Hotel Bellevue on Pag is for sale. The island's former pride awaits a new life

On the coast of the island of Pag stands a hotel complex that remembers the beginnings of modern tourism in this part of Croatia. Over a few decades, a place full of guests, concerts and summer social life turned into a conspicuous ruin. The former Hotel Bellevue is now offered for sale as a large development project.

Anyone who has ever walked past Prosika town beach in Pag has probably noticed it. Only a few metres from the sea stands an abandoned complex that looks almost out of place next to the beach, the apartments and today's tourist infrastructure.

The empty pavilions and the decaying restaurant now resemble the set of a deserted town. In the past, however, this was Hotel Bellevue, one of the places that helped shape modern tourism on the island of Pag.

Photo: CroReal listing archive.

The hotel that helped change tourism on Pag

The hotel complex was built in the late 1960s. The data in the current listing state 1967 as the year of construction, while historical records link the completion and opening of Hotel Bellevue to 1968.

These figures do not necessarily contradict each other. The first may refer to the year of construction or to the building's official record, the second to the hotel actually opening to guests.

The year 1968 mattered to Pag for another reason as well. The Pag Bridge was put into service, significantly improving access to the island and opening new possibilities for tourism.

Bellevue became the first large post-war hotel in the town of Pag and for a long time ranked among the most important tourist facilities in the area.

More than an ordinary hotel

The complex consisted of four pavilions, a spacious reception, a restaurant, a large terrace and a pine park. Guests also had sports facilities at their disposal, including tennis, minigolf and table tennis.

Bellevue was not merely a place where tourists came to sleep during their holiday. In the summer months in particular, it worked as one of the social centres of the town.

Dance evenings and concerts were held on the terrace overlooking the Bay of Pag. The hotel restaurant hosted social events and, outside the main season, local celebrations and carnival gatherings as well.

Historical records mention more than 300 beds and roughly 150 to 200 employees during the peak season. For about a quarter of a century, the hotel was therefore an important part of the local economy and of everyday life.

The war brought a decisive turning point

Regular hotel operations ended in the early 1990s. During the war in Croatia, the hotel housed refugees and people displaced from areas affected by the conflict. After they left, the complex never returned to its original purpose.

Privatisation and changes of ownership followed. Running a large, ageing hotel was economically demanding and the property was sold. The planned renovation, however, never happened.

A long period of decay began. Windows, doors and parts of the fittings gradually disappeared from the buildings. Interiors degraded and some structures started to collapse. In the end, the site became one of the most prominent ruins in the immediate vicinity of the town of Pag.

The original hotel had 86 accommodation units

The current listing describes the original hotel building of approximately 3,100 sqm, consisting of a ground floor and two upper floors. It contained a total of 86 accommodation units.

The complex also included a restaurant of approximately 758 sqm and a restaurant terrace of around 1,170 sqm.

The property is offered in a condition requiring a complete reconstruction or a full rebuild. The value of the project therefore does not lie in the existing buildings alone, but above all in the size of the land and the options for its future use.

A plot of approximately 21,000 sqm

The original hotel grounds covered roughly 10,000 to 11,000 sqm. According to the listing, the current investment package includes land totalling around 21,000 sqm, with a planned option to extend it by a further 5,000 sqm or so.

An area of that size already allows for a far more extensive project than a mere refurbishment of old rooms.

The prepared investment concept envisages a modern tourist and residential complex. Among the options are a luxury four- to five-star aparthotel, apartments, a restaurant, a fitness centre, conference facilities, retail units, underground garages, pools, gardens and rooftop relaxation zones.

The total proposed potential of the project reaches approximately 28,700 sqm of gross floor area.

It is important, however, to distinguish between the current state of the property and the proposed shape of the future resort. The final scope will depend on the investor's intentions, the permits in force and planning conditions.

The asking price for the site is 8 million euros

The hotel complex together with the adjacent land is offered for 8,000,000 euros.

At first glance that may look like a high figure for an abandoned building in need of a full reconstruction. But the sale is not only about the decaying building itself.

The value of the property comes above all from the combination of an extensive plot in a coastal location, an existing tourism site, proximity to the town and the beach, a prepared investment concept and the potential for large-scale future development.

Large contiguous plots suitable for hotel and resort projects are becoming ever rarer on the Croatian coast. An old building can be rebuilt or replaced. A plot in a comparable position cannot be created anew.

From hotel legend to development opportunity

The story of Hotel Bellevue brings together several chapters of the modern history of the island of Pag.

In the late 1960s a hotel was built here that helped kick-start the growth of tourism. For decades it welcomed hundreds of guests and provided work for local people. During the war it served those who had to leave their homes. Then came changes of ownership and more than thirty years of gradual decay.

Now the next chapter can begin. Whether part of the original buildings is preserved or an entirely new resort takes their place will be decided by the future investor. In terms of size, location and history, this is in any case one of the most notable investment opportunities of its kind on the island of Pag.

Hotel Bellevue on Pag – key facts

• Location: town of Pag, island of Pag
• Year originally built: 1967, in operation from 1968
• Original hotel building: approximately 3,100 sqm
• Number of accommodation units: 86
• Restaurant: approximately 758 sqm
• Restaurant terrace: approximately 1,170 sqm
• Total area of the land offered: approximately 21,000 sqm
• Potential gross floor area of the project: up to approximately 28,700 sqm
• Condition: complete reconstruction or new development
• Asking price: 8,000,000 €

See the full listing of Hotel Bellevue on the island of Pag, including photos and detailed information.

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