Our most luxurious hotel, Adriana, hvar spa hotel celebrated its 50th year anniversary this season. Last weekend the hotel welcomed its first employees, including the first director of the hotel for a celebratory dinner.

“The hotel’s first guests were a Belgian couple who were the only ones in the hotel for two days and all of our attention was directed solely to them. Only on the third day the hotel welcomed its other guests. When the couple left the hotel, they sent us thank you letters,” remembers Vlado Nuić, the hotel's first director.

In the 50 years of existing, Adriana, hvar spa hotel welcomed numerous celebrities from all over the world. At that time the most notable was Orson Welles who resided in hotel Adriatic (now Adriana) for a whole two months while filming his thriller "The Deep" (also known as "Dead Reckoning").

“He used to give orders right on the terrace in front of the hotel, with a deep, protruding voice during filming. He was sleeping in a sea view apartment; every morning he ate a 500-gram steak for breakfast and ordered a bottle of whiskey before going on to shoot. He liked to eat homemade stuffed peppers for lunch” recalls Vlado Nuić.

Among other celebrities in the hotel there was actor George Hamilton and French actress Jeanne Moreau. Writers Ivo Andrić and Branko Ćopić also often resided in the hotel. At that time the hotel was also popular for numerous Yugoslavian generals and military personnel.

Some of the differences in the hotel industry at that time were that breakfast was always ordered, as there was no buffet table. Dinner was a la carte: lobster and grilled meat dishes were most popular.  There was a lobster sea cage in the harbour right next to the hotel, thus serving guests fresh lobster at all times!

The hotel was generally well equipped. It had the finest emblematic porcelain and glass from Slovenia and the hotel staff had different work clothes for breakfast, lunch and dinner (white, blue and red). There were six maids in the hotel, each floor had two, and the bedding was changed every other day. They had only one vacuum cleaner for the whole hotel. 

Before hotel Adriatic was openend, Vlado Nuić the hotel’s director worked at Hotel Dalmacija and the firm sent him for an 8 month training course in London at Russell Hotel. Likewise, was for the restaurant’s manager Vjeko Vuljan who was in Geneva for 6 months. 

The Adriatic also organized cooking classes for its staff. 

“The hospitality industry has progressed a lot and follows the latest trends. I came to Adriana with my friend Marjana Perić who was a guest of the hotel and I had the opportunity to see and experience the top service that you now offer to your guests. I was particularly impressed with the breakfast here” concludes Vlado Nuić.