We Stayed at Montenegro’s Newest Hotel… But It Wasn’t Finished
An honest review of the brand-new Mövenpick Kotor Bay Hotel, including room issues, unfinished facilities, a visit to Kotor Old Town, Perast, submarine tunnels and the spectacular Kotor Cable Car.
Montenegro had been on our travel wish list for a while, and when we discovered the brand-new Mövenpick Kotor Bay, it seemed like the perfect excuse to visit.
What we didn’t expect was to become some of the earliest guests at a hotel that was still finding its feet.
Our journey began with a flight into Tivat, one of Europe’s most spectacular airport approaches. As an air traffic controller, I can never completely switch off the aviation side of my brain, so there are a few behind-the-scenes observations throughout the trip, including a look at Airbus A320 CEO and NEO engine operations during departure and arrival - and some insider ATC knowledge around remote holding.....
After landing, we made our way across the stunning Bay of Kotor to the new Mövenpick. The location is spectacular, surrounded by dramatic mountains and calm waters, but our stay got off to an unexpected start when we discovered we’d been allocated the wrong room. To make matters more interesting, it quickly became apparent that parts of the hotel were still unfinished despite already welcoming guests.
Was it a disaster? Not at all.
In fact, one of the themes of this trip was how a few bumps along the road don’t necessarily stop a destination from being special.
During our stay we explored some of Montenegro’s most fascinating attractions. A boat trip around the bay took us to the beautiful town of Perast, one of the most picturesque places we’ve visited anywhere in Europe. We also ventured into the remarkable submarine tunnels hidden along the coastline, relics from the former Yugoslavia that many visitors never discover.
No trip to Kotor would be complete without wandering through the maze-like streets of the Old Town. The combination of medieval architecture, mountain scenery and waterfront views makes it easy to understand why the area has become so popular with visitors.
One of the highlights of the week was riding the Kotor Cable Car. The views from the top are simply breathtaking, offering a perspective across the bay that photographs struggle to capture.
For us, Montenegro delivered exactly what we look for in a destination: incredible scenery, fascinating history, memorable experiences and plenty of stories to tell afterwards.
If you’re considering visiting Montenegro or staying at the new Mövenpick Kotor Bay, I’ve put together a full 4K video review covering the hotel, the issues we encountered, the places we visited and some aviation insights along the way.
Watch the full video here:
Have you visited Montenegro? I’d love to hear your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below.
