Instagram porn: Montenegro’s Aman Sveti Stefan, ‘Europe’s most luxurious hotel’, reopens – so why do influencers love it so much?

Nothing says exclusive like a place that's hard to get to. And a high price tag, of course.

Consider Aman Sveti Stefan, located in Montenegro in Eastern Europe. Part luxury resort, part island, Sveti Stefan has been called “Europe’s most luxurious hotel”.

And while it's not in a remote location, it's not in Europe's most trafficked destination either. All of which helped the resort attract influencers all last summer, during which it cost nearly US$6,000 for a week-long stay, a spokesperson told Business Insider. 

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It may not have been such a hotspot for the first half of this pandemic-inflicted summer, but its doors have reopened as of July 1. 

It's not difficult to see the appeal of Aman Sveti Stefan: it has lovely views of both forest and sea, and the historic charm of its architecture is juxtaposed against paradise vibes along its beaches.

Business Insider spoke with three Instagramers who visited Aman Sveti Stefan last year to how their experiences aligned with the hotel's luxurious image.

Here's a look inside the five-star resort that's more destination than hotel.

Adriatic idyll

Aman Sveti Stefan is a five-star resort on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro, a 40-minute car ride from Tivat airport. The hotel is operated by high-end hospitality brand Aman, famous for luxury resorts around the world.

From Shanghai to the deserts of Utah, Aman hotels are consistently recognised as some of the best in the business.

Business Insider's Katie Warren toured Jackson Hole's Amangani in July and found that it delivered on two of the biggest things luxury travellers in 2019 were looking for: privacy and experience.

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Guests can arrive at the Montenegro hotel via the resort's private helicopter, a Mercedes-Benz, or speedboat.

A short drive or sail from the old town of Budva or Unesco World Heritage Site Bay of Kotor, the resort is in a prime location to access many of the country's most scenic offerings, from Lovcen National Park to Skadar Lake.

Numerous influencers appear to have visited the resort last summer, according to their Instagram geotags – but it's not a major, highly trafficked destination yet.

As of the time this article was published, there were just over 5,000 posts with the Aman Sveti Stefan hashtag on Instagram. That's actually a relatively modest number of posts compared to their other properties – consider Amangiri in Utah, which has more than 18,000 hashtags.

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Stunning architecture and sandy beaches with turquoise waters make this historical slice of paradise pure Instagram porn.

Celebrities have been known to visit: David and Victoria Beckham found the resort so nice they reportedly vacationed there two summers in a row with their kids.

Prices for the resort range start at US$850 a night, a spokesperson told Business Insider. That's US$5,950 for a seven-night stay.

In July 2019, the resort hosted an art exhibition featuring works from Picasso, Chagall, and Warhol. Only visitors got to see them – tickets for two cost £1,457, or US$1,607.

“Vacation [at Aman Sveti Stefan] is a little bit more expensive than in other places in Montenegro, but in my mind, if you want to have a comfortable holiday and relax your body and soul, the price doesn't matter,” Stefaniya Glibo, who stayed at the resort last summer, told Business Insider.

Aman Sveti Stefan comprises two parts: Sveti Stefan island and Villa Milocer on the mainland. The island is typically open from May 1 to October 20, but Villa Milocer ordinarily remains open year-round.

Because of the pandemic, Sveti Stefan island didn't open at all in May this year.

Overlooking the Adriatic, the stone-walled Villa Milocer sits on 80 acres and is surrounded by lush forests with more than 800 olive trees. It was once the summer residence of the Serbian royal family before Aman took it over.

It's home to three different types of suites with garden or sea views. The biggest suites, the Queen Marija suites, are housed in a separate building near Villa Milocer.

The interiors are updated with modern elements but retain their historic character.

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Villa Milocer also has a living room, meeting room and library.

That's not to mention the iconic cliffside pool, from which you can see both the pine trees and the sea.

The mainland is where you’ll find a 5,200 square foot spa including a gym, Pilates and yoga studios and two more pools. There are also three hydrotherapy suites with steam rooms, saunas, and plunge pools. The spa offers holistic, personalised treatments drawing from Montenegro's 650-plus medical species of herbs.

The island, or islet, of Sveti Stefan has been a village since the 15th century and is arguably one of Montenegro's most iconic images. Today it is only accessible to hotel guests, which is why the website Grand Luxury Hotels describes the Aman as “more exclusive village than luxury resort.” It's home to cobbled streets, courtyards, and 50 rooms, cottages, and suites in restored stone buildings.

However, the resort is so exclusive that not everyone recognises it. Beyza Kurt visited in 2019 and told Business Insider shortly after that when she posted a picture from the resort on Instagram, a lot of friends asked her where it was.

The 1,776 square foot Sveti Stefan suite is the most luxurious suite, complete with ocean views, a terrace, and a private swimming pool.

But if you don't have your own private pool, there's also a family pool on the top terrace of the village.

The spacious rooms in the village have a similar rustic-meets-minimalist aesthetic with wooden-beamed ceilings, exposed stone walls and a neutral colour palette.

At the centre of the village is the piazza, where there are a number of dining venues.

Meals at the resort incorporate local ingredients, from cheeses and beef from the country’s north to rock oysters straight from the Adriatic Sea.

Glibo described Aman Sveti Stefan as one of the most beautiful and calm places in Montenegro, and noted that its beaches lack the crowds of people that frequent other Montenegrin beaches.

One of those beaches is Islet Beach, which was named one of the top 30 beaches to visit in Europe this summer. Half of the beach is free, while the other half is reserved for hotel guests or those willing to pay a US$110 per day fee.

There's also Queen's Bay, a private, secluded beach surrounded by cypress trees and guests can sail from the resort to still-more secluded bays perfect for a swim or lunch.

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“The exclusivity and privacy of Aman allows for the utmost relaxation,” Ava Harb, who stayed there for five days last summer, told Business Insider. “It is an experience so unique that it is nearly impossible to put into words.”

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This article originally appeared on Business Insider.