Five-star One MICHELIN Key Mihanovićeva, by the main station, Zagreb
Esplanade Zagreb Hotel
Built in 1925 beside the main station for passengers off the Orient Express, the Esplanade still has its Art Deco lobby, its domed ballroom and 208 rooms with marble bathrooms.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- One Key, the only one in Zagreb
- Rooms
- 208 rooms and suites
- Opened
- 22 April 1925
- From the airport
- About 20 minutes from Zagreb airport
The hotel
Built for the Orient Express.
Early in the twentieth century, the hotels near Zagreb's station were too small for the passengers of the Orient Express, on its way between Paris and Istanbul. A tender in 1917 went to the German architect Otto Rehnig; Dionis Sunko reworked his plans, and most now call the building his. It took twenty-six months to build and opened on 22 April 1925.
Josephine Baker, Charles Lindbergh, Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock all stayed. In 1964 it became the first hotel in a socialist country to join InterContinental, and in 1988 it joined The Leading Hotels of the World. It closed in 2002 for a full renovation, reopened in May 2004 and has run independently since 2012. The Emerald Ballroom, under its cupola, still holds 350 people.
- Esplanade 1925 The lounge and cocktail bar, named for the year the hotel opened.
- Le Bistro Esplanade The hotel's French bistro, where Zagreb comes for štrukli, the baked cheese pastry of the region.
- The Emerald Ballroom A domed hall for up to 350 guests, one of eleven rooms for meetings and dinners.
Dining
Three rooms and a terrace.
Restaurants and bars as listed by the hotel; the MICHELIN listing is from the guide's current page. Shown for information.
- Zinfandel's MICHELIN Guide Modern Executive chef Ana Grgić Tomić
- Le Bistro Esplanade French bistro Known for its štrukli
- Esplanade 1925 Cocktails The lounge bar
- Oleander Terrace Terrace Part of the hotel
Recognition
Listings and memberships.
- One MICHELIN Key 2025, and in the current selection
- The Leading Hotels of the World Member since 1988
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by noon.
- Children Welcome at any age. Children up to 11 stay free on an extra bed, subject to the hotel's confirmation.
- Pets Accepted; a fee may apply.
- Location Across from the main railway station, at the foot of the Lower Town.
Getting there
Flying to Zagreb.
Zagreb Franjo Tuđman Airport is about ten kilometres south-east, some twenty minutes by car. Private jets use the general aviation terminal on the same airfield, with its own lounge and border control.
- Vienna 40 min
- Munich 55 min
- Istanbul 1 h 50
- London 2 h 10
- Dubai 5 h 50
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does the Esplanade Zagreb have?
- One. It is the only hotel in Zagreb with a MICHELIN Key.
- Who designed the Esplanade Zagreb?
- The German architect Otto Rehnig won the 1917 tender, and the Zagreb architect Dionis Sunko reworked his plans. The hotel opened in April 1925.
- Are pets allowed at the Esplanade?
- Yes. Pets are accepted, and the hotel may charge a fee.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Zagreb?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Zagreb, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Zagreb
Other hotels worth the trip.
- The Westin Zagreb Opened in the 1970s as an InterContinental and renovated in 2016, with a spa and a seventeen-metre pool; north-facing rooms look to the Upper Town.
- Amadria Park Hotel Capital Opened in 2018 in an Art Deco bank of the early 1920s, with the old vault still in the basement.
- Sheraton Zagreb Hotel Three hundred and six rooms with marble bathrooms, an indoor pool and a spa.
- Hotel Dubrovnik A building of 1929 joined to a glass wing of the 1980s; the older rooms look straight onto the main square.
Staying at Esplanade Zagreb Hotel?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Zagreb, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.