The most successful tennis player in the history of the white sport, Novak Djokovic, is trying to help remove the lock from the Sveti Stefan city-hotel, which has been closed since 2021.
After talking with Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, Djokovic told "Vijesti" that this was the main reason he was in Montenegro yesterday, emphasizing that he would use his name and influence to solve the problem.
The global ambassador of the company "Aman" explained that they had conducted "initial discussions" and were informed "about everything", emphasizing that he was trying to work for the "general interest" of Montenegro and that he hoped that a solution to the problem would be "on the horizon" very soon.
"I have been given a kind of assignment and request from my partners, Aman, whose ambassador I am on a global level, to try to find a solution acceptable to both sides in our language. I am not on anyone's side here, in fact I am just someone who is just trying to work for the general interest of Montenegro. As someone who is trying to remain 'Aman', because I would be very sorry if this were not resolved and 'Aman' were no longer in Montenegro. I hope that these meetings we had today are just an introduction and the beginning of finding a solution and that it will be on the horizon very soon," said Djokovic.
He said it was sad that the situation with Sveti Stefan had been the way it was for four years:
"I got married at Sveti Stefan in 2014, and those are truly the most beautiful memories from Montenegro for me. And it's really sad from my perspective to see that the situation is currently the way it has been for the last four years. When all this started, actually when Sveti Stefan was closed, I tried to find out why it was like this and to help in some way. Well, the conditions have not yet been created for me to use my name, my position and my influence to somehow achieve a resolution."
Djokovic said that since August last year he has been a global ambassador for the company "Aman":
"'Aman' is the world's number one recognized hotel brand and hotel chain in the world. I think they came to Montenegro in 2006, they attracted and brought in many foreign investors who later invested in Montenegro, through Luštica, Porto Montenegro, Porto Novi and so on."
The company “Adriatic properties”, which is the tenant of Sveti Stefan, Greek businessman Petros Stathis, has been keeping the closed city-hotel Sveti Stefan and the villa “Miločer” since 2021, while it has suspended the construction of the new hotel “Kraljičina plaža” since the arbitration proceedings began. Without an agreement on the functioning of the Queen's Beach and the path between it and the spa center in Miločer Park, the hotel operator “Aman” does not want to open the once fashionable city-hotel Sveti Stefan, because they allegedly cannot guarantee guests safety and privacy.
It was the use of Queen's Beach, which had been closed to the public for decades and reserved exclusively for hotel guests and the political elite, that led to the closure of "Svec". The city-hotel was closed in 2021 after locals broke the fence on Queen's Beach, and the Public Company for Coastal Zone Management ordered its removal, freeing up the paths in Miločer Park for use.
This led to the initiation of a dispute before the International Court of Arbitration in London. In November 2022, “Sveti Stefan Hotels”, HTP “Miločer” and the then Ministry of Economic Development first folded the sheet, suing the tenants “Adriatic Properties” DOO Budva and “Aidway Investments Limited” from the British Virgin Islands, as well as “Aman Resort”, for breach of contract. The companies “Adriatic Properties” and “Aidway Investments Limited” immediately responded with a lawsuit, demanding compensation of one hundred million euros.
The main hearing is scheduled for May.
In the meantime, the Commercial Court recognized the decision of the Court of Arbitration in London, and ordered the company "Sveti Stefan Hotels" and the Government to pay 620.000 euros to the company "Adriatic Properties" for the costs of the dispute before the international tribunal.
The arbitration proceedings are being conducted in connection with the Lease Agreement for the Hotels “Sveti Stefan” and “Miločer” and the Lease Agreement for the Hotel “Kraljičina plaža”, concluded on 31 January 2007. On 15 January 2007, the Government gave the green light to conclude a 30-year lease agreement for the Hotel “Sveti Stefan”, the Villa “Miločer” and the Hotel “Kraljičina plaža”. According to this agreement, the guaranteed annual total rent is 1,6 million euros, but it is also envisaged that it can be revised every three years. The lessee has undertaken to keep the hotels open for a minimum of 11 months, and to invest 50 million euros in the reconstruction of “Sveti Stefan”.
The 2015 annex extended the lease for “Sveti Stefan” for 12 years, until 2049, and reduced the rent from 1,6 to 1,1 million euros. The annex for “Kraljičina plaža” extended the lease from 30 to 90 years and enabled the construction of a condo hotel, with half of the apartments for sale and half for hotel use. The contracts also gave the beaches a multi-decade lease.
The resulting dispute has caused a new problem - for almost two years, Statis' company has refused to pay rent to the government company HTP "Miločer" for the Miločer Park complex, where the old "Kraljičina plaza" hotel was located, and where they have begun construction of a new one. The quarterly installment amounts to 87 thousand euros, until the arbitration is completed.
The quarterly rent of 380 thousand euros is not being paid to the company "Sveti Stefan Hotels", the owner of the city-hotel "Sveti Stefan" and the villa "Miločer".
Both companies are therefore in an extremely difficult financial situation.
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