PSP-Farman Holding to build hotel in downtown Belgrade - EUR 25 million investment in first Marriott hotel in Serbia

Until the end of 2013, the very heart of Belgrade will look much different because the first Marriott hotel in Serbia will be opened at the central city square Trg Republike. Representatives of the construction company PSP - Farman Holding and the hotel chain Marriott International signed Monday a managerial agreement on the construction of the first Courtyard Marriott hotel in downtown Belgrade, of which value is estimated at EUR 25 million. The works will be run by PFB Properties, member of the Farman Holding Group.

This new hotel in Belgrade will be situated in Vasina street, in the building next to the National Theater, which will be reconstructed for that purpose. The project is ready, building permits are being collected, and the works are expected to kick off in the second half of 2012.

Branislav Grujic, president of the Farman Holding Group, says for eKapija that the plan is to make that four-star hotel a gathering place of businessmen and all other people coming to Belgrade.

- The hotel will have six floors and an attic, as well as two underground floors for garages, a hotel lobby, a reception desk, a business center, and about 110 rooms. These top comfort rooms will be equipped with all state-of-the-art technological systems.

Each room will include enough workspace and a bathroom similar to a spa center, with anti-reflective sandblasted glass door and teak details.

The hotel in Belgrade will not lag behind any other Marriott hotel in the world. It will be a space available to the public, offering its guests a high-quality environment and making them feel relaxed, comfortable and welcome.

The lobby of Courtyard Belgrade City Center will contribute to the satisfaction of the needs of business people during dinner, meetings and socialization with its flexible seats and interactive GoBoard screen showing the latest news, weather forecast and local information. The hotel will also include spacious meeting rooms for groups of various size.

Also, the hotel will comprise a bar-restaurant that will be open during the whole day, as well as a shop offering to-go salads and sandwiches, which will be open non-stop.

The plan is to finish the hotel in late 2013. Grujic says for our portal that it is an ideal deadline because the project involves capital reconstruction of the existing building, meaning that big part of the work is already done.

- Some things have already been done. The building is undergoing a capital reconstruction, but nothing will be changed in its structure, so that our advantage lies in the fact that the works can be completed within 12 months. The building will be finished minimum three to five months prior to the opening because we must make sure that everything works perfect before officially starting operations.

Grujic says that it is for sure that about hundred people will be working at and around the hotel, although the number of those who will get a job at one of the world's largest hotel chains cannot be specified yet.

- What is much more interesting is that the arrival of Marriott will encourage the development of additional services that hotels require. Hotels got used to bringing a number of suppliers along, which can be a good stimulus for all involved in that business.

I.B.