I’m spending four nights in Belgrade and decided to split it into two stays. In terms of hotel chains there aren’t that many options in Belgrade:
- Crowne Plaza and Hyatt Regency are in the new town, so not ideal for tourists. The Hyatt Regency is a Category 1 property though so great value for spending points
- Hilton and Metropol are in the old town, both old and uninspiring from the pictures I’ve found
- Hotel Indigo and Courtyard are new and extremely central
- Square Nine (a LHW hotel) looks very fancy but also is very expensive
I went with two nights at the Metropol Palace and two nights at the Hotel Indigo in the end. The Metropol Palace, branded Luxury Collection, has been a very popular property with the Marriott audience for long time as it used to cost as low as 2,000 points in the good old SPG days.
It’s no longer that cheap though, and paying cash is often better as the rate usually hovers around just €100. If you book via the Marriott Stars & Luminous program you get €100 credit to spend as well which is fantastic.
It’s a half-an-hour ride from the airport by taxi. The location isn’t super central as it takes you about 20 minutes to walk into the town centre, however it’s by the main road so easy to find a restaurant or shop etc.
The hotel building and its lobby look very “retro”. Online reports suggest wide range of welcome amenities including fruit basket, wine and spa voucher but I didn’t receive anything.
They don’t accept Marriott’s suite night award, but it’s a very big hotel so upgrade tends to be generous. I received a Family Suite in the end, which is one level above Junior Suite. It’s essentially still a Junior Suite but slightly larger.
It’s very dark so pictures probably don’t fully do the room justice, but trust me they are not much better in real life.
The bathroom has a long and narrow shape which is strange. There is no bathtub.
My room is on the third floor with no view. I read some reviews afterwards and some of the rooms have a great view of the old town. I probably should have enquired about a better room at check-in.
Breakfast on Sunday morning is total chaos. I’m basically on my own trying to find any empty seat and cutleries.
Food is also mediocre at best and not replenished quickly enough, which is disappointing as it’s a five-star hotel serving hundreds of guests. The only highlight is probably the Prosecco, which you don’t see often on a breakfast table.
It’s much more organised the next day when the breakfast is less busier.
The hotel has a rooftop restaurant but I didn’t try it. When I arrived in the evening I was fairly hungry, and the in-room dining menu looks reasonably priced so I ordered beef soup, croquettes and beef linguine. They taste good and the total is about £28.
The spa is one main reason I chose this hotel. The swimming pool is very cool:
The jacuzzi is a bit too small and fits only three people.
Steam room and sauna:
In summary I think the Metropol Palace meets my expectations as a cheap-ish old five-star hotel, and if you have a booking with $100 credit it’s a great deal. However, in my mind the Luxury Collection should be on a par with St Regis and Ritz Carlton, but the Metropol Palace is obviously a long shot from that standard.
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