ONE & ONLY PORTONOVI, MONTENEGRO || Discover The Wonders of European Opulence and The Fascinating Heritage of Montenegro
What defines a luxurious hospitality experience? Exquisite style? Premium craftsmanship? Or impeccable service?
Jean Michel Gathy at the award-winning hospitality & design consultancy firm Denniston suggests it is more than just glitz and glamour, but a confluence of elements that uniquely come together - “taking cues from the culture, history and geography of the destination.”
The legendary Principal Designer’s project One & Only Portonovi, Montenegro is located at the entrance to Boka Bay, boasting stunning views over the Adriatic Sea.
The hotel houses 113 guestrooms & suites and 10 luxury One & Only private homes.
Your senses will be instantly sparked the moment you step into the resort - indulge in the enchanting aroma that combines the salty ocean scent with a hint of freshness offered by the lush garden. Embrace the gentle breeze flowing through the palm fronds. Enjoy the beautiful bird songs. Admire different shades of blue as the outdoor swimming pool, open sea and clear sky seamlessly blend into one.
It’s easy to imagine yourself traveling across different European countries within the resort.
Are you summer ready?
While Montenegro’s natural beauty surrounds you with serenity, you will find yourself delighting in the elegant ambience of the resort’s interiors. The hotel’s extravagant entry is made possible by the space’s generous dimensions and lofty, oversized pendant lamps above the reception and bar.
Jean Michel Gathy has put a little-known European destination firmly back on the luxury travel map.
“The design of One & Only Portonovi, Montenegro is a ‘mixture of Venetian, Turkish and Slav proportions – the Palladio (volume and symmetry) feel of Venice, the Turkish respect for arches and the centrality of the hammam, and typically Montenegran construction methods and stone materials’,”
The hotel’s colour scheme brings together a rich palette of orange, red, gold and blue.
The vibrant heritage is portrayed in every detail. Inspired by the baroque palazzos of Kotor, and the nearby Venetian-built port of Perast, One & Only Portonovi has been designed to incorporate the grand façades, majestic colonnades, and gabled terracotta rooftops, symbolic of the classic Montenegrin architecture. Its Ottoman spa is flanked by columns and arches whilst the indoor swimming pool is designed within a structure that references the shape of Montenegran churches.
An exclusive wellness center offers tailored retreats and treatments.
Even the guestrooms and suites remind visitors of the cerulean sea and emerald valleys, terracotta rooftops and crisp silver mountainsides of Montenegro through the top-notch materials and colour scheme used, amplifying the irresistible charms of Boka Bay. The fully equipped bathrooms are conceived as libraries, with day beds that transform into baths, and screens reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance to occlude the shower areas.
Each room ensures utmost privacy and the perfect balance of indoor-outdoor living, featuring a foyer and a balcony or terrace.
The shower areas contain an exceptional yet enclosed central open fire that joins the vast open-plan bathroom, bedroom and seating areas.
“Montenegro, which was on the Silk Road, on the last step between Istanbul and Venice, was greatly influenced by the Ottoman presence. The different buildings are articulated among themselves, forming an animated whole, with columns, galleries, cornices surmounted by corbels. The garden is reminiscent of Venetian classicism from afar, but it is much more fanciful than it looks.”
The history of Montenegro is conveyed through the preserved design details and luxurious touches.
Integrating all the unique historical and cultural characteristics of different European countries into the modern design, the resort has elevated modern luxury to a whole new level.
PROJECT DETAILS
Project name: One & Only Portonovi, Montenegro
Location: Montenegro
Design consultant: Denniston
Completion date: 2021
Photo credits: Courtesy of One & Only Portonovi, Montenegro
