On the 25th of June 2017, model and actress Eva LaRue visited Martinis Marchi Hotel on island Šolta as an ambassador for the Stories Hotels.
Eva LaRue is an American-born model and actress most known for her roles in All My Children and CSI: Miami. At the end of June, she came to Croatia with her daughter and visited some of the Stories Hotels, including Martinis Marchi.
‘Stories is an association of Croatian Unique Hotels, consisting of 16 carefully selected member hotels, each offering its own unique story to travellers seeking a luxury and remarkable escape from the pressures and stresses of everyday life.
Stories represent hotels that offer authentic experiences through unique heritage or concepts, excellent locations, immaculate design, and highly-personalised service. The hotels are located in city palaces, hidden in the rocks above the sea, or hidden in feudal manors' olive groves. Their luxury is woven into their foundations and architecture, and each of them has a unique story to tell’ (Stories).’
Martinis Marchi fits perfectly within this description, and it is no surprise that celebrities are finding their way to Šolta and the hotel.
Eva was picked up from Split in Martini Marchi’s Sunseeker 50 MotorHawk Motor Yacht, which is available for all guests.
She was shown around the Martinis Marina and Hotel, including their conference room, living area, various suites...
And of course, the pool...
After explaining to her the story of Martinis and Šolta and Croatia's history, they got to try some domače (domestic) wine. Lunched was served at the Martinis Marchis Restaurant. Some of their house specialities matched with Dobričić vino - a famous local grape variety of Šolta, which has been harvested for more than 800 years.
Then, to show Šolta in another light, they went 'off-road' in an Iltis Jeep around the island.
The first stop was Tvrdić Honey in Grohote – one of the oldest and largest settlements on the island. Goran and his wife Natasha run the bee farm; bee-keeping has been in their family for three generations, and Goran’s passion and knowledge are infectious. Eva was given a tour of the ‘farm’ and explained the bee-keeping process and just how essential bees are to the world (they only pollinate the majority of the world’s food supply).
Next up was the Buktenica gallery of the famous local artist Eugen Buktenica. Eugen or Đenko is known as a self-taught painter, and his artworks can be found worldwide. Eva delighted in the bright colours and quirky surroundings; she even walked away from the gallery with a piece of his artwork and wine.
No tour is complete without food (and more vino). After honey and art, it was time for dinner at a local Konoba Momčin Dvor. Eva got to try local delicacies like anchovies, goat cheese and kroštule – traditional Croatian sweet, made by frying dough (and a few other secrets). By this stage, everyone had ‘tasted’ a healthy amount of wine, so the team from Martinis and the restaurant, burst into traditional Klapa and began serenading, I mean singing to Eva, which she adored.
As they made their way back to Maslinica and Martinis, Eva tried to cancel her plans in Split as she was having such a wonderful time on Šolta and in the company of the Martinis team – unfortunately, the boat was already waiting for her.
Eva was thrilled with her time in Šolta; as a woman who has stayed in many luxury resorts, she appreciated the history of Croatia, the traditional cuisine, as well as the picturesque, peaceful setting of Martinis Marchi.
Eva could not have had a more perfect and authentic experience in Croatia if she had tried. Apparently, she was an absolute joy to be around – kind, gracious and sincere.
The Stories project, along with Martinis Marchi, is a wonderful promotion of Croatia, taking people off the beaten-path and allowing them to experience the raw beauty, nature, tradition and cuisine of this diverse and stunning country. Eva is also a travel writer, so no doubt her words will spark interest from a larger audience of travellers who want a similar experience.
Author - Tash Peričić