Boutique hotels are slowly becoming all the rage, and the only real surprise is that it took this long. What better accommodation than a small hotel with both eyes firmly fixed on the design side of things? The combination of style and comfort is difficult to disagree with. Belgrade has been a little slow on the mark when it comes to the development of boutique hotels, but it is more than doing its best to catch up. These are some of the finest on both sides of the rivers.
A four-star spot on one of the most famous streets in downtown Belgrade, LifeDESIGN Hotel follows the boutique hotel handbook to a tee. This isn’t to say it lacks character, however. Quite the opposite in fact, it just so happens to do all the things a boutique hotel does with aplomb. The spa facilities are an extra boon, and the rooms themselves strike a keen balance between business and casual, although we aren’t going to fall into the trap of bringing those two terms together.
88 might be a lot of rooms when it comes to a boutique hotel, but it is difficult to deny the merits of the hotel, named after the number of its dwellings. 88 Rooms is extremely style orientated, and extra attention has been given to ensuring aesthetic comfort for those who choose to stay here. The location is pretty fantastic too, with a roof restaurant offering panoramic views of the city.
There is something different about Square Nine Hotel. This is a unique building right in the heart of the city, but that uniqueness is not in any way forced or contrived, and the hotel itself is the type of place that makes the difference between a good time and the best time. Square Nine is a truly world-class hotel in Belgrade, complete with its own spa and wellness centre, and the view from the terrace is truly astounding.
Hotel Mint Garni’s location might not be ideal, but the four-star hotel more than makes up for this in its offer. That offer includes one of the best hotel restaurants in the city, along with a number of tours that can really enhance a visitor’s Belgrade experience. Dogs are also welcome here, a policy that remains strangely unusual in modern Belgrade.
Knez Mihailova is Belgrade’s most famous street, the thoroughfare on which all strands of the capital’s society go in order to be seen, and any decent hotel on the street is absolutely worth checking out. It helps that Belgrade Art Hotel is far better than ‘decent’ in that case, and the ‘art’ in the name is more than just gimmickry.
Belgrade isn’t exactly overflowing with boutique hotels, but the ones it does have tick every box available. Townhouse 27 is right at the front of the boutique revolution, with an ideal city centre location to boot. The works of Belgrade sculptor Gabriel Glid are liberally placed around the hotel, adding an extra layer of class to an already impressive state of affairs.
Another boutique hotel with a name that is a bit of a mouthful, Queen’s Astoria Design Hotel sets its stall out with its rather grandiose moniker. It backs up the haughty title too, with faultless design and an exquisite attention to detail throughout. This is a boutique hotel with plenty of history, one of the few places on the continent that can justify using the descriptor of ‘traditional yet modern’. Excellent stuff.
It might have one of the most confusing hotel names in the city, but the Design Hotel Mr. President should not be ignored as a result. Located directly opposite Belgrade’s train and bus stations, this is another modern and stylish option when it comes to sleeping in the Serbian capital. The area around the train station isn’t exactly the best part of the city, meaning the class of Design Mr. President sticks out like a sore thumb.
