Montenegro Turns Fort Mamula into a Hotel
Mamula Island by Banyan Tree has opened at the entrance to Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor, placing a 32-room hotel inside a restored 19th-century fortress. The resort is the Banyan Tree brand’s first property in Europe and gives visitors a new base on a small island between the Adriatic Sea and Boka Bay, rather than another hotel along the mainland coast.
Inside the Mamula Island Stay
- Resort: Mamula Island by Banyan Tree
- Location: Mamula Island, near Herceg Novi, Montenegro
- Setting: restored Fort Mamula, built in the 1850s
- Size: 32 rooms and suites
- Access: boat transfer from Tivat, or helicopter arrival
- Starting point: Tivat International Airport
- Rate: Adriatic Balcony Room averages €1,727 per night before taxes and fees
The opening follows a seven-year restoration of Fort Mamula, once a coastal defence fortification. The hotel keeps the stone structure, fortress arch and historic layout visible, while adding 32 sea-facing rooms and suites, outdoor pools, a spa in the old tower, private cinema spaces and restaurants. Interiors use natural stone, aged brass, oak, pottery and joinery, with dining focused on seafood and seasonal Montenegrin produce.
The island location makes the resort useful for more than a quiet stay behind hotel walls. Guests can use it as a base for boat trips around the Bay of Kotor, swims near the Blue Cave on the Luštica Peninsula, and visits to Kotor Old Town, Lovćen, Cetinje, Skadar Lake and the Tara River. These places are easier to combine when transport is organised directly from the island.
Mamula Island adds a very specific type of stay to Montenegro: small, expensive and built around seclusion. It suits guests who want privacy, sea access and time in one place rather than a packed sightseeing schedule. Those planning to move around the coast every day should compare it with hotels in Kotor, Herceg Novi or Tivat and check transfers, taxes and seasonal availability before booking.