|Places| The Tides of Time A controversial passion project, Mamula Island Hotel is a former fortress with a turbulent history in Montenegro’s striking Bay of Kotor. By Jane Foster Approaching Mamula Island’s fort-cum-resort at dusk A sleek speedboat whizzes us over the shimmering Adriatic to the islet of Mamula, capped by a sturdy fortress at the mouth of the Unesco-protected Bay of Kotor. The islet’s rocky shores are speckled with agave and samphire, while the fortress has crenellated parapets and a stout round tower. The sky is moody, and seagulls hover overhead. From the boat landing station, a golf buggy transports guests up to the fortress entrance, a monumental arched gateway with a wooden drawbridge. It is both charmingly anachronistic and splendidly modern. Mamula Fort was built in 1853 by General Lazar Mamula, the governor of Dalmatia under Austria-Hungary, who masterminded a string of seaside fortifications. Of these, somewhat unusual for a military outpost, Mamula was given special aesthetic treatment. PHOTOS MARK ANTHONY FOX 30 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
Several layers of ornate frescoes were discovered during restoration in the tower, where the officers in command were stationed. It seems that Mamula was the general’s passion project – after all, it was named after him. Mamula was registered as a Montenegrin cultural asset in 1961 but lay semi-derelict for decades until 2015, when Samih Sawiris took it on a 49-year lease from the Montenegrin government. Sawiris has created luxury resorts in Egypt, Oman and Switzerland as well as in Montenegro – the nearby Luštica Bay is his. But he decided to separate Mamula from his company to make it an owner-managed, non-chain hotel. Taking many of the final design decisions himself, Mamula became a labour of love rather than a money-spinning venture. In short, Sawiris made it his passion project, too. The result is magnificent. The hotel centres on an inner courtyard with three pools and the Pool Deck barrestaurant. Guests start the day here with a cooked-to- order breakfast followed by healthy salads or indulgent treats at lunch, such as battered monkfish with a glass of Montenegrin chardonnay. For evening drinks, you have the Pinea Bar high up in the parapets (ideal for star-gazing), and for an extra-special dinner, Kamena does a six-course degustation menu with wine pairing. Chef Erica Archambault’s favourite dish? “Tuna and chayote - I enjoy making this crisp, fresh elegant dish, as it embodies the amazing wild tuna our fishermen catch, and a local yet totally unknown vegetable.” Mamula’s 10 rooms and 22 suites come in four different types. Within the main body of the fort, the Sky suites (these have frescoes) and Sea rooms are more traditional, with exposed stonework and original windows, while the Panoramic suites and Garden rooms are more contemporary, with floor-to-ceiling glazing. Each is exquisite, with custom-made solidoak furniture, and bathrooms of travertine or marble with underfloor heating and Ananné toiletries. There’s a gorgeous spa, doing lush face and body treatments, a range of saunas, and a space for sound therapy and yoga. Then there’s the small beach (order a picnic lunch, delivered in a basket). For watersports, you can hop on the hotel shuttle boat to Mirišta on Luštica peninsula, where they offer sea kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. Dinner with a view at the hotel’s Kamena restaurant; right: the fort’s moated ramparts Mamula is both charmingly anachronistic and splendidly modern CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 31
