Already upon entering, it was clear to us that we were not coming to an ordinary marina, but to a place that exudes luxury, with a beautiful view of a charming Istrian town, and amenities that are rarely found on the Adriatic. Of course, we are in Rovinj, where the most luxurious ACI marina is located, which has been attracting more and more guests of exceptional purchasing power for years. During our journey from the south to the far north, we were convinced that sailors are excellent guests, loyal to Croatia, and great spenders, but here in Rovinj, it can truly be said that the world elite gathers, having recognized the beauty of Istria and the quality of service offered at ACI marina Rovinj.
ACI marina Rovinj is located on the southeastern side of the city port, from where there is the most beautiful view of the old town center and the church of St. Euphemia, as well as the island of St. Katarina. For 34 years, it has been a part of the city‘s beautiful panorama. From the very beginning, ACI marina Rovinj has stood out with its appearance, location, and amenities, ranking among the top Mediterranean nautical destinations for numerous sailors and their boats, and intends to remain so. In 2019, a complete reconstruction of the sea and land parts of the marina was completed. The new ACI marina Rovinj is a modern marina of top design with the latest technological solutions, offering all services of the highest standard in global nautical tourism.
Jet-set guests
Some of these epithets can also be boasted by other Croatian marinas, but Rovinj is special precisely because of its luxury. Expensive cars circle the marina, megayachts are moored, and for the sake of discretion, we do not find out who all has stayed here, but we are talking about members of the domestic and world jet-set, people from the world of top sports, politicians, business people...
Our host is director Goran Bilić who half-jokingly, half-seriously explains - nothing here is free.
- The fact is that we probably have the most expensive berth on the Adriatic. We also charge for numerous additional services, but there is a reason for all of that. First, we create an ‘audience‘, guests who have exceptional purchasing power and are great spenders. They all come because they know they will get top service here. There are many types of marinas, and ours is focused precisely on that, on elite guests who are willing to pay more if they get something exclusive for their money. Here, they can feel like they are at the most prestigious world destinations - says director Bilić.
A Zagreb native who fell in love with Rovinj, and especially with this unique marina, gladly takes us on a tour of top restaurants, pools, and shops where you can spend serious money on some of the most luxurious products in the world, making us feel for a moment as if we were in Dubai. We start our tour at the Marina cafe bar, which is decorated in a retro Italian style, with fantastic espresso for my colleague and a great little macchiato for the author. The guests of this marina are mostly Italians, which is not surprising due to the proximity of the Italian border, and Goran tells us that they are always delighted when they come to this cafe because with their coffee, they can also get freshly baked homemade pastries, croissants, everything they are used to at home, if not better.
We drink our coffee, and the next stop is already waiting for us. The fine art gallery run by Hungarian artist László Benkő is located inside the marina itself, overlooking the crystal-clear sea. He works in realism and pop art, but the gallery also features artworks in the style of colorism. László has exhibited in Athens, Monaco, Budapest, and Madrid, but decided to settle right here in Rovinj.
No shortage of buyers
- Rovinj is a wonderful place, and this marina amazed me - the artist tells us. He will gladly answer any question, but skillfully avoids answering which artwork is the most expensive. From this, we conclude that the prices are steep, but he says there is no shortage of buyers. They step off their expensive yachts, look over the offer, and through their crew members, order to have what they like brought to them. They almost never ask about the price.
We arrive at another place where guests never ask about the price. This is the office of the company Sanlorenzo Adria, which sells some of the most luxurious motor yachts in the world. You‘ll pay a "real trifle" for them. The cheapest model is about five million euros, and the most expensive up to 100 million euros. The offer includes exclusive motor yachts ranging from 25 to 65 meters in length, but what makes them special is the individual approach to each buyer.
- Look, if someone is ready to spend that much money on a boat, they don‘t want something ordinary. Our main rule is that every boat is tailored to the buyer‘s needs, that we do everything the buyer wants, as much as is feasible. Special furniture, appliances, custom kitchens, we can fulfill everything - says company director Stephan Kohl, a Viennese who decided that Rovinj is an excellent place to sell these beautiful vessels. Of course, we are interested in which members of the world jet-set have bought their boats, but he just smiles mysteriously at that question.
- I‘ll say that there are more wealthy people in Croatia and Slovenia than you might think, who buy our boats. If you insist, well, this is not a secret because he himself boasted about it - the owner of one of our boats is the legendary Italian motorcyclist Valentino Rossi - he reveals to us, adding that the boats are built in four Italian shipyards, and only about 60 are produced annually, each made to order.
- We do everything to make their ‘crazy‘ luxury life as good as possible - he says.
Rental of prestigious brands
And when they get tired of sailing, wealthy guests want to go on an excursion. Of course, they won‘t ride in a Fiat 500, but in the most luxurious cars, for which the rent-a-car company Enterprise is responsible. It is located in the heart of the marina, and we joke that sailors can easily jump from the boat into the car and drive wherever they want. They are representatives of Jaguar, Land Rover, and other prestigious car brands. Marko Kovačić is the manager here and says that there is no wish they can‘t fulfill for a guest.
- We have 14 branches in Croatia. Any request, whichever luxury car model you want, we resolve within four to 24 hours. Our fleet consists of about four thousand cars for short-term and long-term rentals. Clients come to us when they want to go to dinner or an excursion somewhere in Istria. The car awaits them almost right next to the boat - Marko explains.
Of course, something needs to be eaten too, and the Agli Amici restaurant within the marina offers classic fine dining, managed by an Italian team, so we know everything is perfect.
In the restaurant with the charming name Agli Amici, which in Italian means "at the friends‘ place", you really feel a friendly, but also highly professional atmosphere. From the charming Rovinj sunset, which greeted us on the terrace with a few fancy clouds, to the view of the beautiful peninsula dominated by the church of St. Euphemia. It‘s a view hard to resist, at least until one of the top dishes is served before you.
In a good mood, chef Emanuele Scarello presents us with a dish served as a kind of "snack" with an aperitif. Although at first they look like unusual souvenirs that would brighten up any living room shelf, chef Scarello gladly explains why this dish is not just a visual spectacle. Inspired by Istria, the bites are visually and taste-wise dominated by Istrian black truffle, an olive twig, and shells representing the coastal part of Istria.
The restaurant‘s offer is by no means limited to this dish. Head waiter Valerio Fini reveals that there are as many as three menus for guests at the same time, and changes are made regularly, depending on the season and availability of ingredients. The first is called Godia, after a town near Udine where the Agli Amici restaurant story began. The other two are named Istria and Rovinj.
"We want to use local products, and that was the biggest challenge when we first came to Rovinj - to find small suppliers that suit us," Fini explained. How delighted the guests are with the offer is also shown by the fact that, due to the large crowd, we had to conduct the interview standing up, while Fini‘s younger colleagues kept coming for advice or consultations regarding the tables that were filling up. Nevertheless, kind and patient, he managed to describe to us how a true gastronomic postcard is created in their restaurant, and we wished them a successful evening, which, even in its beginnings, hinted at how much guests here appreciate the service.
We must also greet the head of reception Suzana Orbanić, who is the "brain of the operation". Everything happens and is arranged here. There is a different guest profile, from long-time sailors who greet each other on the piers, to elite and very wealthy people who are happy to pay for what they need.
- This is the heart of the marina. All information is gathered here. I‘ve been here for 30 years, and at the head of reception for ten. It‘s a demanding job, a huge amount of information in a short time, but also a very nice one. You have to love it - this hotel and tourism engineer tells us. She says guests generally don‘t have any unusual requests. Usually, it‘s about booking wellness, catering, organizing events and celebrations, promoting exclusive products, VIP transfers... But, there is no request they can‘t answer, and the goal is for wealthy guests to feel safe, comfortable, and welcome.
Modern architecture
Director Bilić also boasts about the marina‘s modern architectural solutions, unique heating and cooling system, as well as additional services. We‘re not talking about the laundry, which is standard for marinas of this type, but here it is taken to the next level, and also, for example, about a contract with a private doctor who is ready to come at any moment if a guest feels unwell, and there is a heliport for guests who wish to arrive or depart by helicopter.
The first contact with the marina is the sailor, the person who ties up the sailboats and motorboats, and we were pleasantly surprised by Loris Vranich, who has worked in this marina for 33 years and is full of interesting stories. Kind and professional, he tied up our sailboat in just a few moments, and took special care that no rope touched the sea so that it wouldn‘t be damaged by drying in the sun. Everyone knows Loris. They love to greet him, wave to him, and he returns the greeting.
They get all information from him, ask about pools, restaurants, what to do in Rovinj, how to have fun. He truly is the good spirit of this marina and nothing is too hard for him. Once he even organized the rescue of a guest who was stung by a wasp and was allergic. Tireless, it‘s clear he loves his job because, as he cycles along the piers between berths, he constantly hums.
The new ACI marina Rovinj is the largest investment in the history of ACI, and also one of the largest in nautical tourism in Croatia, with more than 150 million kuna invested.
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