Park towards St. Stefan has always been very attractive to tourists, but the "Oliva" restaurant is not open, so they have nowhere to refresh themselves.
Even Sveti Stefan is locked, many visitors who approach the unusual island can only reach the closed door.
Both beaches are free for swimming, there is no furniture on them, and the showers do not work.
The former shopping center opposite the city hotel was also closed.
There is a padlock on all facilities leased by the company "Adriatic Properties", which is managed by the hotel operator "Aman".
President of the Board of Directors of the Public Enterprise for the Management of Marine Assets Blazo Radjenovic he told "Vijesti" that they sent a warning to the company "Adriatic Properties" before terminating the contract, in case the swimming pool is not used for its intended purpose.
"We will try to force the tenants of the swimming pools at Sveti Stefan, Miločer and Kraljičina beach to comply with the contract and arrange the following obligations as soon as possible: limit all swimming pools with buoys, install showers at all swimming pools, place information boards on how to use the swimming pool at the entrance, organize lifeguards, guide take care of hygiene and place trash cans. If the swimming pool is not organized, we are ready to take on the obligation to arrange everything as a public enterprise", said Radjenović.
The company "Adriatic Properties" could not answer "Vijesti" the question whether the hotel complex will be opened this summer, stating that the rules of the Arbitration Process conducted in London require that all parties in the proceedings maintain confidentiality.
"Our lawyers have advised us not to answer questions or make any comments that could constitute a violation of the arbitration rules," the company said.
Before the court in London, "Adriatic Properties" is demanding that due to the alleged breach of contract and the inability to work last year, they should be paid 100 million euros, which they claim they invested in the hotel complex, as well as lost profits for last year and all the following until the end lease agreement.
On the other hand, the government company, which is the owner of the Sveti Stefan city-hotel and the "Miločer" villa, also initiated arbitration proceedings before the court in London against the tenants, in order to protect their rights from the contract, but also the shareholders' capital and the company's property...
In 2007, the government leased the most elite domestic resort town-hotel Sveti Stefan, the villa "Miločer" and the former hotel "Kraljičinu plaža" for several decades. The lessee undertook to keep the hotels open for a minimum of 11 months, but also to invest 50 million euros in the reconstruction of St. Stefan, while it was kept silent that he was allowed to build a new one in Miločerski Park, on the site of the former "Kraljičina Plaža" hotel, but also annex with 66 apartments for the market, the value of which is tens of millions of euros, exactly as much as the reconstruction of the city-hotel Sveti Stefan and the villa "Miločer" allegedly cost.
In 2015, with the votes of the DPS and Pozitivna deputies, the Assembly approved the annex to the contract proposed by the Government Milo Đukanović.
With the annex, the lease for Sveti Stefan was extended for 12 years, until 2049, and the rent was reduced from 1,6 to 1,1 million euros.
For "Kraljičina plaža" the lease was extended from 30 to 90 years and the construction of a condo-hotel was made possible, i.e. half of the apartments for sale and half for the hotel business.
Kazanegra: Imagine that the Acropolis is closed
One of the initiators of the initiative to return St. Stefan to state ownership, local Blažo Kažanegra, said that it is not good for Montenegrin tourism, but neither is the "St. Stefan" brand, which is not open, and it is already almost July.
"The brand 'Sveti Stefan' is widely known in the world and celebrated the old Yugoslavia. On the other hand, it is not a solution for the hotel to operate, and for the locals to be pushed into a ghetto or some kind of apartheid, without the basic human rights to freedom of movement, without the right to their cultural heritage, the right to their history. Nor is it a solution that the property is neglected and that the beaches are not maintained. If it doesn't work as a hotel, let Sveti Stefan at least be open as a city-museum for daily visits, with an entrance fee. Every tourist who comes to Montenegro must have the opportunity to visit Sveti Stefan, even for a short time, because it is the national symbol that is on all brochures, in the main place. Imagine if the Athenian Acropolis is not accessible to tourists... Or the Roman Colosseum?", he told "Vijesti".
He called on the Government and tenants to try to find a solution for this summer, "for the benefit of all".
"For the sake of preserving this famous brand of our tourism, let them agree to open the city for daily visits, at least along one route, from the main entrance to the church. Surely several thousand people would enter the city every day, which would bring significant income. The state can offer to cover part of the costs (cleaning, security...) and all the income to go to the tenant. Sveti Stefan was a city for 500 years... so it would be natural for it to look a little like a city again. Dubrovnik, Korčula and Rovinj also operate according to this principle, so they are no less elite than St. Stefan, and they earn more money. If there is good will on all sides, this model can be a roadmap for a future sustainable solution for the city-hotel, to the benefit of all, both locals and investors and the Government, while respecting mutual rights", Kažanegra said.
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