Apartel Skhidnytsya is a 5-star wellness resort in Skhidnytsia featuring 269 rooms of various types and 12 cottages. From the very beginning, the resort was conceived as a year-round destination, so the summer season here boasts extensive amenities and a packed calendar of events.
The Summer Series 2026 kicked off on May 16 with a performance by MONATIK. A series of major concerts and events is scheduled at the resort throughout the summer. One of the highlights will be a performance by Dorofeeva & Positiff, who are reuniting as a duo after a long hiatus. This is a major event for the Ukrainian music scene and a comeback that fans have been waiting for for years. Also on the season’s lineup are Druga Rika, CHEEV, Vitaliy Kozlovskyi, ARKUSH, DZIDZIO, Anna Trincher, Ochi v Ochi, Mila Nitić, YAKTAK, KOLA, and other artists.
One of the main summer venues will be Central Park, a large outdoor space on the grounds of Apartel Skhidnytsya. In winter, it served as an ice rink, and this season it will become an active recreation area with a roller rink, two padel courts, a tennis court, and a multi-purpose field for soccer, basketball, and volleyball.
An outdoor pool with a waterfall has already been prepared for the summer, featuring the renowned Chornomork restaurant, which adds a touch of the Black Sea to the Carpathian getaway. They have also renovated one of Apartel Skhidnytsya’s signature features—the Infinity Pool. This pool offers a panoramic view of the Carpathians, bringing “a piece of the sea to the mountains.”
One of the resort’s strongest offerings is wellness. In 2025, Apartel Skhidnytsya received an award from the World Luxury Hotel Awards. It combines a 2,000 m² spa, a medical Biohacking Center, physical therapy, wellness programs, and personalized bodywork sessions. Guests can come for a few days to unwind or undergo longer restorative treatments to improve sleep, reduce fatigue, and give their bodies time to fully recharge.
This summer, a day camp featuring a program in the format of a large-scale game will be launched for children. Participants will have their own journals, complete challenges, collect badges, and take part in various activities throughout the day. The program will include quests, creative workshops, games with non-toxic paints, water balls, and boats. A special highlight will be evening stargazing through a telescope.
The culinary offerings at Apartel Skhidnytsya complement the resort’s overall experience. There are two restaurants, a lobby bar, and a food court on the premises, and the menu combines European cuisine, local products, and signature dishes so that guests can choose a dining experience that suits their vacation rhythm.
Gastronomic evenings, creative workshops, orchestra performances, and open-air events are also planned for the summer. At Apartel Skhidnytsya, we aim to create a vacation experience where every day has its own atmosphere and a reason to make it brighter and more fulfilling.
“You shouldn’t directly compare the sea and the mountains. These are different vacation scenarios. Our goal is to give guests everything they come for on vacation—and a little more. Pools, sports, a spa, medical rehabilitation, children’s programs, concerts, gastronomy, and service should work together as a single experience. When a person gets all of this in one place, there’s no need to explain why they should come back,” comments Vasyl Krulko, co-owner of the Apartel Resorts hotel chain.
The resort holds the international Green Key eco-certificate, which confirms the resort’s compliance with modern standards of eco-friendly and responsible hospitality. At the same time, Apartel Resorts works with the local community to develop the region as a year-round resort.
Apartel Skhidnytsya Wellness Resort is the kind of destination that is increasingly drawing visitors to Skhidnytsya for a full, enriching vacation—a place to spend time with family, have fun, attend large-scale concerts, and truly recharge.
According to Serbian Economist, Jared Kushner’s company may demand up to EUR50 million in compensation from Serbia for failing to fulfill the terms of the contract regarding the construction of a hotel and residential complex on the site of the former General Staff building in central Belgrade, said Marinka Tepić, vice-chair of the opposition Freedom and Justice Party.
According to her, the contract between the Serbian government and Kushner’s company stipulated obligations on Serbia’s part regarding the preparation of the site for the project, but these were not fulfilled. Tepić claims that because of this, Kushner’s company may seek compensation of EUR50 million.
So far, this is merely a statement by an opposition politician, not a publicly confirmed lawsuit or an official claim by Kushner’s company.
The project involved the site of the former General Staff complex in Belgrade, which was damaged during the NATO bombings in 1999. The complex had long held cultural heritage status, but in 2024, the Serbian government removed its protected status, paving the way for the development project.
According to media reports, the Serbian side agreed to transfer the site to a company linked to Kushner under a long-term 99-year lease. The project called for the construction of a hotel, apartments, and office and commercial spaces in one of Belgrade’s most prominent locations.
The initiative sparked strong opposition from Serbian opposition groups, architects, and activists. For many Belgrade residents, the General Staff building remains not just a ruined structure in the city center, but a symbol of the 1999 NATO bombings and a reminder of Serbia’s modern history. Opponents of the project demanded that the complex retain its memorial and cultural status rather than be turned into commercial real estate.
The situation became more complicated following an investigation into the documents on the basis of which the complex was stripped of its cultural monument status. Serbian prosecutors had previously charged current and former officials in a case involving the possible forgery of documents used to remove the General Staff building’s protected status. Following this, Western media reported that Kushner had abandoned the project amid protests and legal issues surrounding the site.
Jared Kushner is an American entrepreneur, founder of the investment firm Affinity Partners, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, and former senior advisor to the White House during Trump’s first presidential term.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić sharply criticized the project’s collapse and stated that the country had lost a major investment.
According to him, the project involved at least EUR750 million in investments and thousands of jobs. Vučić promised to personally file criminal complaints against those who, in his words, participated in a “campaign” to destroy the project.
For Serbia, a potential claim for compensation marks a new phase in a politically sensitive case. On the one hand, the authorities presented the project as a major investment that could revitalize one of the most prominent locations in central Belgrade. On the other hand, opponents of the project believe that the state should not have transferred a symbolically important site to a private foreign investor for a hotel and commercial development.
The key question now is whether Kushner’s company will file a formal claim against Serbia and on what grounds. No official announcement from Kushner’s company regarding the filing of a lawsuit or a claim for EUR50 million has been published in open sources at this time.
The Optima hotel chain is opening its fourth hotel in Zhytomyr, according to the operator’s press service.
It is specified that the “Zhytomyr by Optima” hotel will begin operations on June 1, 2026. It is located on the fifth through eighth floors of the renovated “Zhytomyr” business center at 6 Pobedy Square. The hotel has 105 rooms.
The four lower floors of the business center are designated for offices, with a total area of 4,000 square meters. In addition to offices ranging from 17 to 36 square meters, the complex includes conference spaces with a total area of over 500 square meters.
The Optima Hotels & Resorts chain comprises more than 60 hotels in Ukraine. Until 2023, the chain operated under the Reikartz Hotels & Resorts brand; since 2020, with the help of Turkish shareholders, it has also opened hotels in Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan. In the summer of 2023, Turkish shareholders acquired the Reikartz brand from the Ukrainian company to develop it in Turkey and Central Asia. In Ukraine, the hotel chain was rebranded in 2023 under the new name Optima Hotels & Resorts.
Optima Hotel Management LLC was established in 2008. According to Opendatabot, the company’s shareholders are Vladimir Kashutin (Lviv, 99.9%) and Andrey Dema (Kyiv, 0.1%). Kashutin is listed as the ultimate beneficiary. However, until 2019, the beneficiaries were listed as Russian citizens Yuri Vasin, Leonid Lavrentiev, and Timur Rodionov.
According to the financial results for 2025, the company’s net loss amounted to 40,097,000 UAH, compared to a net loss of 847,000 UAH in 2024. Meanwhile, revenue grew by 55.45% to 809.36 million UAH.
For most of us, “five stars” is synonymous with perfection. However, in Ukraine, this rating often reflects only the quality of the building, not the quality of the stay itself.
The official hotel classification system in Ukraine still relies on state building codes (GSN). The system thoroughly checks the infrastructure: whether the hotel has an elevator and a restaurant, the size of the reception area, and whether it operates 24/7. However, the standards do not regulate the softness of the mattress, the availability of parking spaces, or the staff’s genuine willingness to help in unusual situations.
At the beginning of 2026, only about 220 establishments out of approximately 3,700 had an official category in Ukraine—less than 10% of the market. Among them, there were only about 40 five-star hotels. And when most of the industry operates outside the formal classification system, the premium segment focuses not on state requirements but on international service standards.
For example, in the U.S., Forbes Travel Guide evaluates hotels based on more than 900 criteria, with service accounting for about 70% of the rating. As a result, the Ukrainian market has begun to develop its own hospitality standards—often significantly exceeding the minimum requirements of government regulations.
To understand what the transformation of modern service standards looks like in practice, we analyzed the experience of the Ukrainian complex Apartel Skhidnytsya, which received the prestigious World Luxury Hotel Awards in the category of Luxury Wellness Resort 2025 in Europe. Using this case study as an example, we can see what guests actually pay for at a modern five-star resort.
One of the main shifts in the approach to leisure is the move from basic infrastructure to what hoteliers call “overservice.” This refers to the level of a boutique hotel, but on the scale of a large resort complex.
“In the premium segment, service has long ceased to be merely a set of amenities. Today, it is first and foremost about comfort that requires no extra effort from the guest—from booking dinner to organizing leisure activities or accommodating individual requests. The less a person has to control or decide on their own, and the more they feel that their needs have been taken care of in advance, the higher the actual level of service,” explains Vasily Krulko, entrepreneur and co-founder of the Apartel Resorts hotel chain.
True service begins even before arrival. If a guest’s child loves to play tennis but the property doesn’t have its own courts, the team won’t just shrug their shoulders—they’ll book a court nearby.
All guest requests are recorded in the CRM system: if you’ve ever asked for an extra pillow or four liters of water a day, they’ll be waiting for you automatically on your next visit. It is precisely these details that make guests want to return, and for resorts, this is a key indicator: if the service is consistently good, people return not because of advertising, but because of their own experience.
A beautiful photo shoot no longer gives a hotel an edge. However, a detailed 3D tour that allows guests to walk around the property and view rooms even during the selection phase can be a deciding factor for a guest.
At a Swedish buffet, you might encounter a robot delivering yogurt between tables—a small but noticeable detail that adds a sense of novelty to a premium vacation.
Gradually, technology will also streamline the check-in process. In the future, traditional check-in at the front desk is expected to be replaced by pre-check-in. The idea is that guests can submit their documents and confirm their details while still en route, thereby reducing formalities upon arrival. After arriving, they’ll simply need to pick up their key, without unnecessary waiting or paperwork.
Domestic tourism has grown significantly following the full-scale invasion. According to a study by the digital agency Inweb, 85% of Ukrainians planned to spend their summer vacation within the country in 2025. The Carpathians became the most popular destination, and 54.3% of respondents planned to travel with children. Therefore, a comfortable family vacation and appropriate infrastructure for children have already become a basic requirement.
In addition, about a third of guests travel with pets. Therefore, a pet-friendly hotel must also have a full range of amenities for pets: beds, bowls, welcome kits, and convenient walking routes.
To ensure the vacation remains comfortable for everyone, the space itself becomes crucial. While DBN standards allow a five-star hotel to have rooms starting at 16 m², the Luxury Wellness Resort 2025 standard requires a minimum of 34 m² of fully functional living space, complete with a dining table and a full-size balcony.
Family travel has also driven demand for scale—the “resort-within-a-resort” format, where guests can spend their entire vacation without leaving the premises.
This is achieved through seasonal spaces that operate in different formats: in winter—an ice rink or event venue; in the warmer months—a lounge area or concert stage. The grounds host tea ceremonies, master classes in floristry and pottery, themed tastings, concerts, and other events.
Having a SPA is no longer a competitive advantage today—even lower-category hotels have them. Therefore, the focus is not on the number of zones, but on the guest experience.
Thus, a parmeister appears in the SPA zone, transforming the sauna into a ritual with gongs, and instead of standard wellness programs, a full-fledged biohacking center operates. This is the first complex in Ukraine to implement such an approach, at a time when the market was barely familiar with the term. It involves restoring physical and mental well-being through a combination of natural factors and preventive medicine.
The contrast with formal requirements is telling, since according to DBN, having a nurse on staff is sufficient to obtain 5-star status. Everything else is a matter of the hotel’s own approach to service.
A high level of service is inextricably linked to safety—and to the guest’s sense of that safety. For example, if a guest doubts the cleanliness of a plate in the restaurant, staff can take it to the dishwashing area and demonstrate the entire dishwashing process, including their plate. Such transparency builds trust, as neglecting hygiene can lead to viral outbreaks—as has already happened at popular resorts.
Even technical details affect comfort. For example, using quiet electric equipment instead of gas-powered lawn mowers so the noise doesn’t wake guests in the morning.
Such details may seem insignificant, but they are precisely what shape the overall sense of relaxation. People come to the mountains for peace and quiet, so even technical solutions on the premises begin to influence the quality of the experience.
And finally, privacy. In the premium segment, this is one of the key principles. The resort team has deliberately refrained from publishing photos and videos from actual events where guests are present. If footage from events does appear on social media, it features only people invited specifically for the shoot. “Today, a real guest’s privacy is valued higher than any reach.”
“In many hotels, quality service has long since gone far beyond the formal five-star standard and actually already corresponds to a six- or even seven-star level. It would be interesting if Ukraine were to become the country that introduces such an additional rating. And if the market offers an opportunity to compete for a hypothetical sixth star, we will definitely be among those ready to prove it,” says Ruslan Kachan, CEO of Apartel Skhidnytsya.
As a result, today’s guest pays not so much for square footage or a formal star rating, but for the feeling of a well-planned vacation. A hotel’s ability to anticipate guests’ needs and create a relaxing experience is increasingly referred to as the “sixth star”—a standard that does not exist in official documents but which guests clearly feel during their stay.
According to Serbian Economist, Iberostar has opened sales for its new Iberostar Selection Montenegro property on the Bar Riviera coast. The promotional offer is tied to the period of stay from May 1 to October 31, 2026, which indicates a launch at the beginning of the summer season.
Iberostar is located on the seafront and has direct access to a private bay/beach; The property is approximately 9 km from the old town of Bar, and the distance to Podgorica and Tivat airports is 45 km and 57 km, respectively. The hotel is located in the coastal area of Ratac, between Bar and Sutomore, and is advertised as “new for 2026.”
The key focus of the project is on leisure and wellness infrastructure. There will be indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a 3,700 sq m spa complex (saunas, hammam, steam room, cold room, massages and treatments), and a gym with sea views. In terms of accommodation, Iberostar is promoting rooms and suites with views of the Adriatic, as well as options with private amenities, such as terraces with jacuzzis and categories with private or swim-up pools.
Dining will include several formats, from the main restaurant to à la carte, cafes, and beach bars. An all-inclusive option and the Star Camp children’s program are also announced.
Iberostar is expanding its presence in the Adriatic through existing hotels in Montenegro, including Iberostar Waves Slavija and Iberostar Waves Bellevue in the Budva area.
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Foreign and local investors have stepped up deals in Thailand’s hotel market, betting on buying properties in prime locations for subsequent renovation, upgrading, and “repositioning” in a more expensive segment, The Nation Thailand reported.
Colliers Thailand estimates that the value of hotel deals in the country could exceed 12 billion baht in 2026, while in 2025, about six hotels with 1,574 rooms were sold for a total of 10.14 billion baht, with the main locations of interest to investors being Bangkok, Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, Krabi, and Chiang Mai.
Colliers also points to the typical “investment profile” of such deals: investors are more likely to choose properties with an expected return of 6% per annum, buildings up to 10-15 years old, and hotels with more than 150 rooms in order to reduce capital expenditures and improve the economics of the project. Against the backdrop of a decline in the average occupancy rate across the country in 2025 to approximately 72%, hoteliers maintained and increased their rates, which supported RevPAR and interest in upgrading product quality.
Separately, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group reported that 2025 was a record year for Thailand’s hotel transaction market, with total deal volume estimated at 26.4 billion baht, and investors increasingly considering reconceptualization projects and mixed formats, including hotels with branded residences.
