Sveti Stefan

Geography

The island has a 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) coast line in the central part of Montenegro Adriatic coast line. It is situated to the south of Budva between Pržno 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 (133,000 sq ft).

History

Sveti Stefan was first mentioned in 1442 as a fort near seacoast from which Paštrovići, led by vojvoda Radič repulsed the forces of Stjepan Vukčić Kosača during his offensive in Zeta. According to a legend recounted by Stjepan Mitrov Ljubiša, the town fortification was funded after Paštrovići looted Turkish ships moored in front of Jaz during Barbarossa's siege of Kotor in 1539. The town was razed shortly after, during the fourth Ottoman-Venetian war. After continuous pleas by Paštrovići, the Venetian Republic finally agreed to rebuild it in the 16th century. All of the buildings were acquired by the Yugoslav government and turned into an upscale hotel during the communist period.

In the 15th century, the fortified village was built to defend against the Turks and became a haven for pirates of the 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 (1900–1961) 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-hectare (79-acre) plot.

Subsequent to the villagers being moved to the mainland by the authorities, 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 Ristić 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 (1900–1961). 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 (1,350 sq ft) 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 woolen 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 retain 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 (bakery) 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.