Two unusual sentinels guard the Regent Porto Montenegro hotel: Rolex and Bvlgari. It’s not uncommon to see a supercar or two parked opposite the two stores at the front of the hotel, either. Porto Montenegro is Montenegro’s answer to Monaco. A glitzy waterside development that’s home to some of the world’s most expensive super yachts. High-end fashion stores, including Celine and Dior, line its small, uncluttered streets. And unassuming-looking people with flash watches wander around nonchalantly along the harbour.
Location
It’s remarkable to think less than 20 years ago, Porto Montenegro was a working-class port with a rusty factory and ecological problems. Nowadays, thanks to visionary Canadian entrepreneur Peter Munk, heavy investment in the marina and a monumental environmental turnaround, it purportedly counts Novak Djokovic among its regular visitors. Five-star Regent Porto Montenegro sits in a prized position overlooking the super yachts in Porto Montenegro’s resplendent marina in Tivat. Along the promenade, a string of bars and high-quality restaurants, like Divino and Marea fold out on the waterfront offering uninterrupted views across the serene Boka Bay.
Venetian-influenced Kotor is just over 15 minutes away by car. It’s well worth a visit if you don’t mind sharing cobbled streets with swathes of cruise passengers. Elsewhere, Montenegro’s newest attraction, Kotor Cable Car, ferries tourists up Monte Negro, or the black mountain, in 11 minutes flat. It finishes at the restaurant-cum-bar, Forza Kuk, which serves Montenegrin fare and knockout views across the Balkan country’s beautiful coastline.
Slightly further afield, visitors must head to Njegoš Mausoleum, home to the body of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, national hero, poet, philosopher and bishop. The mausoleum, the highest of its kind in the world, benefits from 360-degree views across around 60% of the continental part of Montenegro. On a clear day, you can see the shores of Italy too. Tiny Tivat airport is just ten minutes from the hotel.
Rooms and interiors
The hotel is composed of three wings. Venezia, designed in 2017, is reminiscent of a regal Venetian Renaissance-style building with a yellow and white facade and high sculpted ceilings. Aqua and Baia, opened later, are slightly more modern-looking, reminiscent of something you’d find on the Italian Riviera. Designers undoubtedly leaned hard into the maritime theme through framed ship blueprints, rope mirrors and seaweed prints.
All 175 rooms are inescapably nautical, too. A blend of pastel blue fabrics, warm oak furniture and striped soft furnishings – mirroring that of a luxury yacht’s main suite. Some rooms have dramatic canopy beds, bathtubs, bath salts and kitchenettes. All have terraces with views over the marina, pool or Boka Bay. Lush Miller Harris toiletries and rainfall showers exhume quality, while thick king-sized beds and blackout curtains allow for a good night’s sleep. Bathrobes, slippers, coffee machines, TV’s and Bose speakers are standard. Sugary pink macaroons and nuts are an additional treat.
Food and drink
Regent Porto Montenegro’s breakfast buffet is substantial. Guests choose from various hot options (eggs, sausage, etc.) and a bounty of fresh fruits, cereals, cheeses, cold cuts and juices. Elswhere, Marko Zivkovic, who started his career as Chef de Partie at Regent Porto Montenegro, looks after the hotel’s menus as executive chef. A keen spear fisherman, he occasionally brings fresh fish to serve his diners.
Murano, named after the famous glass blowing Italian island of glassblowing fame, is the hotel’s finest culinary offering. Its menu features Montenegrin dishes, Mediterranean-inspired food (cannelloni and lasagne) and fresh fish. The restaurant’s set lunch menu is exceptional. It features a palette-cleansing beetroot salad, fresh-as-you-like tuna steak and cheesecake worthy of a place in the Great British Bake Off. Diners can sit inside the Murano glass-scattered, high-ceilinged dining room or outside on the sun-soaked terrace overlooking the bay.
Around the corner, a French-style patisserie showcases a cabinet of perfectly glazed artisanal cakes and pastries. Ranging from zesty citron tarts and indulgent multi-layered carrot cakes to pain au chocolat and croissants.
Service
Efficient, pleasant and unfussy would best summarise the service at Regent Porto Montenegro. It’s not over-the-top or stuffy like you’ll find at some five-star resorts. Instead, team members are approachable, courteous and on-the-ball. Don’t worry if you’ve forgotten your UK adaptor plug, and they’ll whisk one to your room in minutes.
Facilities and amenities
The Regent Porto Montenegro is a full-service resort hotel with two bars, four swimming pools (one indoor), and a spa (massages are world-class). You’ll usually find guests lounging by 20m infinity-edge outdoor pool with an Aperol Spritz from the Regent Pool Club. Others breeze between the sauna, hammam and indoor pool. By night, it’s best to prop up the excellent Onyx bar, which has an illuminated bar top, a fantastic cocktail list and Ivo – the hotel’s most endearing waiter-cum- bartender.
Fact Box
Rooms: classic double rooms from around £150 (breakfast included)
Website: Luxury Hotel in Porto Montenegro | Regent Porto Montenegro (ihg.com)
Address: 1 Blaža Jovanovića, Tivat 85320, Montenegro