Sljeme
Esplanade Zagreb Hotel
Built in 1925 · In depth
About Esplanade Zagreb Hotel
The Esplanade opened in 1925 as a refuge for passengers from the Orient Express, beside Zagreb’s main railway station, and reopened in 2004 after a complete renovation of its Art Nouveau building. Its 208 rooms and suites have marble bathrooms, its Health Club offers massage, beauty and an L’Occitane bath, and it has Zinfandel’s, Le Bistro, home of the Esplanade štrukli, and the Esplanade 1925 bar.
The Orient Express hotel
The Esplanade was built in 1925 to receive travellers from the Orient Express, a short walk from the Art Deco main railway station, and it reopened in 2004 after a renovation that joined 21st-century comfort to its Art Nouveau architecture. From here Sljeme, Zagreb’s ski mountain on Medvednica, is a short drive away, and the hotel is close to the city’s main sights.
The Health Club
The Health Club offers fitness, massage and beauty with a full range of skin and body treatments, and an L’Occitane bath. Across the street, the hotel calls its outdoor gym Zagreb’s very first fitness park.
A refuge for passengers from the Orient Express, in the hotel’s words, since 1925.
Rooms and suites
All 208 rooms and suites have marble bathrooms and superfast internet. Superior and Deluxe rooms lead to Junior Deluxe Suites, with goose-down duvets and a rain shower, and Deluxe Suites; the Esplanade Suite, of 120-plus m², has separate areas for relaxing, dining and working and views over Fountain Park and the city centre.
Eating and drinking
The kitchens are led by executive chef Ana Grgić Tomić. Zinfandel’s is the elegant fine-dining room, joining local ingredients to flavours from around the world. Le Bistro, open since 1986 at the corner of the hotel, cooks French-inspired bistro dishes and is famous for its Esplanade štrukli. Esplanade 1925, the Art Deco lounge and cocktail bar, serves afternoon tea, cocktails and DJ nights.
Our advice: book a Junior Deluxe Suite, ski Sljeme in the morning, and come back for štrukli at Le Bistro and a cocktail at Esplanade 1925. In December the hotel runs its own Advent programme.
Why it's on our list
- Opened in 1925 for Orient Express passengers
- 208 rooms and suites with marble bathrooms
- Health Club: massage, beauty and the L’Occitane bath
- Zinfandel’s, Le Bistro and Esplanade 1925
- Esplanade Suite of 120-plus m² over Fountain Park
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Esplanade Zagreb Hotel before you go.