The history of the Kvarner Riviera and Crikvenica

With a vision of establishing his very own Riviera, Archduke Josef promoted Crikvenica as a health resort on the Adriatic. In 1887, Ivan Skomerža opened the first hotel on the Hungarian-Croatian coast – Hotel Klotilde – laying the cornerstone for tourism in Crikvenica and the Kvarner Gulf.

As Crikvenica developed as a health resort, the consortium Josip Holub & Consorten was established. The cornerstone for the Hotel Archduke Josef was laid in 1891. After delays caused by a financial scandal, architect Josef Höfler designed the elegant hotel palace, while the Crni molo sea bathing establishment was developed at the same time.

In 1895, the Hotel Archduke Josef opened its doors with 120 rooms, a ballroom and sun terraces. Surrounded by a generously sized park, it quickly became the centrepiece of the new health resort – a legacy of the Belle Époque that continues to define the character of Kvarner Palace to this very day.

As marine therapies gained in popularity, the establishment became the PALACE HOTEL THERAPIA and developed into a modern health centre on the Adriatic. Shortly thereafter, Crikvenica was officially recognised as a therapeutic climate spa resort. The First World War, however, brought the golden era of the Hungarian Riviera to an end in 1914.

The First World War left a profound mark on what is today Kvarner Palace. Wealthy guests from overseas kept the hotel open, while changing ownership brought both high points and difficult periods. Following its use as a field hospital in the Second World War and later as the MOSKVA convalescent home, the hotel stabilised again in the early 1950s.

With the growth of tourism, the hotel enjoyed a new golden age: as a thalassotherapy institute, the Jadran hotel company extended the terrace to include a pool. It later passed into the ownership of Igor Štimac. A comprehensive refurbishment modernised the hotel, which was subsequently operated by the Falkensteiner Group as Hotel THERAPIA – until 2013.

In 2013, the Austrian hotelier family Holleis took over this traditional establishment and set about reviving the grand hotel’s historic charm. Following an extensive restoration, Kvarner Palace opened its doors in 2014 – with modern rooms, suites, a spa and pool areas that bring history and contemporary comfort together.