VIENNA and ZADAR, Croatia, July 1, 2011 - A new leader on the high-end hotel market opened its doors today in Croatia: the Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera. For Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group AG, the owner of the five-star deluxe establishment, this opening will serve as a guide for future development. Additional openings in SEE are scheduled for 2012.

The new leader in Croatia

Expectations are high. "Not only because our name stands for extraordinary establishments and top-notch service in Croatia and all of our other core markets," said Otmar Michaeler, CEO of Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group AG.

In many regards, the newly opened Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera http://www.iadera.falkensteiner.com on the Punta Skala peninsula promises to be an extremely interesting new addition to the range of luxury hotels in Croatia and around the world. In addition to guests from Falkensteiner's core markets of Austria, Germany, Italy and Croatia, the tourism group - which is active in six countries - expects many visitors from Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Benelux countries, Great Britain, Switzerland and France.

Otmar Michaeler continued, "For FMTG AG, the opening of this hotel and also the conclusion of the first investment phase at Punta Skala is a milestone in the company's history and will also serve as a guide for future developments. However, the five-star Hotel Iadera is also a showcase project for the Croatian tourism industry and an important step in an urgently needed campaign to improve quality. This kind of high-level project will strengthen tourism in Croatia, which is an extremely important part of the economy."

FMTG continues to focus on expansion

Additional Falkensteiner hotels will open in Southeastern Europe (SEE) in the coming year. According to Agron Berisa, the managing director of SEE operations at Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences, "With our new flagship establishment, we have added another top hotel to the Falkensteiner portfolio in Croatia. The expansion of the Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences in the SEE countries will continue in 2012 with the opening of a city hotel in Belgrade, Serbia, and a family product in Crvena Luka, Croatia."

Five stars ensure well-being

"We are extremely confident and will do everything in our power to make our new five-star Hotel & Spa Iadera one of the new hotspots not only on Croatia's Mediterranean coast but also in the entire Mediterranean region. The perfect location on the tip of our Punta Skala holiday peninsula, the hotel's architecture, the fantastic SPA and our high quality standards, which we have redefined for our Premium Collection Hotels, will help us to achieve our ambitious goals. We want to offer a five-star hotel that doesn't make a stiff impression, but that combines lifestyle, freshness, well-being and luxury," said Georg Unterkircher, general manager of the entire Punta Skala resort.

The panorama is simply breathtaking

"The staff at the concierge desk directs guests to their rooms. Or, even better, their suites. The sleeping quarters inside the walls of this five-star luxury establishment, with a total of 210 rooms, feature open floor plans reminiscent of the style of a Mediterranean country house," said hotel director Alexander Orlandini.

He added, "No matter which direction you turn, you'll be captivated by the unparalleled beauty of your surroundings." In this picturesque spot on the tip of the Punta Skala peninsula, the beauty of the region around the hotel is highlighted by the contrast of colours - the deep blue of the sea and the light, luminous colours of the sand and rocks.

Pure luxury for the body, designed to meet guests' individual needs

The 6,000 sq m Acquapura SPA, made up of saunas, massage chairs, Private SPAs with their own balconies, indoor and outdoor pools, and an impressive 700 sq m hamam, is an oasis of wellness and beauty with a great atmosphere.

And the Hotel & Spa Iadera offers an appropriate array of healthy, soothing and beautifying treatments, an extraordinary range of leisure activities and the ambience of a secluded getaway - a combination you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere else.

An oasis for the senses, a refuge of pleasure

Restaurants in top-notch locations and cosmopolitan cuisine complete the range of services offered at the hotel.

"The main focus for Falkensteiner is our famous Alpine-Adriatic culinary concept, refined with regional delicacies. An essential ingredient in this recipe for success is without a doubt our head chef Franz Castlunger. The native of South Tyrol has had time to settle into this land of pleasure, working previously at the Family Hotel Diadora, also located on the peninsula of Punta Skala, where he was responsible for tantalising the taste buds of holiday guests," said Georg Unterkircher.

Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group
Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group AG (FMTG AG) is one of the leading privately owned tourism companies in six European countries. The Group comprises the divisions of Hotels & Residences [http://www.falkensteiner.com/de ], currently with 29 four- and five-star hotels and residences, FMTG Development and the tourism consultancy Michaeler .