The DNA: Belgrade’s Pavilion Hotel and Social Club is more than just a stylish addition to the increasingly impressive hospitality options in Serbia’s capital. It also represents a stand against the less admirable aspects of the city’s recent – and rapid – development. Not only have cookie-cutter concrete blocks colonised the banks of the Sava and Danube rivers but also the demolition of elegant downtown villas is threatening to change the character of some of Belgrade’s oldest neighbourhoods. Ivan Jugovic is determined that this should not happen in Dorćol, a district at the heart of the Old Town. The veteran nightclub operator spotted an opportunity to create a place for rest and play. Pavilion Hotel and Social Club is housed in a building on Dobracina Street that originally served as the residence of architects Danica and Branislav Kojić before becoming the Iranian embassy. Now it has 14 guest rooms as well as a bar, restaurant and courtyard garden. The “cherry on top”, says Jugovic, is the ever-changing selection of contemporary art. The owner is keen to position Pavilion as a social club for locals, as much as accommodation for visitors.

Seen: Monocle

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters 14 rooms (17-30m2) (183-323 sq ft) ❌ no parking available • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk