Hilton Costabella in Rijeka Charged for Beach Access Violates Croatian Concession Law

Rijeka City Council member Marin Miletić announced that the Hilton Costabella hotel is charging €130 per person for access to the public beach, including a lounge chair and umbrella, a practice he says breaches the 2015 concession agreement that obliges free public entry. He urged State Attorney Ivan Turudić to intervene, warning that the hotel’s actions amount to illegal profiteering.

Infrastructure Minister Oleg Butković responded that a 2023 law now forbids new beach enclosures, but the existing 2015 concession governing the Hilton beach remains valid and cannot be retroactively altered. He emphasized that the concession was granted under the spatial plan at the time and that 15 other Croatian beaches are similarly enclosed under older agreements. The dispute has led Miletić to reinstall a lock on the hotel’s fence and to file criminal complaints against the hotel’s operating company, Costabelle d.o.o., while the minister accused Miletić of political populism.

Both sides cite legal documents: Miletić points to the explicit clause in the 2015 contract guaranteeing free beach access, while the minister references the newer legislation that bars new concessions but does not nullify existing ones. The controversy highlights tensions over public coastal rights, tourism revenue, and the application of updated maritime law in Croatia.