Hilton Costabella beach access dispute sparks political clash in Rijeka

Most parliamentary representative Marin Miletić accused minister Oleg Butković of allowing the Hilton Costabella hotel in Rijeka to block public access to the beach. Miletić said the hotel illegally charges visitors and that the concession granted in 2015 does not permit closing a part of the public maritime domain. He presented video recordings and invoices as evidence and announced he had repeatedly cut the fence locking the beach entrance.

Butković responded that the concession was issued under the 2015 law and that any attempt by the hotel to charge for beach use would breach the contract and could lead to its termination. He warned that the Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure has conducted inspections and that the operator would lose the concession if violations are proven. Miletić also cited a Ministry document from May 2023 stating that a concessionaire cannot prevent non‑hotel guests from accessing the beach, and he urged state authorities to act. The dispute has attracted public attention and prompted the State Attorney’s Office to launch investigations into the hotel's practices.