The famous Holiday Inn hotel, located on the Street of Spanish Warriors in New Belgrade, has recently closed its doors, and Halkbank is set to move into the facility, according to reports from N1. The Belgrade Holiday Inn, which opened in 2007, was part of the initial development of New Belgrade as a business hub. However, it did not manage to reach its expected lifespan. A notice on the hotel’s door and a decision from the Ministry of Construction confirm that Halkbank will soon take over the building.
On May 5, the Ministry issued a decision allowing the bank to convert the former hotel into business premises, without the need for any significant construction work. The building will remain largely unchanged, as confirmed by the location conditions issued by the ministry in March. According to the document, the basement will retain its current state, with the laundry areas being converted into auxiliary rooms. The kitchen will also remain unchanged but will be used at a lower capacity, serving only the needs of the bank’s employees.
On the ground floor, the hotel’s reception area will be repurposed as a reception desk for the business premises, while the luggage room will be turned into an auxiliary room. The restaurant will continue to serve employees, but again, at a reduced capacity compared to when it was a hotel.
On the first floor, meeting rooms will remain intact, but the hotel’s rooms will be transformed into offices. Double rooms will be converted into offices with two workstations, while single rooms will become offices with one workstation.
The Holiday Inn hotel was situated in a prime location, surrounded by international and tech company headquarters, near the Novi Belgrade Railway Station, where construction work is currently underway. The Belgrade Bus Station, recently relocated, is also nearby and is expected to be fully completed by 2027. This year is significant for the hospitality industry, as Belgrade has been selected to host the EXPO 2027 international exhibition. The city’s existing accommodation facilities, including this hotel, were previously considered for major events like the Euroleague final tournament and concerts by the German band Rammstein.
The Serbian government has even offered subsidies of 20% of the total investment for the construction of new hotels and the renovation and expansion of existing ones. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić ambitiously announced plans to build between 120 and 130 new hotels by 2027, though it’s already clear that this target will likely not be met. Despite the closure of this prominent New Belgrade hotel, a number of new hotels are still under construction or renovation and are expected to be completed soon.
