Sveti Stefan, pronounced [sv̞ê̞ːtiː stê̞faːn], now Aman Sveti Stefan
including the Villa Miločer is a small islet and hotel resort in Montenegro,
approximately 6 kilometres southeast of Budva.
The resort includes the islet of Sveti Stefan and part of the mainland, where
the Villa Miločer part of the resort is located. An Adriatic playground for the
rich and famous from the 1960s to the 1980s, the hotel is now a 5-star
franchise hotel of the international group of Aman Resorts, completed in 2009
and operating under a 30-year lease. Formerly an island, Sveti Stefan is now
connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. The resort in total contains 50
rooms, cottages and suites on the island and 8 grand suites at the Villa Miločer.
Geography The island has a 2 kilometres coast line
in the central part of Montenegro Adriatic coast line. It is situated to
the south of Budva between Przno and Sveti Stefan villages. The pink sandy
beaches of Sveti Stefan, Miločer Beach and Queen’s Beach are part of the coast
line. The island encompasses an area of 12,400 m2.
History Formerly a village, all of the buildings
were acquired by the Yugoslav government and turned into an upscale hotel during
the Tito regime. In the 15th century, the fortified
village was built to defend against the Turks. This part of the Serbian
homeland, as free land, helped a Serbian King when he moved his court to Sveti
Stefan. Adriatic. Initially, the island with its fortress
had 12 families. In the 1800s, a village came to be
established on the island with a population of about 400 people.
Villa Miločer built between 1934 and 1936 was the summer residence of Queen
Marija Karadordevic of the Karađorđević family of Serbia, which was refurbished
as part of the Aman Sveti Stefan resorts that opened in 2008–2009. The villa,
surrounded by 800 olive trees is laid out over a 32 hectares plot.
Subsequent to the villagers being moved to the mainland by the Tito regime, the
island village became an exclusive resort frequented by high profile elites
of the world. One of the four churches belong to
Praskvica Monastery on Sveti Stefan was turned into a casino by the communists.
Formerly under the ownership of the Radenović family for some forty years,
between the 1960s and 1980s, the place was visited by many celebrities,
including Orson Welles, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Arkan, Princess
Margaret, Carlo Ponti, Ingemar Stenmark and Kirk Douglas.
The resort was described as "a '70s Adriatic playground on a hilly peninsula
that's barely connected to the mainland". It was also a venue for
political conferences, and an occasional chess venue, attracting top-class
players such as Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer. However, in the 1990s, the
break-up of Yugoslavia saw the decline of this resort.
The Government of Montenegro proposed to recreate the old charm of the island.
Action was initiated by inviting international bids for the
revitalization project. The contract was awarded to Aman Resorts in 2007. The
refurbished resort, completed in 2009, retains the old world charm of its
exterior view, with interior facilities to contemporary modern standards. The
Aman Sveti Stefan has a 30-year lease. On 13 July 2010 Montenegrin Statehood
Day, Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli gave a concert at the resort, to mark the
Golden Jubilee of the hotel. The hotel won the Hotel of the Year award from
Gallivanter's Guide in 2010. In July 2014, tennis champion Novak
Djokovic married Jelena Ristic at Sveti Stefan.
Facilities The Aman Sveti Stefan resort has 58
guest rooms, cottages and suites, including 8 suites that are part of the
Villa Miločer. The Villa Miločer, which was built between 1934 and 1936 was the
summer residence of Queen Marija Karadordevic. Out of the eight suites of
Villa Miločer two are Queen Marija Suites forming an annex structure. Each
of the two suites cover 125 square metres with a bedroom, bathroom, living
room and dining room. These are grand suites which are larger, with Juliet
balconies, and are decorated in cream and brown shades, with leather
upholstery, silks and woollen rugs. All other rooms are also elegantly decorated
in a double storied layout providing views of the ocean from the first floor
room; the living room and bedroom have fireplaces.
Every room, cottage and suite on the island is said to be different, but are
all luxurious and retaining the ambiance of the historic village with preserving
the original walls and using traditional doors and windows. The bathrooms of the
suites contain free-standing bathtubs and parquet and antico stone floors. .
The Cliff Pool overlooks the Adriatic and another swimming pool and terrace is
being built on the south side of the island.
= Dining = The main dining of the resort on the
island of Sveti Stefan is The Piazza, an open-air square in the heart of the
island’s village which includes the Taverna, Enoteca, Pasticceria, and an
Antipasti Bar and a Cigar Room. The Taverna serves straightforward
Continental and American breakfasts and fresh and pastoral Mediterranean dishes
for lunch and dinner. The Enoteca, is located on a terrace facing the sea with
cellar-like interiors and sells al fresco tapas and drinks. The Pasticceria
serves traditional pastries for breakfast and lunch. The Antipasti Bar
generally comes into use in early evenings and the Cigar Room, with rich
wood and leather furnishings, serves selection of fine Cuban cigars and rare
spirits. The three main dining venues on the mainland part of the resort are the
Queen’s Chair, serving Pan-Adriatic – Italian cuisine and overlooking the Bay
of Budva, the Olive Restaurant, overlooking the beach, which serves a
range of cut-to-order meats and seafood prepared on two signature wood-fired
grills and an olive-wood-fired rotisserie and the Beach Café, in an
alfresco setting, flanked by shady cypress trees and century-old olive
groves. Inside the Villa Miločer, the Dining Room, overlooking the Miločer
Beach, with its seven-table dining space and grand open fireplace, is open for
breakfast, lunch and dinner, as is the Loggia, with its colonnade, and the
Living Room which serves locally caught seafood and produce.
Gallery References
External links Official site
Budva Tourist Guide