Hotel Avala in Budva: Pioneer of Tourism and Tourist Architecture on the Montenegrin Coast

Hotel Avala is the first exclusive building in Budva and is considered the driver of a more intensive tourist development on the Budva Riviera and the entire Montenegrin coast, dating back to the first half of the 20th century. The construction of Hotel Avala marks the first spatial intervention and the impetus for the spread of tourist infrastructure and of a new town beyond the historical confines of the Old Town of Budva. Based on archival research—documentation of architectural design—this article presents Hotel Avala, opened in 1939, followed by the construction of villas in the 1960s and a new hotel in 1983. The Hotel Avala complex includes three distinct architectural entities built in accordance with the periods they originated in, characterized by rich and diverse architectural designs. Hotel Avala is an example of valuable architectural heritage from the past century, which should be protected with sustainable development and careful use, without unnecessary interventions that could compromise its originality and uniqueness. The hotel’s sustainable development should be based on preserving its original state while applying contemporary tourist functions and using modern equipment in line with ongoing innovations and changes in the tourism sector.