It’s a privilege living in a beautiful place, but only if you get to make the most of its offerings yourself – and as locals to Sveti Stefan in Montenegro proved, that isn’t always the case.
The island town, connected by a spindly, sandy strip to mainland Montenegro, is famous for its role as a luxury resort which, in its history, has hosted the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and the Beckhams.
Originally turned into a hotel in the 1950s by the Yugoslav government, and transformed to the Aman Sveti Stefan in 2009, the resort closed its doors five years ago when local people demanded use of the island’s beaches, previously reserved only for the use of star-studded guests.
Now, it’s set to reopen on July 1, with two of the beaches – Sveti Stefan Beach and King’s Beach – open to the public, and the other – Queen’s Beach, which is nestled in a dreamy lagoon – accessible only for people staying at the resort.
The development comes after an agreement between the island’s leaseholders and the Montenegrin government, who are gaining a 10 percent share of the profits according to The Independent.
Sveti Stefan is also home to two public swimming pools (one of which is adults-only) and three restaurants: find Italian food at Arva, antipasti and taverna-style plates at Piazza, and the Cliff Pool Bar, where the clue is in the name.
More about Aman Sveti Stefan
Overall, the resort comprises 33 individual cottages on the island, which all feature stone that dates back to the fifteenth century and have either garden or sea views. The largest one has a private pool and steam room, but all guests here can also make use of the aforementioned Queen’s Beach, which is home to Aman Spa.
Here, there’s an indoor pool, four treatment rooms, and three hydrotherapy areas with a sauna, steam room, and cold-plunge, as well as a yoga and pilates studio.
But that’s not all – Aman Sveti Stefan also includes eight suites within Villa Miloče on the mainland (six within the main building, two in an outhouse). Once a summer vacay spot for Queen Marija Karađorđević, this will open its doors on May 22 and will remain so all year round, but the cottages will only be available seasonally.
All sounds rather luxurious, right?
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