The beginnings of organised tourism in Baska date back to 1904,
when a Society for the Beautification of the Settlement was
established.
The first hotel, the Zvonimir, was opened in 1906. 1908 saw the
construction and grand opening of the Baska bathing area, a key
year in the very quick development of tourism here. But it was a
Czech national, Emil Geistlich, a big fan of Baska, that gave Baska
tourism a concept and stepped up its development. He built what was
at the time a very modern hotel, the Baska, with 33 rooms. He
advertised the hotel in Prague with the slogan "From your room,
straight to the sea." A physician, Zdenka Čermakova, also
contributed to the development of tourism in Baska.
And while the number of registered guests in 1908 was 18, by
1912 the number had climbed to 1,785.
The Baska, Grandić, Velebit, Zvonimir, Praha and Volarić hotels
operated in Baska between the years 1921 and 1940, all constructed
by 1914, and the Kvarner, Triglav and Europa hotels, built by 1930.
Also built were a number of modern villas and guesthouses. 1949 saw
the founding of the Baska Hotels Company, one of the first of its
kind on the island of Krk. It included one of the hotels (the
former Volarić hotel) and the Ribar Inn. The company had two
permanent and twelve seasonal employees.
The first foreign guests arrived in 1955, and by 1956 the first
deals had been signed with foreign agencies like the Vienna-based
Ruefa and the Goettler and Capri agencies by way of the
Opatija-based Kvarner Express Company.
20 B-category bungalow units were built in 1962 (with a 40-bed
capacity). The Zablaće camp was opened in 1967 with a capacity of
300 guests. It now has a capacity of 1,600 visitors.
The 66-bed, B-category, Adria annex as built in 1964. That was
followed two years later with the construction of the 152-bed
Zvonimir annex. Brisk business paved the way for the expansion of
the company with the construction of the Corinthia-Baska hotel
(Phase I, 1970). It featured 248 beds, a modern kitchen and a
restaurant. The Bunculuka nudist camp was opened in 1978 and had a
capacity of 1,200 visitors.
1986 saw phase II of the construction of the Corinthia-Baska
hotel with the construction of a 274-bed hotel wing, followed by
phase III in 1990 with the construction of the 337-bed wing III of
the Corinthia-Baska hotel. Parallel to this construction was that
of the Velebit, Strand, Galeb, Ribar and Zarok restaurants, 3
department stores and ten tennis courts...
From 1994 (following the conversion from a command economy
corporate structure), the company has operated under the name of
Hoteli Baska d.d., the Baska Hotels joint stock company. The
Corinthia-Baska I was completely renovated in 1998 as a 4-star
facility, with all of its complementary facilities. That same year
the 3-star Corinthia-Baska Villas were built at the site of the
bungalows, and the Zablaće camp was completely revamped.
Thanks to continued investment into the accommodation facilities
and improvements to the quality of service, the Baska Hotels
Company has become a recognisable tourism industry player and the
chief motor of tourism development in Baska.
The further growth and development of the company resulted in
new investments in 2003. The old Zvonimir annex was completely
overhauled into the Hotel Zvonimir, the first 4-star hotel on the
island of Krk, right on the beachfront. The Adria annex was also
renovated and converted into the 4-star Villa Adria, a new facility
with 12 modern suites.
That same year saw the investment of significant funds into the
camps: a new reception and sanitary facilities were built at the
Zablaće camp, while the same were renovated at the Bunculuka
camp.
Nowadays tourists regard their vacation time as a different
experience and use it in various ways. They are open to
alternatives and willing to get away from the daily routine, if
even for just a few hours. These new trends saw the creation of the
Baska Wellness Centre, which opened its doors in the spring of
2005. With this Baska Hotels have once again demonstrated that it
is in step with the times, with its basic mission of meeting the
new needs and ever-greater expectations of its guests.
A series of investments into existing accommodation facilities
were continued in 2007 with the aim of enriching and improving the
existing offer and with the goal of our better positioning on the
tourism market. This saw the installation of air conditioning in
the remaining accommodation units at the Corinthia-Baska Hotel,
which means that all permanent structures at the Baska Hotels now
feature air conditioning. The rooms of the Corinthia-Baska II/III
were renovated and refitted with new furniture and a magnetic card
room entry system was introduced, also for the use of the wellness
centre, the parking lot and the payment of additional services…
At the site of the former Baska and Velebit hotels, right on the
beachfront, at the centre of the well-known Baska beach, the Baska
Hotels Company built a completely new accommodation facility in
2008 - the Atrium Residence Baska. This new showpiece facility
offers a total of 64 accommodation units, appointed at the 4 and 5
star level.
The 4-star Villa Adria was also revamped in 2008. The capacity
of the existing facility was increased by 16 accommodation units,
bringing up the total number accommodation units of the new complex
to 28.
Our ambitious plans for further development and capital
investment in 2008 was continued with the outfitting of a modern,
multifunctional 250-capacity congress area at the Corinthia-Baska,
with all of the necessary technical devices and aids, which provide
for a better quality of congress tourism. Continuous investment
into our operations - above all into the quality of services
rendered, cultural heritage and an enviable local climate make this
a good foundation for the development of a hotel company guests are
satisfied with and make return visits to.