hotels

Hotel Boškinac i sjajna ponuda nove sezone

Sigurno ste imali priliku čuti, vidjeti ili posjetiti boutique hotel Boškinac na otoku Pagu u neposrednoj blizini Stare Novalje? Hotel koji stvara svoju hotelijersku i gastronomsku reputaciju već dugi niz godina i izvrstan je u tome.  Ma, sigurna sam da se i sjećate kad je naš hrvatski chef Mate Janković zajedno s Anthony Bourdainom kušao hranu i vina u Boškincu te je među inim  komplimentima, Bourdain izjavio: ”Ovdje je hrana svjetskoga glasa, ovdje je pravi svijet vrhunskih vina, ovo je mjesto gdje su sirevi najbolji...”  

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Na osami, daleko od pogleda ljudi, u krajoliku koji odmara oči, gastronomskoj i vinskoj ponudi koji osvježava i veseli sva vasa čula vjerujem da ćete uživati.

Nastojimo nasim gostima ponuditi miran i siguran ambijent, u kojem mogu osjetiti ono dobro staro normalno.
Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Boškinac je mjesto koje posjećujem gotovo svake godine, obično na svoj rođendan, u društvu svoje obitelji ili prijatelja, i zaklopim li oči, istog trenutka mogu prizvati taj osjećaj sreće koje je to mjesto budilo kod mene svaki put kad bismo bili tamo.

S obzirom na cijelu situaciju u Hrvatskoj i svijetu koju je diktirao virus, zanimalo me je kako se ovakva mjesta nose s time i što očekuju u ovoj turističkoj sezoni. Srećom, situacija je u Hrvatskoj izrazito povoljna i vjerujem da će s vremenom biti lakše hotelijerima i ugostiteljima, no, što o tome kaže i Boris Šuljić, vlasnik obiteljskog hotela, restorana i vinarije Boškinac.

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić


P:WT: Kreće jedna nova era putovanja i životnih navika, kako se hotel Boškinac pripremio za to razdoblje? 

Boris Šuljić: Za sada hotel Boškinac ne mijenja ništa previše u načinu poslovanja, niti komuniciranja sa svojom publikom. Mi vjerujemo da ljudska strast za putovanjima kao i za kulturom stola nije potrošena, niti će doživjeti radikalne promjene. Naravno da ova situacija sa pandemijom nije bezazlena i da ne želim umanjiti daljnje potencijalne opasnosti za globalno zdravlje. Vjerujem, međutim, da će  znanost uskoro uspješno odgovoriti na ovaj veliki i nepoznati zdravstveni izazov, a isto tako vjerujem da će i svjetska ekonomija do kraja godine uhvatiti željeni gospodarski ritam, te da će se do idućeg ljeta sve vratiti u normalu. To su naravno samo moja predviđanja, koja naravno nemaju nikakvu znanstvenu težinu.

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

P:WT: Zadnjih godina smo svi bili nevjerojatno mobilni. U trenutku bismo kupili kartu za drugi kraj svijeta ili za vikend, bez puno planiranja, otišli na neku od bližih destinacija. Što mislite kada će nam se vratiti te navike?

Boris Šuljić: Da… putovanja nikad nisu  bila dostupnija, nego u posljednjih dvadesetak godina i ta je činjenica značajno utjecala na gospodarstvo kao i na navike ljudi. U jednom je trenutku sve to stalo i taj šok još uvijek utječe na kuražu turista i putnika uopće. Turizam se zasniva na slobodi kretanja i na sigurnosti  i zato razumijem rezerviranost kako građana tako i svjetskih političkih vođa prema apsolutnom popuštanju svih epidemioloških mjera. Vjerujem da će se do kraj lipnja situacija bitno promjeniti, te da će najprije ljudi iz nama susjednih zemalja krenuti put juga i našeg mora, a za iduću godinu nadam se da će se uspostaviti i sve putničke veze na globalnoj razini, te da turizam neće doživjeti prevelike transformacije.

P:WT: Koliko je teško u hotelijerstvu primijeniti mjere koje se nameću u borbi s virusom i hoće li one utjecati na raspoloženje gostiju?

Boris Šuljić: Mi u Boškincu kao najvažniju mjeru primjenjujemo osobnu higijenu, stalno pranje ruku i dezinficiranje. Maske u Hrvatskoj nisu obvezne te ih mi ne koristimo, sve ostale mjere poštujemo i ne držimo ih u našem slučaju posebno restriktivnim za naše poslovanje, budući da se Boškinac nalazi na osami, iznimno je prozračan i ventiliran te ima preko 500 m2 otvorenih terasa. Nastojimo našim gostima ponuditi miran i siguran ambijent, u kojem mogu osjetiti ono dobro staro normalno.

Mislim da je ljudima vazan taj osjecaj sigurnosti  i intimnosti, koji ovako mali objekti poput Boškinca mogu ponuditi.
Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

P:WT: Upravo to, hotel Boškinac je izvrsno mjesto za one koji žele provoditi odmor u manjem krugu ljudi, na osami, uživajući u prirodi, zvuku zrikavaca, terasama ili pak osami svoje krasne sobe. Što mislite da će ljudima itekako značiti danas od ovoga što nudite?

Boris Šuljić: Ljudi će cijeniti osjećaj čistoće i sigurnosti i tamo gdje to budu mogli pronaći i osjetiti tamo će odlaziti i to će preporučivati. Posebno će u ovoj iznimno zahtjevnoj turističkoj godini na cijeni biti mjesta na osami poput našeg Boškinca , ali i  drugih krasnih malih hotela kao i sve brojnih luksuznih vila po našoj obali. Mislim da će dobro proći i oni pansioni koji su godinama uspostavljali prisan i prijateljski odnos sa svojim gostima, to bi im se u ovakvim godinama moglo obilno vratiti.

P:WT: Boškinac nije samo ponuda lijepog ambijenta, Vaša ponuda je puno šira i prepoznata na svjetkom nivou. Po što još dolaze Vaši gosti?

Boris Šuljić: Boškinac je nedavno dobio svoju prvu Michelin zvjezdicu te to sigurno pobuđuje poseban interes kod dijela javnosti koja je visoko gastronomski osvještena i motivirana.

Za ovu godinu u nasem fine dining restoranu goste ocekuju potpuno nove kreacije naseg chefa Matije Bregesa...
Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Nakon toga Boškinac je vrlo poznata vinarija te naša sjajna vina imaju brojnu i vrlo lojalnu publiku, što također osnažije motiv za dolazak u našu kuću. Tu je i naša konoba koja nudi lijepi izbor domaćih jela pripremljenih na vatri pred gostima. 

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Ono kako je sada krenulo od kada smo 15. svibnja otvorili, govori nam da smo u pravu i da interes javnosti postoji  te nas posjećuju brojni gosti upravo zbog toga. Doduše za sada prevladavaju domaći turisti, ali sve je više i Slovenaca, ima nešto i Austrijanaca, a evo ovih dana smo dobili i goste iz Češke. Mislim da je ljudima važan taj osjećaj sigurnosti  i intimnosti, koji ovako mali objekti poput Boškinca mogu ponuditi.

P:WT: U Boskinac ljudi mogu doći na kavicu ili ručak/večeru uz fantastična Boškinac vina. Jeste li osvježili ponudu u novoj sezoni?  

Boris Šuljić: Za ovu godinu u našem fine dining restoranu goste očekuju potpuno nove kreacije našeg chefa Matije Bregeša, dva velika degustacijska menija od 5 i 8 slijedova te tri kraća degustacijska menija od 3 slijeda. Jela su vrlo originalana i autorska, a za njihove glavne sastojke koristili smo namirnice isključivio s otoka Paga.

(album s hranom fotografa Roberta Pichlera)

Iz našeg podruma izlaze i dva nova pjenušca Viaz u rose i brut varijanti , upravo smo na tržište pustili i berbu 2016 našeg najpoznatijeg crnog vina Boškinac cuvee. Nedavno smo promovirali našu novu liniju vina Reful I Calma, to su jednostavnija vina za svakodnevno pijenje, nešto nižeg cjenovnog ranga, ali ništa manje ozbiljna od drugih Boškinac etiketa.

Naš bar radi svakodnevno,  a na njemu se poslužuju sjajni kokteli, slani zalogaji i naši prefini kolači koji izlaze iz radionice naše pastry chefice Lene Šarić.

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

Konoba je otvorena svaki dan, a do kraja lipnja je samo utorkom zatvorena,  i kao što sam već napomenuo ranije, u njoj, pred gostima na vatri pripremamo desetak domaćih ribljih i mesnih specijaliteta. Ponekad će u konobi pjevati i lokalne klape, o čemu goste obavještavamo preko naših društvenih mreža.

 P:WT: Jeste li pomislili u jednom trenutku da će nemoguće biti odraditi ovu sezonu?

Boris Šuljić: Nastojim biti što realniji u svojim procjenama, znam da će sezona biti vrlo izazovna i prilično nepredvidiva, međutim niti jednog trenutka nisam pomislio da će biti potpuno uništena. Mi smo se cijelo vrijeme karantene pripremali i glancali nova jela kao i obavljali ostale radove u vinogradima i podrumu kao i u uređenju okoliša. Nismo niti jednog trenutka svi zajedno posumnjali da nećemo otvoriti. Pratio sam razvoj situacije i nastojao donositi što realnije prosudbe i temeljem toga koliko toliko planirati ovu neizvjesnu situaciju. Kakva god ona bila da bila vi odluke morate donositi, pa koliko god slabe argumente za to pronalazili i koliko god ti planovi bili krhki, vi opet odluke morate donositi.

Maja Danica Pečanić

Maja Danica Pečanić

P:WT: Što mislite odakle će vam dolaziti gosti?

Boris Šuljić: Vjerujemo će gosti ove godine kružiti po principu mačke, ići će oko svoje kuće, do susjeda i možda koju ulicu niže i natrag. To mi se čini realnim i za nas prilično povoljnim jer je Hrvatska sa svojim toplim morem i predivnom obalom u srcu EU i pritom je prilčno dobro prošla ovu korona-krizu.

Mi smo okrenuti lifestyle gostima i i gourmet gostima, primarno prema njima komuniciramo i za te goste mislim da nudimo nezaboravno iskustvo i sjajan doživljaj otoka, kreativne kuhinje, predivnih vina i očuvanog prirodnog ambijenta.

P:WT: Zaista, kraj u kojem se nalazi hotel Boškinac je toliko raznolik, lijep, bogat i vrijedan posjeta. Što je još važno istaknuti u tom kontekstu?

Boris Šuljić: Svakako brojne ljepote otoka Paga od predivnih Lunjskih maslinika do dramatičnih kamenih krajolika u Metajni, bezbrojne plaže, i posve sam siguran da će svi pronaći nešto za idealan odmor u situaciji kada trebamo mir i snagu za ponovni povratak u uobičajene životne i poslovne aktivnosti.



Veselim se posjetiti Boškinac i ove godine. Sigurna sam da ćemo uživati u nekom koktelu dok se djeca igraju oko nas. Da, da… ovo mjesto voli i klince :)

Uživajte u fotografijama sjajne Maje Danice Pečanić!

Let's talk about hotels!

Tihana used to work at the reception of the hotel in which my husband and I stayed seven years ago with our son who was only a baby at the time. We had a strange experience with the restaurant staff, which I felt compelled to comment on my blog's Facebook page. Although I did not say which hotel restaurant it was, Tihana realized it was the one where she worked. She took the initiative and e-mailed me to apologize on behalf of her employer even though she didn't have anything to do with it directly. I was amazed by the sense of responsibility this young person had shown and was really wowed by her. After that I kept in touch with Tihana through Instagram and her culinary blog that I followed closely, reading about her departure to Stuttgart and a new job, about her trips and her wedding, and I was really pleased that it was all coming together for her.

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

 What was it like when you were first starting out in hospitality industry?

First I was working at the reception. The job at reception had everything I wanted at that time. Speaking foreign languages, meeting new people on a daily basis and dealing with exciting aspects of tourism and hospitality business. So I worked as a receptionist (in 3 shifts - yes, night shifts also) for almost seven years and it wasn't always easy. After the recession in 2009 the job and salary market in Croatia collapsed and I worked without pay for almost 6 months. Those were probably the worst six months of my career. After those six months I quit and took some time off to clear my head. 

 What happened then? Did you start working in tourism soon after that or did you look for a different job?

Since I always saw myself in this business and had a lot of experience, I naturally went there again. To be precise, to one of the best workplaces I have ever had - LifeClass Terme Sveti Martin in Međimurje County. There I worked my way up from reception to telephone sales, as a sales manager for the Croatian market, and to my final position there as a sales manager for the German and Croatian market. This job lead me to the life I have now and I am eternally grateful to my former boss - Mr. Dan Vidošević - who believed in me and gave me the freedom to become what I am today. He also supported my decision to move to Stuttgart and accept an offer I really couldn't refuse. 

Tihana was always a valuable member of my team, always the creative one, ready to go the extra mile. I always knew I could rely on her to get things done and all our clients could confirm their positive experience. Her eye for detail was perfect which she took advantage of when enjoying her hobby of making cupcakes in to little masterpiece deserts.
— Dan Vidosevic, Tihana's former boss
Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

 Have you ever thought about living abroad before that?

 My husband and I always dreamed of living in a foreign country and our dream came true. My main quote about life is:

You can’t get anywhere in life without taking risks.
— Esme Bianco
Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

… and so in 2015 my husband and I packed our bags in the small Suzuki and moved 800 km away from home - to Stuttgart. Here I accepted assistant manager job in a small family-run hotel and restaurant. Owing to my past experience and my entire CV, I got not only a job, but also an apartment and was entrusted with running a hotel and restaurant with over 30 employees. It was very challenging since I was in a foreign country, with new laws and rules and I had to learn all of it in a very short time. In just 3 months I got my first raise and was promoted to manager. 

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

 What is your perception of hotels, now that you have worked in your fair share of them? Do you secretly resent certain things and admire others?

Wow, that is really a question that I need to think about. I really love traveling and staying in hotels - and I am picky. I really care about two things when I come to a hotel - the staff and the cleanliness. A hotel can be old and not furnished well, but these are the things you can see when you book it. But when you arrive, the main thing is how the staff treats you and how clean the rooms are.  Not that long ago I had a really bad hotel experience in my hometown. I knew in advance that the hotel was older, but that doesn't mean that you don't clean the rooms before your guests arrive - and you know they are coming because they have booked months in advance. There is no excuse for not cleaning properly. 

What did you do in that situation? What should any guest actually do?

In that situation I would first inform the reception and try to get hold of the manager and talk to him about it. Depending on the answer, I would go one step further and write the online review as it was. I always write my reviews and that is really important - I also take pictures and post them online so people can see the real deal. 

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

 What are you like as a hotel guest?   
I as a guest? I am a very simple guest if you are nice to me and the rooms are clean. I sympathize with the staff since I have been in their shoes for a very long time and I know how hard the shifts can be. But again, that doesn't mean that you can't be nice. What I learned early on was that if you have private problems, you should leave them at home and try to be professional with guests.

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

What kind of guests do you like? 

As every hotel employee would say - uncomplicated guests! :) It often depends on the guests and the day they had. If they had a bad day, almost everything bothers them - even if everything is as it is supposed to be. I also like "normal" people who understand that we all are only employees and most of the time we are not in charge nor can we change some major things. Like the fact that the architect made the rooms as they are and things like that. 

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

 What annoys guests the most?            

Probably the fact that you lose their reservation or that the room is not that what they imagined it would be. Over the course of many years it has also happened to me and that is human - we all make mistakes. 

 How would you sum up the life of a hotel employee?

Here I would just put a quote:

My momma always said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” -
— Forrest Gump

….that is the life of a hotel employee. Each day is different and brings different problems, but you feel accomplished after you receive good feedback from guests. 

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

 Would you say that working in a hotel is all-around business education, where you learn all about marketing, client relations, HR-u, bookkeeping... 

If you work as a hotel manager, you really learn new things every day. Especially if you are in charge of employees, their contracts, payments, working plans and the fact that the laws are always changing and you have to follow them. But what you learn the most is how people behave! After so many years in this business, I have to say I have a hunch that tells me if someone will be a good or a bad guest. It has rarely failed me. 

 What kind of accommodation do you prefer when you travel?

Now that I look back, at my former job as a sales manager I traveled a lot and always booked hotels - since there were comfy beds and good breakfasts - all you need before a big day of meetings and traveling. Now I also book smaller private rooms and apartments that have a story. Like the one in which we stayed in the Dolomites, Italy, where we slept on a hill, in 500-year old beds that were amazingly comfy. 

 Which hotel did you find enchanting?

From the bigger hotels I stayed at, we really loved The Connacht Hotel in Galway, Ireland - amazing rooms, close to the city, free parking and an amazing breakfast. Just a few weeks ago we visited a small hotel in Austria, Der WILDe EDER and were amazed by the traditional but modern rooms and by a star worthy five course dinner.  

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Do you prefer smaller hotels or big chains? 

I would always book smaller hotels with a story and a background - but since I travel to lots of big cities, we often stay in some hotel chains. I really love the Motel One Chain - I visited many of them in Germany and was never disappointed. 

  “If you're passionate about travel and hospitality, the hotel industry is a lifelong career path. You'll meet interesting people – team members, guests, vendors, media – that open your eyes to the world and help you clarify your own goals. Getting to ‘talk story’ with guests is a highlight of the day. You have connections around the world." One hotel manager said that, how much truth is in those words?

This is very true. I meet so many interesting people, from business people who have been in my hometown 50 years ago, to celebrities. People with amazing life stories that inspire you and make you happy that you choose this path. 

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga


 This whole time Tihana kept working on her food blog Just Cake The Cupcake and back in the early days of blogging, she became the first Croatian ambassador for the KitchenAid. This year she decided to launch her own business enterprise that would tie in everything she has done so far with her passion for cooking and creating. I feel pretty certain that she will succeed in anything; just remember the girl from the beginning of this story: someone who is a natural people person with a strong sense of responsibility rates very highly nowadays.

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga

Photography: Bojan Canjuga/ @cojanbanjuga