Pelegrin Hotel

Hotel Pelegrin was a large modernist hotel in Kupari, on the Adriatic coast of Croatia near Dubrovnik. Completed in 1963, it was created as part of a military resort for the Yugoslav People's Army and was financed by the Yugoslav army. With 419 rooms, it was described at the time as the largest hotel built on the Adriatic. Its scale, exposed geometric form, and architectural ambition made it one of the notable early modernist buildings associated with post-war Yugoslavia. The hotel was designed by David Finci, an architect from Sarajevo. Its architecture reflected the period's interest in functional planning, reinforced-concrete construction, and visually distinctive geometric forms. Pelegrin's design also became associated with the broader international presentation of socialist Yugoslav architecture. The building was included in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York devoted to architecture in socialist Yugoslavia. Finci later moved to New York in 1966 and continued his architectural career there. For much of its early life, Pelegrin served the military resort complex at Kupari. In 1981, the hotel began accepting international visitors, changing its role from a primarily military-associated retreat into an international tourism destination. It operated within the wider Kupari Bay hotel area, which became an important coastal resort setting. The hotel's operating life ended in 1991 during the Yugoslav Wars. It closed after suffering heavy damage from shelling during the Siege of Dubrovnik. Following the conflict, the building was temporarily used to accommodate Croatian Army personnel, but it was subsequently abandoned. By the 2000s, the site had been stripped of elements including wiring, and the deteriorating structure became part of the group of abandoned hotels around Kupari Bay. The ruined hotel later attracted visitors interested in modernist architecture, war-damaged buildings, and abandoned sites. Its architectural significance also prompted preservation efforts. In 2017, the Dubrovnik Society of Architects sought cultural-monument protection for Pelegrin, but Croatia's Ministry of Culture rejected the request. The site was later acquired by a Singaporean company for redevelopment. Demolition of the hotel began in February 2025, marking the effective end of the surviving structure. Pelegrin is therefore no longer an operating hospitality business. Its historical importance rests on the combination of its scale, its connection to Yugoslav military and tourism infrastructure, its modernist design, its appearance in international architectural discourse, and its destruction and prolonged abandonment after the war.

Hotel Pelegrin was built at Kupari on Croatia's Adriatic coast and opened in 1963. It formed part of a military resort established for the Yugoslav People's Army, with construction financed by the JNA. The 419-room property was exceptionally large for its time and was regarded as the biggest hotel built on the Adriatic when it opened. Its creation reflected the Yugoslav state's investment in organized recreation, military infrastructure, and coastal tourism during the post-war modernization period. The building was designed by David Finci, an architect from Sarajevo. Pelegrin's geometric modernist architecture made it one of the early major examples of post-war modernism in Yugoslavia. Its design was later presented internationally through a Museum of Modern Art exhibition in New York focused on socialist Yugoslav architecture. Finci moved to New York in 1966, where he continued working as an architect. Initially, access to the resort was closely connected with its military role. In 1981, the hotel opened bookings to international visitors, expanding its function and public identity. It subsequently became an international tourist destination within the Kupari Bay resort complex. This transition linked Pelegrin to the growth of Adriatic tourism while retaining the historical character of the site as a former military leisure facility. The hotel closed in 1991 during the Yugoslav Wars. Shelling connected with the Siege of Dubrovnik caused extensive damage, leaving the building unusable as a functioning hotel. After the war, the Croatian Army used the damaged property to house soldiers for a period. By the 2000s, however, the building had been abandoned. Weathering, neglect, and the removal of components such as electrical wiring accelerated its decline. Pelegrin became one of several abandoned hotels around Kupari Bay and acquired a second life as a destination for people interested in abandoned architecture, modernist buildings, and war-damaged sites. The ruin also remained significant to architects and architectural historians because of its unusual form and its place in the history of Yugoslav modernism. In 2017, the Dubrovnik Society of Architects attempted to secure cultural-monument protection for the building. The Ministry of Culture rejected the proposal, so the hotel did not receive the requested preservation status. The Kupari property was eventually purchased by a Singaporean company with plans for redevelopment. Demolition of Hotel Pelegrin started in February 2025. The beginning of demolition ended the building's long period as an abandoned landmark and confirmed that it would not survive as a preserved hotel structure. Hotel Pelegrin's historical legacy consequently derives less from a continuing commercial brand than from its architectural importance, its role in Yugoslav military and tourism history, its wartime destruction, and the preservation debate surrounding the remains.

• 2025

  Demolition begins

  [1]Hotel Pelegrinen.wikipedia.org

  Demolition starts after the Kupari site is acquired by a Singaporean company for redevelopment.

• 2017

  Cultural-monument request rejected

  [1]Hotel Pelegrinen.wikipedia.org

  The Dubrovnik Society of Architects seeks protection for Pelegrin as a cultural monument, but the Ministry of Culture rejects the request.

• 1991

  Hotel closes after wartime damage

  [1]Hotel Pelegrinen.wikipedia.org

  Pelegrin closes after being heavily damaged by shelling during the Yugoslav Wars and the Siege of Dubrovnik.

• 1981

  International bookings begin

  [1]Hotel Pelegrinen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel begins accepting international visitors, broadening its role beyond the military resort system.

• 1966

  Architect David Finci moves to New York

  [1]Hotel Pelegrinen.wikipedia.org

  David Finci, the Sarajevo architect who designed Pelegrin, moves to New York and continues his architectural career there.

• 1963

  Hotel opens in Kupari

  [1]Hotel Pelegrinen.wikipedia.org

  The 419-room hotel opens as part of a Yugoslav People's Army military resort and is described as the largest hotel built on the Adriatic at that time.

A large Adriatic modernist resort hotel that evolved from a Yugoslav military-recreation facility into an international tourism destination before closing and becoming an abandoned architectural landmark.

• Hotel lodging · 1963

  Hotel Pelegrin accommodation

  The hotel's core offering was conventional resort accommodation in a 419-room modernist building. It originally served guests connected with the Yugoslav military resort at Kupari and later accepted international tourists. Its scale made it a major component of the Kupari Bay resort complex, although the property ceased operating after wartime damage in 1991.

• 2025

  Redevelopment proceeds through demolitionOther

  Background

  After decades of abandonment and the failure of a 2017 preservation request, the Kupari site was acquired for redevelopment.

  Action taken

  Demolition of Hotel Pelegrin began in February 2025.

  Aftermath

  The action ended the surviving structure's long period as an abandoned modernist landmark and cleared the way for redevelopment of the site.

  Source

• 1981

  Expansion to international tourismStrategy

  Background

  Pelegrin had initially operated as part of a resort associated with the Yugoslav People's Army and was not primarily positioned as an unrestricted international tourist hotel.

  Action taken

  The hotel opened bookings to international visitors, expanding its customer base and establishing itself as an international destination.

  Aftermath

  The change connected the property more directly with Adriatic tourism before its closure during the Yugoslav Wars in 1991.

  Source

1. 1Hotel Pelegrinen.wikipedia.org