The Dalmatian coast is getting a new luxury flag. Accor has signed a franchise deal with investment group Odien to open Croatia's first Sofitel, set for the shore between Split and Trogir.
The deal was signed at Vitturi Castle in Kaštel Lukšić on 10 November 2026, and it's bigger than one hotel. Odien Group plans to put more than €100 million into Kaštela over the next five years through its hotel and real estate arms. The headline project, Sofitel Kaštela, will rise on the site of the former Zeničko holiday resort in Kaštel Stari, with doors expected to open in 2029.
Plans call for 137 rooms and suites, with junior suites and upper-category rooms getting private balconies or terraces facing the sea. Guests will get several restaurants and bars, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, a beach club, and conference and event space — a full resort setup rather than a city hotel. Sofitel CEO Maud Bailly has pitched the property as a blend of the brand's French identity with Adriatic heritage and lifestyle.
That's not the only card Odien is playing. The group bought the Renaissance-era Štafileo Castle in Kaštel Štafilić this year and intends to restore it into a luxury heritage hotel — a smaller, history-focused counterpart to the Sofitel. Odien isn't new to Croatia either: it has operated the Le Méridien Lav Split resort in Podstrana since taking it over in 2015.
Why Kaštela? The seven villages strung along the coast between Split and Trogir have long punched below their weight in the international hotel market, despite a castle-dotted waterfront and an airport practically on their doorstep. Mayor Denis Ivanović has framed the investment as a way to put the city on the map, create jobs, support local businesses and stretch the season beyond peak summer — while cautioning that development should respect the area's identity and involve the community.
For travellers, the practical upshot is simple: from 2029, you'll be able to pair a Split or Trogir trip with a proper five-star base in a quieter corner of Dalmatia, minutes from Split Airport and far from the cruise-crowd crush of the old towns. In the meantime, the heritage hotel at Štafileo Castle will be one to watch as plans take shape.
