Marriott International has announced the latest site for expansion of its luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel brand will be in Belgrade, Serbia.
An agreement with local developers will see the transformation of a riverside site in the city, creating a new destination that will be completed in 2027. The project includes a 193 room hotel, complete with signature dining, pool and fitness centre and spa, and extensive meetings and events space. Alongside the hotel will be new residential and office space, plus a marina and promenade that will make the most of the location.
Reviving a landmark site
The new hotel will be built on the site of the Hotel Jugoslavija, which from 1969 to 2006 operated as one of Europe’s most luxurious hotels, welcoming international leaders, royalty and celebrities over the years. The hotel boasted the world’s largest chandelier, a massive 14 tonne structure with 40,000 Swarovski crystals.
More recently, the hotel has fallen on hard times and several proposals have been put forward to redevelop the site. Now, with a new plan and the support of Marriott and its Ritz-Carlton brand, the site is looking towards a revitalisation in the next few years.
For Marriott, the addition to the company’s portfolio will mean a fifth hotel in Serbia. Currently the group operates three hotels in Belgrade, across its St Regis, Courtyard by Marriott and Roxy brands. Outside the capital, there is also a Sheraton hotel in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second largest city.
After years of upheaval, the return of more stable times has meant Belgrade is now on the radar of many more international hotel brands. IHG is planning to open a hotel in the city in 2027, under its five star InterContinental brand, while Jared Kushner is promoting a project to redevelop the city’s General Staff Building to create a new luxury hotel. Elsewhere in the country, brand groups including Accor, Hyatt and IHG are planning a range of new developments, supporting a growing tourism sector in Serbia.
Meeting global demand for luxury hotels
The Ritz-Carlton brand is rolling out globally. From the Gold Coast in Australia, to Marrakech in Morocco, to The Ritz-Carlton Tashkent in Uzbekistan, the demand for global luxury hotel stays is being met. The first Ritz-Carlton yacht fleet is also making its first cruises, extending the luxury brand from land to the high seas, with rooms that offer a constantly changing view and new experiences in new locations, every day.
Greater China is a significant area of focus. During 2025, The Ritz-Carlton Nanyan Bay will open in Hainan, along with Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Dong Financial City and Ritz-Carlton Jinan. Projects in Qingdao Green Town, Urumqi and Wenzhou will follow.
The brand is also striking out across the Indian sub-continent. Indian openings include Ritz-Carlton Three Sixty West Mumbai and Ritz-Carlton, Amila Hills, in Shimla. In Sri Lanka, Ritz-Carlton The One Colombo and Ritz-Carlton Mirissa are under way.
