SAINT TEN Hotel

It’s entirely understandable if Belgrade missed out on the first wave of the boutique-hotel revolution. What’s important now, from the perspective of international travelers, is that there are now hotels in town of Saint Ten’s caliber. The stately old building, in the central district of Vračar, was built in the Twenties by architect Stojan Veljkovic, and over the past century it’s served as a backdrop for more than a few pivotal moments in the city’s political history. It’s since seen a dramatic modern addition, and today its interiors, though thoroughly contemporary, exhibit a certain seriousness, a sense of sober luxury that’s well suited to the history of the place.

What this means in concrete terms is large spaces, luxe finishes, glass-walled stone bathrooms with rain showers or soaking tubs, and little details like espresso machines and bedside reading lights. The lobby bar is an all-day lounge that’s equally functional for a business meeting or a romantic cocktail or two, and Sanctus transforms from a bright and sunny semi-formal dining room by day into an elegant fine-dining restaurant by night. Add a sauna, a massage room, and a “cardio meditation” room and you’ve got yourself a thoroughly modern boutique hotel.