Spirit of Merit SUMMER 2017
KEMAL SAÄžINDIK:
Merit's Balkan Expedition
Dreamy Beaches of
BUDVA
The Most Beautiful City
SPLIT
The Pearl of Adriatic
DUBROVNIK
6
Spirit of Merit
Spirit of Merit
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CONTENTS
40
MERİT STARS
36
RUSSIAN SHOW
70
MERİT POKER
62
NUH YÖNDEM
52
MERİT SPLIT CASINO OPENS
76
CEVDET SAKAN
Spirit of Merit Publisher
78 KEMAL
SAĞINDIK
106 BUDVA
MERİT INTERNATONAL CASINOS
Chairman ORLANDO CARLO CALUMENO
Publishing Board HANDE TİBUK, ORLANDO CARLO CALUMENO, KEMAL SAĞINDIK, LUBE AYAR
Editor in Chief LUBE AYAR layar@netholding.com
Creative Director ÜLKÜ SAVAŞ usavas@netholding.com
Advertising Coordinator HAKAN YAĞMUR hakan.yagmur@meritcasinos.com
Management Office Net Plaza Cumhuriyet Caddesi No: 13 Şişli / İstanbul Tel: +90 212 289 77 77
84
DUBROVNIK
96 SPLIT
Printing
118
TASTE FEAST
PROMAT BASIM YAYIM San. ve Tic. A.Ş. Orhangazi Mh. 1673. Sokak No: 34 / Esenyurt - İstanbul Tel: +90 212 622 63 63 www.promat.com.tr
The articles and photos in Spirit of Merit Magazine may not be used or quoted without written permission. "Spirit of Merit" is distributed free of charge.
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Esteemed Readers of Spirit of Merit, It is with great pleasure and honor that we present you the first copy of "Spirit of Merit" magazine covering Net Holding owned Merit Casinos in Northern Cyprus and the Balkans. "Spirit of Merit" is the sister magazine of our Group's "Dolce Vita" edition that focusses on Merit Hotels in Northern Cyprus. As Merit International Casinos continue to expand so will the coverage of "Spirit of Merit". For the moment, in this first issue we focussed on Montenegro and Croatia while presenting our Northern Cyprus operations on a selective scale. Merit International started its casino expansion by inaugurating three locations almost at the same time in 2016 spring in Montenegro, namely one in Podgorica and two in Budva. The strong growth momentum continued towards the end of the year when Merit International opened up two more casinos this time in Croatia, namely in Dubrovnik and Split. First year and already five brand new casinos opening, that was a clear sign of what will follow; more and more and more with a clear objective, simply to share the exclusive "Spirit of Merit" throughout the world with our guests.
With our six upscale luxury hotels and five legendary casinos in Northern Cyprus and five more epic new casinos in the Balkans that remind you of James Bond, Game of Thrones and many others, we are here to present you a world class entertainment and leisure at the Merit spirit unique level. Spirit of Merit is simple; you are at its center as our esteemed guest and all else evolves around you, around your "royal" satisfaction. For those that havent tried us out, please do so as this will be a unique one-time experience that will remain simply unforgettable. For those who have tried already, there is not much to say as words fail to capture what they know and lived as the "Spirit of Merit". Once again i hope you will enjoy our first issue with great pleasure and hope me and my team will be able to deliver you more and more and more epic new Merit Hotel & Casino locations around the world that will be covered in our next issues. After Northern Cyprus, the "Spirit of Merit" is now officially in the Balkans...
Orlando Carlo Calumeno Merit International Casinos, CEO Spirit of Merit 13
AGENDA Dubrovnik
LE PETIT THEATRE FESTIVAL This is a fairly small festival but a special and distinctive cultural event. During the event show their from all around the world showcase their talents. Le Petit Theatre du Festival every year opens the curtain and reveals carefully selected works of talented artists whether, poets, actors, and dancers.
SUMMER EVENTS AT DUBROVNIK SURROUNDINGS For many years the City of Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik Tourist Board have been organizing music and entertainment programs on the Ela ti islands, and in Zaton and Orašac in order to present tourists the Mediterranean melody, folklore and folk traditions that have been cherished for ages. Within special programs with traditional folk festivities and holidays guests will be able to enjoy about thirty performances this summer such as: Dalmatian vocal groups concerts, folklore performances, classical music concerts and performances by Croatian music entertainers which will be held on Koločep. Lopud, Šipan, in Zaton and Orašac.
(1 July – 31 August 2017) 14 Spirit of Merit
68TH DUBROVNIK SUMMER FESTIVAL Dubrovnik Summer Festival is undoubtedly the largest and most representative cultural manifestation, not only in Dubrovnik, but in all of Croatia. It has been held since 1950 and takes place every year from 10 July to 25th.
(10 July – 25 August 2017)
SIPAN FILM SUMMER SCHOOL Each summer on the island of Šipan the summer film school and film festival called “Šipan Film Summer School” takes place. The event has an international fameas the participants in the program, and festival guests come from Germany, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. Under the auspices of the City of Dubrovnik. The film festival in Šipanska Luka lasts from August 4th to 14th, and ten selected films will be on big screen. “Šipan Film Summer School” pays attention to the weather changes of a Dalmatian island. In winter the events are held indoors and in the summer months most of the activities are outdoors.
(4 – 14 August 2017) Spirit of Merit 15
AGENDA Split
ULTRA EUROPE
LIVE MUSEUM Live Museum Split presents some of the most interesting scenes from daily life of Roman citizens. More than 50 artists are working to put on an authentic show.Museum, located on 17th century bastion, is surrounded by an amazing garden.This location highlights unique experience even more. Diocletians Legion is alive once again in the ancient Roman times and giving you an unique experience. Check out the authentic Roman army replicas or visit the gladiator school.
(All Summer)
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Ultra Music Festival is the renowned outdoor electronic music festival that started in Miami, United States, back in 1999. The festival was founded by Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes, and it is named after the 1997 Depeche Mode album, Ultra. The Ultra Worldwide music tour includes festivals in South Korea, Africa, Brasil, Japan and Miami. The only ULTRA festival that takes place on European ground, Ultra Europe, is held in Split and on islands of Hvar, Brač and Vis. Everyone who visited last ywear's Ultra Europe knows what it's like: it serves up an unforgettable experience for more than 150,000 Ultranauts who arrive from all over the world to enjoy an incredible all-star lineup and a cohort of the world's most famous DJs. The main stadium event from 14th to 16th July will only be one part of the picture. The best intro for Ultra Europe, opening party awaits in Split on 13th, while Brač, Hvar and Vis will host iconic events on 17th, 18th and 19th July to end the Croatia Music Week. Those in the know already know which parties on the Adriatic coast not to miss, and sun, sea and music will take care of the rest. Because of the natural beauties of Croatia, ULTRA Europe is the first ULTRA that got the prestige title “Europe's Premier Destination Festival”.
(14 – 16 July)
22ST
SPLIT FILM FESTIVAL The International Festival of New Film / Split Film Festival is the oldest international film / media manifestation of the Republic of Croatia. The Festival programme comprises a selection of titles from recent world film production, films screened and awarded on many well-known (Rotterdam, Berlinale, Cannes) and lesserknown festivals around the world. In addition, these are generally all Croatian premieres, which is why the Festival’s programme is hailed as one of the most significant film festivals in Croatia.The International Competitions for Features and Shorts make for the core of the programme. The Festival is well known for its specific style, posters and catalogues, not only across the country, but also worldwide.
BEACH FESTIVAL
(9 – 16 September)
This is sand of the freedom! Split Beach Festival is the newest coolest activity in the city of Split. Taking place on the most famous local beach Bačvice, all attendees will experience a unique combination of EDM and open air beach parties. Bačvice Beach is ideally located within a 10min walk from the city center, port, main bus station and the majority of accommodation. The capacity of the beach is for over 10.000 people. Its shoreline gradually declines into the sea providing a unique submerged dance floor.
(4 – 6 August) Spirit of Merit 17
AGENDA Montenegro
BUDVA THEATRE CITY This is how Budva became “Grad Teatar” (The Theatre City) an embodimentof the Shakespearean saying “The world’s a stage”. Held every July and August, since 1987, this social event has been showcasing the Mediterannean spirit of the Old Town and each of its squares and corners. Over time, it has become one of the most important tourist attractions of Budva. In true festive spirit, more than 15.000 visitors join the event each year. It is equally as important to both Budva residents and the visiting public for celebrating its cultural vibrancy. One of the many highlights of the festival is a literary event Trg Pjesnika (The Poet’s Square) - festivous encounter of poets and readers - as well as showcasing regional artists' work at the Santa Maria Gallery.
(July - August)
KOTOR INTERNATIONAL FASHION WEEK Every July, some of the most prominent names from the fashion industry get together in Kotor, and exhibit their lastest creations in front of Sveti Tripun Cathedral. Fashion festival lasts for several days and it gathers fashion designers from Montenegro, from the surrounding locations and from abroad. The most frequent participants are distinguished Italian designers and their newest creations. Fashion introspection in Kotor lasts already for several years, and so far, among others Dolce Gabanna, Pal Zileri, Prada, Armani, Ferre, Versace have presented themselves. Beside the admirers o modern fashion trends and nice dressing, on those days Kotor is a meeting point of businessman, actors, owners of fashion studios, and other persons from the world of jet-set.
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AGENDA Montenegro
EXIT FESTIVAL In the honour of the 50th anniversary of the famous Summer of Love in 1967, which changed the world and started the music festivals as we know them today, this year’s EXIT Festival will last longer than usual; for five days and nights. Thanks to the special No Sleep line-up on Wednesday, July 5, the legendary EXIT Festival’s Dance Arena stage will take its audience through five consecutive nights and the same number of world famous sunrises in the spectacular setting of Petrovaradin Fortress. In the honor of another jubilee, the 15 years of Dance Arena, the new documentary film about its global phenomenon is now available worldwide. Take a peak behind the stage, get in the backstage action and find out how long do the preparations last for this extremely complex production in the gigantic trenches of the largest European fort of its kind. It was filmed in 2016, and you can hear some of the most popular DJs talk about stage fright when they enter the Arena. Film includes some of the biggest world stars sharing their experiences at EXIT such as Carl Cox, Maceo Plex, Nina Kraviz, Skrillex, Solomun, Dubfire, Jackmaster and many others.
(5 - 9 July)
GUITAR ART SUMMER FEST This wel-known international festival of classic guitar music was first held over 15 years ago. The tradition lives on - this year it will be held in the old town - on the Kanli Kula Stage. Magical guitar sounds in Herceg Novi during the festival heard under the clear, starred sky, tucked squares in the old town and the Kanli tower’s prettiest summer, open-air stage on the Adriatic.
(15 - 20 August)
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TREND
SNEAKER PASSION
Sneakers trend is on the rise for men's fashion and it is having its golden moment right now. We gathered a few luxury models that inspired the fashion world's well-known brands. Here is the best designs of the season for those who wants comfortable but stylish footwear at the same time...
Dolce & Gabbana
$ 1,195
Fendi
$ 750 Rick Owens
$ 690
Valentino
$ 875
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Golden Goose
Balenciaga
$ 445
$ 695
Saint Laurent
$ 575
Valentino
$ 775
Gucci
Buscemi
$ 755
$ 890
Dolce & Gabbana
$ 645
Tod's
$ 825
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TREND
NEXT SUMMER
Louis Vuitton
World famous fashion designers showcased their 2018 Spring-Summer collection in Paris between the 21-25 June following their shows in London and Milan. Here are the latest trends and designs that will shape men's fashion for next summer. Balmain Balmain collection designed by Olivier Rousteng was glorious as ever. The details and the sharp cuts of the collection was the main sticking point. Striped leather designs were one of the focal points of the show just like the military style outfits.
Valentino
Balmain
At Valentino the show leaded by Pier Paolo Piccioli got the attentions with half casual half smart maccosin shoes. And it wasn't only the suits on the showcase. Block colours, folk and tribal embroideries and wide cut trousers were striking
Balenciaga There was a heavy reflection of Demma Gvsalia's eclectic style with Balenciaga's latest show. Wide cut clothes with haute couture references and feminen details were everywhere. 24 Spirit of Merit
Louis Vuitton Kim Jones and Louis Vuitton weren't shy about using the bright colours inspired by the tropical islands. Different types of fabric, diver pattern, oversized and comfortable cuts, loud colours, Hawaiian prints and colour clashes were the standout trends of the show.
Paul Smith Paul Smith's ocean-themed collection had dark coloured exotic flower printed cargo trousers matching with emerald green blazers, fuchsia trousers pairing up with acid green jackets. The suits were mainly in red, sax blue and cinnamon colour.
Louis Vuitton
Valentino
Balmain
Paul Smith Balenciaga Balmain
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CAR
"ONE-MILLIONTH" 911
It is the archetypal sports car for everyday driving, and a style icon that is unmistakable as both the face and heart of the Porsche brand: the 911. The onemillionth model rolled off the production line in May.
It’s a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S, painted in Irish Green and designed to mirror some details from the very first 911 from 1963. And when it rolled off the assembly line in Zuffenhausen , it became the one-millionth Porsche 911. Its shape hasn’t changed much, either. Although it has gradually grown bigger, the current model is instantly recognisable as a 911: short nose, two round headlights, steep windshield, bulbous rear end. With its Fuchs style wheels it is a tribute to Porsche’s 911 model in the Porsche museum. 26 Spirit of Merit
Quality for 54 years One million of 911s have been built over the past 54 years. Porsche must be a very proud of these cars knowing that 700.000 of them are still on the roads. One significant factor in this success is the production site at the headquarters in Zuffenhausen, where all 911s are manufactured and the way the company’s continuos efforts to enhance the technology, refining and perfecting the sports car.
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PLACE
Byblos
A Lebanese Tail in Montenegro
You think you know Lebanese food but we want to show you the surface is yet to be scratched and there is so much more to offer with our restaurant located in Porto Montenegro and Podgorica.
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A brand new, deliciously authentic Lebanese cuisine, Byblos restaurant with a modern twist comes to Podgorica after Porto Montenegro. Byblos restaurant and shisha lounge creates a genuine Lebanese atmosphere with the vision of Romy Hawatt International investor originally from Lebanon. Montenegro has no culinary limitations but it has never seen a Lebanese restaurant like Byblos. Since the very first day the restaurant opened its doors, it immediately enticed fans with mouthwatering foods, drinks and sweets.
Good food starts here The menu is featuring Lebanese dishes containing organic,unprocessed ingredients like fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, olive and sesame oils (tahini). Locally sourced meats, seafood and fresh yoghurt will set an impression of impeccable taste and flair from the first bite. The ingredients used in the dishes naturally contain high levels of essential nutrients, vitamins and proteins and essential fatty acids. It is then cooked with a range of special Middle Eastern herbs and spices including coriander, parsley, oregano, garlic, fresh & dried mint, cumin, nutmeg and cinnamon just to name a few. Oriental vegetable dishes are steadily growing into a vegan and vegetarian-friendly empire here. But do not worry if you love meat or seafood, there is always exotic dishes from grills to slow cooked and oven-baked delights.Byblos Lebanese Restaurant is the perfect place where classic Lebanese flavours presented in a fresh, exciting way. Spirit of Merit 29
EVENT
Severina
Severina
MERiT BRINGS JOY TO BALKANS
Merit International Casinos have opened their doors in Balkans only a year ago. But apart from just running a successful business, Merit International Casinos make an indelible impression for the events arranged on the premises. On opening galas and special occasions, Merit Casinos swarm with people who comes to watch the special shows of Turkish and Balkan stars. 30 Spirit of Merit
Serdar Ortaç
Candan Erçetin
Natasa Bekvalac
Marina Tadic
Nükhet Duru
Soner Olgun
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Cavalli Show! Ă–zge Ulusoy
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One of the highlights of the year was the fashion show by renowned designer Roberto Cavalli put on stage for Merit International in Budva,2016 summer. The catwalk was the talk of the town for a long time. A lot of celebrities from all over the world, flocked to Budva Merit International to watch the fashion show led by top mode Ozge Ulusoy.
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MUSIC
Leningrad Band
RUSSIAN FESTIVAL
IN NORTHERN CYPRUS
Despite all the restrictions and the pressure Northern Cyprus lives under, Merit Hotels still brings the world wide famous stars to the island. Recently Merit Hotels hosted one of the biggest music festivals of the spring. Famous Russian stars Timati, Leningad and Serebro took to the stage in Merit Royal & Premium Hotel in Kyrenia. All the musicians gave an unforgettable performance to thousands of their fans. 36 Spirit of Merit
“Leningrad” Storm! World wide famous rock group Leningrad Band gave an amazing performance to 2.000 fans on the night of May 7th. Leningrad said they were so happy being in Northern Cyprus and added “ To feel the unlimited energy even more, let’s all sing along” and fired up the night.
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“Serebro” Fire On the night of May 6th Russian band Serebro took the stage in Merit Royal & Premium Hotel. Formed by Olga Seryabkina, Kate Kishuk and Polina Favorskaya in 2006, Serebro gave a music feast to 1000 people with lights and sound system specially prepared for the night.
“Timati” Agitated Cyprus! Russian carnival came to an end with a concert of Timati on the night of May 8th. The rapper who was on the top of music lists for a long time with his song “Welcome to St Tropez” was on the stage for two hours. More than 2000 people attended the night. After the fast paced show, the night continued with fireworks blowing everybody’s minds off.
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MUSIC
Ajda Pekkan
The meeting point for stars:
MERiT STAGE
The biggest tourism investor of Northern Cyprus Merit Hotels keeps on giving the stage to the biggest stars of Turkey for years and years. Outstanding divas of Turkish music such as Ajda Pekkan, Ebru Gündeş, Sibel Can, Emel Sayın, Gülben Ergen and Ayşegül Aldinç are shining even more on Merit Hotel's stage during special occasions, festive and holiday seasons.
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Ebru Gündeş
Sibel Can
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Gülben Ergen
Emel Sayın
Ayşegül Aldinç
Ziynet Sali
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NEWS
Davor Suker
Frano Matusic
MERiT CASINO
LIBERTAS
OPENS 44 Spirit of Merit
Orlando Carlo Calumeno
Merit International's fourth casino in the Balkans, Merit Casino Libertas, opened with a colourful and splendid ceremony. Nina Badric took the stage at the opening party where State Secretary of the Croatian Ministry of Tourism Frano Matusic and Croatian Football Federation President Davor Suker inaugurated the premises.
Burhan Genç
Davor Suker Erkan Kaya
Kemal Sağındık
Nejat Canıtez Orlando Carlo Calumeno
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Nina Badric
Dubrovnik also known as "The pearl of the Adriatic� now has its own Merit Casino Libertas opened in the distinguished five-star Hotel Rixos Libertas. Merit Casino Libertas welcomed its guests with an amazing opening ceremony on the evening of March 31st. At the opening night of Libertas, Orlando Carlo Calumeno, CEO of Merit International Casinos, Frano Matusic, State Secretary of Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Davor Suker, President of the Croatian Football Federation, cut the ribbon together. Libertas, the fourth casino of Merit International in the Balkans, hosted a number of VIP names on the night and the famous Croatian star Nina Badric gave an unforgettable music experience to the guests.
The one and only casino in the city Located 18 kms from the airport, Hotel Rixos Libertas is the centre of attraction with 254 rooms and suites, a wonderful SPA and a multitude of therapeutic areas. It is only a 15-minute walk from the city centre which is in Unesco's "World Heritage List". Merit Libertas, the one and only casino in the city, has 88 gaming machines and 14 live gaming tables. In the casino, Blackjack, Lucky Pair, Roulette, Russian Poker, Novo Poker, Major Poker, Trio Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold'em Poker, Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker and Baccarat are offered as live games. To win prizes in the Merit Millions Jackpot, you only be have to playing at the slot machines where all of them are connected in the spacious atmosphere of the Casino. The restaurant offers Turkish and Balkan cuisine, as well as the open buffet and a la carte menu is prepared carefully from any world cuisine you want between the hours of 19:30 - 23:00. The "Casino Bar" offers the precious guests a choice of exclusive Cognac, malt whiskey, wine and cigar.
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NEWS
WORLD’S BIGGEST
BACKGAMMON
TOURNAMENT IN
NORTHERN CYPRUS The 4th Merit Backgammon Championship Tournament took place with 477 professional players joining from 41 countries. US citizen Ron Rubin won the cut-throat competition. Merit Park Casino directors have already completed the preparations for upcoming tournaments, first in November in Northern Cyprus and second another in Dubrovnik in December.
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Gürdal Büyükgüngör
“4th Merit Open International Modern Backgammon Championship” brought most famous backgammon players of the world together. 477 professional backgammon players from 41 countries, including USA, Brazil and Japan, participated in the tournament that was regulated with contribution of World Backgammon Federation. Japanese Masayuki Mochizuki, seen as “Number 1 backgammon player” of the world, participated in the tournament and fight off in 9 different categories. German Thomas Kazemiah was beaten by American Ron Rubin in the final game of tournament, that had a prize of 300 thousand of euros as total, won championship and prize of 61.500 euros. Second winner Thomas Kazemiah won 32 thousands of euros prize. In the master category of organization known as “biggest tournament of the world” had 380 competitors. Merit Park Casino Manager Gürdal Büyükgüngör stated that number of participant of this tournament is more than the participants of Monte Carlo World Championship. Büyükgüngör said that he really enjoys of being host of tournament and “We have welcomed world-renowned players as we have been in the past years. Our tour with the support of the World Backgammon Federation took its place among the world’s few tournaments. Northern Cyprus became ‘paradise island’ of backgammon. We are very happy that we have brought such an organization to Northern Cyprus”
Dices remains under water A part of tournament was conducted as the first time in the world. Competitors were playing with each other in the first stage in prized tournament. “Wetgammon” was the name of event with 16 players. Contest took attention a lot for specially designed backgammon table and diving equipments around the team. Winner of the contest regulated under water was Vadim Nuniyants from USA. Spirit of Merit 49
Ron Rubin
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Dolce Vita by Merit
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5th “Merit Open” Excitement Merit Park Casino Manager Gurdal Buyukgungor talked about upcoming tournaments. Mr Gurdal said, “Merit Open always kicks off in the beginning of November. This is the fifth year of the tournament and it will be held between 1-5 November. Merit Park Casino and Worldwide Backgammon Federation works in collaboration. 600 players from more than 45 countries are expected to participate. All the joining fee to enter the competition goes to the prize pool. On top of it, Merit Hotel contributes 4000 Euros more to the prize pool.” Dubrovnik Grand Prix kicks off December 6th Mr Buyukgungor also said, ”The second edition of “Merit Open Dubrovnik Grand Prix” will take place between 6-10 December 2017. I can assure you that the attendance and the interest to the event organised by Merit and WBF will be high once again. 100 percent of the joining fee here also will be added to the prize pool. Merit Hotel this time contributes 25.000 Euros award into the pool. This is a handsome amount of contribution to the prize and it will make it a meeting point for all the backgammon lovers.”
Gürdal Büyükgüngör
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NEWS
SPLIT OUR NEW ADDRESS
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Merit International's fifth casino in the Balkans, Merit Casino Grand Lav at Split, officially opened with a mind blowing ceremony. The famous Croatian singer Severina and Turkish oriental Didem took the stage for the special night.
NEWS
Kemal Sağındık
Orlando Carlo Calumeno Severina
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Cevdet Sakan
D. Murat Ergin
Orlando Carlo Calumeno
Erkan Kaya
Zana Rapaic Milan Rapaic
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Kemal Sağındık
Burhan Genç
Merit Casino Grand Lav officially opened its doors on May 26th of with a mind-blowing launch party in Le Méridien Grand Lav Hotel in Croatia's favourite holiday city Split. At the gala, Merit International Casinos CEO Orlando Carlo Calumeno and Merit Internatiol Casinos COO Kemal Sağındık and famous Croatian star Severina cut the ribbon together. All the prominent figures of the city came together for this special night. Famous and popular Croatian singer took the stage and gave the guests an unforgettable night to the guests. Famous Turkish belly dancer Didem also gave a breathtaking performance to the audience.
“Merit” uniqueness at its finest Split is located at the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, the second biggest city in Crotia after Zagreb and its roots goes back to ancient Roman Empire. The sun hits the city on average of 2.800 hours creating the ideal climate for the locals and the visitors. Hence without a doubt it deserves the nickname “The Mediterranean Flower” and also known as the most beautiful city in the world. The Merit Casino Grand Lav, located at the five-star Le Méridien Grand Lav Hotel on Split's coast, offers a firstclass service in the city deserves. The Merit Casino Grand Lav offers many different entertainment choices , such as live game tables and slot machines, as well as a VIP section, restaurant and bar, with smoking and non-smoking areas. Merit's professional staff offers not only a gaming experience but also an excellent gastronomic experience with a pleasant atmosphere. Merit Casino Grand Lav has 95 gaming machines, hosts live music events and surprise parties.
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PORTRE PORTRAIT
Zana Rapaic
Milan Rapaic
Mert Çalışkan
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Burhan Genç
Savaş Mayacı
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NEWS
WOULD YOU LIKE ANYTHING ELSE? Merit International Casinos is marking the beginning of a new era with its "Merit Hospitality Program" for its guests. Thanks to this exclusive program, all "Merit Player Card" holders will now have discounts valid on many activities from car and yacht rental to dining at the most prestigious restaurants during their trip. This first class program is specially designed to cater all of your needs and desires in the Balkans. 58 Spirit of Merit
Merit International Casinos with its 32 years of experience and service in the business makes a difference once again. With Merit Hospitality Program everything is tailor made for the guests’ satisfaction. The "Merit Hospitality Program" was designed by Merit Casino Avala’s accomplished manager Orduhan Harman and by the PR team in Budva to meet all the requirements and expectations of the casino guests. The program allows "Merit Player Card" holders to get the best deals in the easiest way possible to be used in the restaurants, for car rentals, yacht tours and gives access to a lot of other complimentary service.

"For now" at 170 points The "Merit Hospitality Program" currently valid at 170 points in Montenegro and Dubrovnik to begin with. Merit Player Card holders can receive discounts from 5 to 20 percent at these premises. The program will be valid in every country where Merit International Casinos have investments. It aims to create a large community in Europe called "Merit Hospitality". The Merit Player Card holders will be able to receive discounted services from the contracted
institutions in which ever country they wish to visit. All left to the cardholder is to sit back and enjoy all the advantages of the scheme.
How will you benefit from all the exclusive services with Merit Hospitality Program? All you have to do to start enjoying this unique program is to visit any of the Merit International casinos and register at no cost... You will then have both a "Merit Player Card" and a list of companies participating in the program. You can also find this information on our website at www.merithospitality.net very soon. You will then be able to learn all about the nuances and the benefits of the program and follow the European program of Merit International.
Merit Hospitality stickers Merit Player Card holders will be able to identify the places where you can get exclusive deals when they see the stickers. You will see the stickers at the door of all the participating businesses. Many companies in the Balkans compete to be part of this program. As a result it has also been offered a bank deal. If the deal goes through, the program will also offer its own special credit card along with all the other advantages.
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MEGA JACKPOT is a privilege of the Players Club Card. Known all over the world and widely used in Las Vegas, Progressive Jackpot System is in Merit Casinos... Wide Area Progressive Jackpot System, required for its implementation in a casino chain, has been introduced to Merit Casinos, the leading casino chain of Northern Cyprus in 2012, as a result of 1 year of infrastructure works and nearly $ 2,000,000 of investments. With the lastest technology machines of Merit Casinos, Progressive Jackpot System is available on 4,000 slot machines, connected to each other online. Depending on the Casino’s selection of the “lucky machine”, accumulated bonuses are delivered to the winners. With Merit Casino Progressive Jackpot System, millions of bonuses have been distributed in Merit Casinos until today, and it continues to award every day. There are 5 Jackpot in the Progressive Jackpot System. These are Mega Jackpot, Super Jackpot, Gold Jackpot, Silver Jackpot and Minor Jackpot. To win all these Jackpots you simply must be the owner of the Players Club Card, and insert your Players Club Card into the machine while playing.
60 Merit 60 Spirit DolceofVita by Merit
hüm işe
hümeyra yeni işe başlamış
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INTERVIEW
NUH YÖNDEM:
WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE PLAYERS SIDE 62 Spirit of Merit
Back in the old days, as the husbands played at the live table games, wives would kill some time at the slot machines. Slot machines had very little fun to offer. But recently tables have turned - literally and slot machines became one of the main attractions in the casinos. They are now as important as the table games if not more. They offer very different kinds of games, bonuses and unlimited fun. And of course with all these extra features, they are now in high demand. So we met up with the Slot Director of Merit Casinos Nuh Yöndem to talk about the magical world of these colourful machines. Can you tell tell us about your work place, Merit Hotel Casinos please? We’re managing 5 casinos in Northern Cyprus. Merit Hotels are casino hotels. We offer high tech gaming with an amazing lodging options. Since the casino and hotel are located on the same premises, all the gambling necessities can be provided in one location. I’ve visited most of casinos in Europe, I have come to understand, as a pleasant surprise, that we have the best and most luxuries casinos in the continent. And can you tell us about the slot machines in Merit Hotel Casinos? There are 1927 machines in our casinos, North Cyprus. All very well-known brand such as EGT, Interblock, IGT, Bally, Aristocrat, Novomatic, WMS and etc… We’re always on top of our game so we install the newest,most popular machines as soon as they are released in our region. Recently, EGT Collection Series and Bally - Duo Fu Duo Cai are the most popular games at our casinos. There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing a slot machine to install in your casino?How do you make such a decision? We always keep an eye on the world of gaming. We have one cardinal rule when we choose to install a slot machine in our
premises. We want to give the highest percentage we can to the players and to keep the players inside the casino for the longest time. That’s our main purpose in life. We also study and follow which games and machines are popular in all over the world. And it is not just enough to get the newest machines into the building. Let me explain what I mean… All of our machines have link progressive systems. All our machines have Local Area Progressives. Also Wide Area Progressive called “Mega Jackpot” which can connect to all machines at 5 casinos in Northern Cyprus. And all these link progressive add 2.5 more to percentage! People always believe the that the house wins especially with the slot machines. Why would they play at the slot machines? Our machines work between the rate of %95-98. That’s the main game and progressives together of course. It might be hard to believe that but we’re always on the players side. A player gaming in our casinos does not go and play at another casinos.This claim is very easy to prove.The number of our players are increasing every year. There isn’t one single wyear that the number of players decreased compare to the previous year. It is like a snowball and we are very proud of it.
Saying you’re on the players’ side is a big claim. Can you explain it? Our machines have biggest Total Bet rate in Northern Cyprus. For this reason we’re satisfied with our House Edge, which is between %2-%5. It gave away 14 Million Turkish Liras at Local Area Progressive for the last 5 years. Mega Jackpot, Wide Area Progressive paid out 15 Million for the last 5 years. The highest amount ever won was 1.413.000.000 Turkish Lira, approx 400.000 Euro back in 2015 by a Northern Cyprus citizen. Stand tight now! Our players won 97 Million Turkish Lira Promo points during the last five years…That is approximately 28 Million Euros..! Do you think your punters feel the same way about the gaming in Merit Hotel Casinos? Absolutely. One of our customer said last night “ Merit Casinos machines give away so many bonuses that it is impossible to play anywhere else...” That explains our purpose so well and I think we have already done it. Those are impressive numbers and amazing happy customers. Any other advantages you can tell us about? We have a promotion system we’re very proud of. It is called “Promo Ticket”. Players are collecting points as they play… Spirit of Merit 63
They can convert their points to Promo. Promo means, free play! Players can play for free with their points and they can turn it into cash at the end of the game. Merit International as the name suggests is an international company. Can you update us about the slot casinos abroad? Sure. We also have casinos in Europe, Balkans.There are three casinos in Montenegro and two more in Croatia. We installed newest and most popular machines at these casinos, We have 82 machines in Merit Splendid Budva and another 70 machines in Merit Avala Budva, also 54 machines in Casino Montenegro, Podgorica. That’s is an impressive total 206 machines installed in Montenegro. Furthermore, we have 88 Machines at Rixos, Dubrovnik, plus 95 machines at Casino Lav, Split. That’s a total 183 machines installed in Croatia. That is hundreds and hundreds of machines. Is there anything special about them? 64 Spirit of Merit
We use the best brands, latest technology and a very unique reward system. Most popular machine brands are Novomatic, EGT, Interblock, Bally, IGT, WMS, Gold Club, Merkur. Expecially IGT. 3D machines are also so popular at this region. We have a lot of experience in this area and we are very pleased to be able to provide the players with the latest technology and best of the best. Due to our first year at Montenegro and Croatia, we’re giving away more bonuses called “Welcome Bonus”, “First Entry Bonus” and “Pirate Chest Bonus. Also Local Area Progressive Link Jackpot Systems and Wide Area Link Jackpot Systems giving thousands of euros every day to lucky players. It’s enough just to play at one machine to win all these jackpots. Also we use a Montenegro Wide Area Jackpot System called “Mega Jackpot”. This jackpot system is hand out more than 200.000 Euro every year to our players. Croatia Wide Area Jackpot System named “Mega Millions” is also distributing more than an impressive amount of 1 Million HRK.
Bonuses sound amazing. And we know you also have a reward card scheme. Can you tell us about it? We have another reward system at our casinos; Players Cards Club Players can get four different level cards starting from Sapphire,Silver ,Gold and going up to Platinum. When players first become a member at our casinos, we give them Sapphire cards. They collect points as they play. They can upgrade their cards to Silver,Gold and Platinum depending on how much and often they play. This collection points have a lot of benefits at our casinos. They can play free with points...They can get amazing gifts with points…The higher level their card, more points they get when they play every year. Thank you so much for letting us into the world of colourful slot machines. No thank you. We are looking forward to welcoming and meeting all of you in our casinos. Come in anytime you like and have a great time on the machines you enjoy the most.
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NEWS
Erkan Kaya
Nejat Canıtez
BEST QUALITY
TOURISM INVESTOR
The 8th of “Quality Awards” held by “Quality Magazine” took place in Portaxe in Baltalimani. On this special night, Merit International was awarded the “Best Quality Tourism Investor of Turkey”.
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Orlando Carlo Calumeno
D. Murat Ergin
The important names of art, media and business world were present at night. Total of 26 awards in three different categories were given to their owners. The night started at the red carpet, continued with special lightning shows and the award ceremony hosted by Vatan Sasmaz started. Quality Magazine’s Editor in Chief gave a speech on the night and thanked all the guests for coming. Then one by one, all the awards were given to the winners. Merit Royal International was awarded “Best Quality Tourism Investor of Turkey” award and it was handed to our CEO Orlando Carlo Calumeno by famous actress Oya Basar. At the end of the award ceremony, a cake was cut and served to celebrate the eighth year of Quality Magazine. As well as all the other entertainments, Orhan Gencebay, Zara, Derya Ulug, Izzet Yildizhan and Serkan Kaya took the stage, giving the guests amazing memories.
D. Murat Ergin
Elizabet Uğurlu
Orlando Carlo Calumeno
Erkan Kaya
Nejat Canıtez
Semiray Özer Hande Tibuk
Uğurkan Erez
Orhan Gencebay Orlando Carlo Calumeno Sevim Emre
Hande Tibuk
Ivana Sert
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Özge Ulusoy
Derya Uluğ
Orlando Carlo Calumeno
Cansu Taşkın
Soner Olgun Pınar Aylin
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Özlem Olgun
Meryem Uzerli
Kendi Ece GĂźrsel
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NEWS
MERiT POKER FESTIVAL at Montenegro
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“The EurAsian Poker Tour” organised by “Merit International Poker” in collaboration with “Party Poker” and “Poker Club Management” drew more than 500 players from 43 countries. Players from around the world competed for a total of € 1.000.000 in prize money... Spirit of Merit 71
Merit International Poker already welcomed summer with “EAPT Poker Tour” arranged in partnership with Party Poker between 16-25 June 2017 in Casino Royal Splendid, Montenegro. The tournament literally turned into an international festival with more than 500 players from 43 countries joining the competition. Merit International also arranged different types of entertainment packages for its guests. The parties kicked off with the welcome party in Casino Royal Splendid’s terrace and carried on with beach parties. Merit Yacht Party, city tour and Kotor Trip.
Aleksei Zlobin put on a show All 20 tournaments were aired live on Youtube and the total prize given to the players reached to € 1.000.000. Party Poker Main Event had a buy in for € 1000 and saw 444 acts in total. But in the end, Russian player Aleksei Zlobin won the prestigious tournament taking home € 91.155. Ukrainian Maksym Bidiuk became the second winning € 41.400 and Romanian Vasile Valentin Anghel became the third winning € 41.400. A total of 62 players managed to make it to the prize pool. High Roller Tournament had a buy in for € 2300 and saw a total of 80 acts. Lithuanian Arunas Sapitavicius won this completion taking home € 48.335, followed by Israeli Semen Kravets who won € 33.520 and Russian Anton Petrov came in third bagging € 23.700. A total of 11 players managed to enter the prize pool.
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INTERVIEW
CEVDET SAKAN:
POKER STARTS FROM SCRATCH WITH EVERY NEW HAND
The best movie about poker, without a doubt, is “Rounders”. The message of the movie is loud and clear “You need more than luck when playing poker!” The way Teddy, played by John Malkovich, throws the chips is enough to make you interested in playing poker. If you want to get involved a bit more rather than watching movies about it, if you are looking for answers to questions like “What’s poker?” and “Who plays poker?” we can provide you all the answers you need at Merit Poker. But before that let’s have a listen to Merit Casino Grand Lav General Manager and Merit International Poker’s Europe Director Cevdet Sakan. He is the man behind all the Merit Poker tournaments since 2007. We had a great chat all about poker during the Merit Poker tournament in Montenegro. 76 Spirit of Merit
You’ve been working for Merit for 23 years. Can you tell us how it has been? I started working with Merit when I was in my 20’s and it is a huge chunk of my life. Over 20 years, I made a lot of friends and am very honoured to work with my colleagues and managers. Now I feel very privileged and proud to take part in our company’s overseas operation. When did the “Merit Poker” journey begin? Back in September 2007 we started to work on the infrastructures of Merit Poker together with Mr Mehmet Tibukoglu and in 2008 we had a dream of doing our own project. Of course we had difficulties in the beginning like every new project, teething problems. But because we were so devoted to the project, we succeeded it in the end. Merit Poker has become a long way. Now it is an important brand, huge success and I am so proud of it. It was only an idea on the paper in the beginning now it has thousands of followers. How did it come to this point? In September 2007, when we decided to do the project, we had a 4 months training session. On one hand we trained staff for the tournament, on the other hand we worked on the tournament’s infrastructure. Also to be able to make these tournaments an international success, we worked on the marketing side very hard.
What is your peak point on this project? In 2010, the first tournament we did in collaboration with an renowned poker brand WPT, was a milestone for me. The road to success was not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, with Mr Aydogan Turay and Mr Mehmet Tibukoglu, we achieved our goal. When many world-wide famous professional poker players joined our tournaments, it was another break-through and made me feel great. So how do you prepare for a poker tournament? How does it work? Tournaments are organized in three stages. The most important part is getting ready before the tour-nament. We begin by identifying the annual tournament dates, then we arrange the accommodation for our guests. The next step is planning the staff who will work with us during the tournament. Then marketing team works on promotion for the event and we work on reservations and transfers of our guests. We think about each guest individually and plan everything very carefully from the airport transfers to their accommodation. Everything is tailor-made for our own each guest. And once the tournament is over,the check-out and transfer process starts. What is so special about poker? How would you describe it? Poker is a living game. With every
new hand, it starts from scratch. You try to analyze the moves of your rival all the time which requires a constant hard focus and high concentration. Let’s talk about the latest tournament at the Merit Royal Casino Splendid in Budva... How did it go, what are the highlights? It was a huge success once again. Very successful organization which drew more than 500 guests from 43 different countries. I would like congratulate our entire team for their hard work. How do you see Merit International’s “Balkan operation” and its future? I am pretty confident that Merit brand in Balkans, Europe will go much further and higher in the future. I believe with all my heart that our experienced and amazing team members will achieve great success. Merit Casino in Split launched on December 16th and officially opened on May 26th. As the General Manager of Merit Casino Grand Lav, how do you feel about the city you now work and live in? Split is one of the major tourism centers in Croatia... The casino operates under the roof of Le Meridien Lav Hotel. It has become quite popular in the region in such a short time with Merit’s high quality service. With my teammates, we are looking forward to next step on the business and to welcome more guests in our home.
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INTERVIEW
Kemal SaĞındık: Kemal Sağındık
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MERÄ°T INTERNATIONAL'S
BALKAN EXPEDITION
Merit International already succeeded transforming Northern Cyprus into a casino hub and recently it has moved to the Balkans with new projects in Montenegro and Croatia. Also there is a new edition to this huge family, Merit flag will be flapping in Bulgaria before the end of 2017. Others to follow soon...
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Northern Cyprus has become the third largest casino hub in the world after Las Vegas and Macao in the past 15 years. Merit International is the most important architect of this fast-paced growth. It has now its eyes set up in Europe. We asked about the latest developments to Merit International’s accomplished COO (Chief Operating Officer) Kemal Sağındık who has rightfully created a huge name for himself with all the casinos he has successfully launched in Balkans. Kemal Sağındık himself has also got an equally impressive personal success story. He started working for Merit Group as a university student over thirty years ago. In the last decades his career improved simultaneously with the company. Here he tells us the story of Merit Group in Balkan’s as well as his very own. You have spent your entire career and your life working under Merit logo. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how it all started? I was born in Adana, 1969. Upon graduating from Darussafaka High School, I started to work as a dealer in Etap Marmara casinos run by Net Holding back in 1988 to be able pay for my university fees and to survive in the city. I was doing media degree at Istanbul University, training to be a journalist. But I decided to stay in this business and I held various positions in company’s casinos in many different cities. In 1992, I became a “Casino Asistant Manager”. I worked in Antalya, Izmir, Ankara then started working Merit Crystal Cove in North Cyprus in 2000 as we were launching it and worked there until 2005. Then I moved to Merit Cyprus Gardens when we reopened it in 2005 and I worked there for two years. I worked at Merit Park Casino, 80 Spirit of Merit
starting from the launch in 2007 until 2016. Last but not least, I worked during the preparation and opening process of Merit International and I am currently serving as COO of the group. Can you briefly tell us about Merit in North Cyprus and what it means to the island? Merit Group is the largest tourism investor and biggest privately owned company in Northern Cyprus with 6 hotels and 5 casinos. Our group, which has 36 percent of the five star bed capacity also represents the 45 percent of the game capacity when the total number of game floors, machines and tables are taken into account. The Merit Group also has a total capacity of 5000 beds, provides 3000 people a job opportunities. As a result Merit is a brand associated with Northern Cyprus for all of its contributions to the island. How did you decide to launch businesses in Europe? We wanted to carry this success story out of Northern Cyprus. We wanted to expand beyond our territory, take our experience gained from Cyprus and to share it with our player base in a new geography. The Balkan expansion is only a part of our plan on becoming a regional power. With the synergy of this strategy, we will be able to compete with our international competitors on every platform. Any particular reason choosing the Balkans?
for
The Balkans are the closest region to Turkey and the most suitable region for us to set up ourselves a new centre. Culture is familiar, also these small countries all have an important place in our history.
They are at the beginning process of the statehood in this geography and Merit quite happily wants to be a part of this long but magical journey. Our greatest strength is acting like a local investor rather than a foreign investor in the Balkans. We believe we will repeat our success in Northern Cyprus. I know it might sound very ambitious at this stage but the Balkans are promising even a brighter future than Northern Cyprus because of its structure. The Gulf of Adriatic is a great natural beauty anyway and this geography being easily accessed from Europe and Asia makes it even smoother for us. Why didn’t you prefer to run a hotel in the Balkans like in you do in Cyprus? We have adopted a different investment strategy this time, We have opted for a strategic partnerships and casino area leasing, instead of large hotel investments. If we sum up the pluses ; Our investment risk is quite low and we are able to move quickly. We will minimally be affected by political and economic fluctuations. Before we started our work here, we always exchange opinions with government officials and and our embassies. We receive a lot of support from the local government and the people of the country as we provide
an enormous amount employment opportunity. How do you manage the Balkan operation? We chose Montenegro as the base for Merit in the region. Thanks to its geographical location, economic development, open structure and strong tourism potential, almost all of our expectations are met. Turkish Airlines is flying to Montenegro directly every day. Also Turkish people has visa free travel rights here. We started our Montenegro operation with “Casino Montenegro” based at the Hilton Hotel, in the capital Podgorica. In Budva we chose to go with the oldest Hotel Avala and launched “Casino Avala” here. We got a lot of attention and a lot more visitors than we expected. In order to provide even better service in different areas, we also expanded a bit more so we added ”Casino Royal Splendid” in Budva’s only five star hotel, Splendid Hotel. The basic logic in our Balkans plan is that instead of starting with high investments, we will carry our experience to these countries with other management agreements and convert our experiences into a profit for Merit. So we kept our investments at a reasonable level and if we look at the feedback I can tell you it is already very fruitful. Spirit of Merit 81
Can you also inform us about the investments in Merit’s other home, Croatia?
these countries, we also follow the opportunities in the neighbouring countries very closely.
The casino in Croatia, Dubrovnik Libertas serves in the Rixos Hotel. Dubrovnik might be the most important location for the world cruise tourism. This small city is hosting thousands of tourists each season. At the same time one of the most popular television series, Game of Thrones is shot here. The castle in the old town is aweinspiring. We also want the best for our the visitors of Dubrovnik casino and want them to have a good time and to enjoy authentic atmosphere of the city. Following THY’s direct flights, Dubrovnik has already begun to see a significant rise in the numbers of visitors from Turkey. Our second point in Croatia is Split, also known as the summer resort of the Roman Kingdom... It is one of the most significant sea holiday regions in Europe. The city’s oldest and largest, the Le Meridien Grand Lav Hotel welcomes our European guests visiting Split and the islands in our casino Split.
Which countries are next then? Any plans?
What are the long-term expectations of Merit’s Balkan operation? If we invest in different countries as a Northern Cyprus brand, we will gain a very serious impetus to our branding and also raise awareness. Also we have to offer our guests the same quality of service in many countries and cities as we do in Cyprus. This is one of the cardinal rules of being a global brand and I can tell confidently that we have reached this goal of ours. The rate of our growth rate seems likely to surprise us all when our own player numbers are added to the base of potential new players. Our enlargement plan is not limited to 82 Spirit of Merit
In the last quarter of 2017, we will open our new venue in Svilengrad, Bulgaria. It is only 13 kms away from Turkey’s Kapikule border. This means that our performers in Thrace and even in Istanbul can reach Merit quality only by a two-hour road trip. Our casino will serve within the only 5-star hotel in Svilengrad, in an area of approximately 2,000 square meters. We also have projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Odessa Serbia and Kiev -Ukraine in the near future. Our goal in medium term is to go in to Macedonia... We plan to be in London and the Far East in the long run by extending the map of our dreams a bit further. In essence, we have no doubt that this is just the beginning. Much bigger investments will be on the way. 2017 and 2018 will be very exciting for Merit International. Your team is also, just like you, highly capable of mixing sincerity and professionalism. How did you all get to this point? Is it an outcome of working together for many years? Yes without a doubt… If we are telling the world about the great success story of Merit today, the secret is in our team work. We have a very strong background and a strong structure. I believe this is Merit’s biggest advantage. I am not a man of big words, but this quote is truly unquestionable: “The greatest value of companies is not billion-dollar assets but their employees“ Merit has highly valuable and very experienced staff. These people are the
architect of this success... There are not many people who work for the same company for 20-25 years but we have a lot of staff who spent more than 25 years working for this company. How is working in the casino industry is different from other industries? Casino jobs are not so different than the other jobs. There are good days, bad days, good and bad people. Casino industry is similar in all over the world, but Cyprus has its differences. Because our island is under restrictions, our competition conditions are very tough. And this disadvantage turned into an advantage for us because it helped us to improve ourselves. I can easily say that you can’t get the same hospitality, attention and high quality service you get in Cyprus anywhere in the world. What would you say to those who are curious about the casino environment as a manager who has spent years in this business? There is a saying that I love and use frequently: “Luck will come and go but maths do remain forever. Wise people know their limits!” This applies both to the employees of the industry and to the casino guests. Our entire system is based on mathematics. And those who will most profit in this world will be the ones who stay within their limits.
“Luck will come and go but maths do remain forever. Wise people know their limits...”
Kemal Sağındık
Merit International Casinos, COO
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TRAVEL
THE PEARL OF ADRIATIC
DUBROVNIK
Dubrovnik is one of the wonders of the Mediterranean, hidden behind the rocky and narrow roads of the Adriatic coast. The historic towers, gates, ramparts, monasteries and palaces are all waiting for you in the square of this ancient city. When we say “historic” we really mean it as it is on the “World Heritage List” and most of it is protected by UNESCO. Now are you ready to explore Dubrovnik with Merit’s guidance?
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Dubrovnik is a unique city on the Adriatic Sea coast of Croatia, full of historical medieval artefacts. At the end of the 19th century, tourism in the city kicked off with the opening of luxurious hotels such as Opatija Grand (1890) and Dubrovnik Imperial (1897). Dubrovnik, got demilitarised in 1971 not to engage in any war but it was sadly besieged by Serbian forces during the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. The bombs did great damage to the city’s historical monuments. However, with the restoration conducted by UNESCO in 2005, the original look was achieved. Dubrovnik has a population of 50 000 and attracts more and more tourists every day with the famous sandy beached Lokrum Island, botanical gardens,the medieval walls surrounding the city and the cathedral of Dubrovnik. Following your visit, you will come to understand why the legendary Irish writer George Bernard Show, called Dubrovnik “The pearl of the Adriatic”. Here is a Dubrovnik guide carefully compiled by “Spirit of Merit” just for you...
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443 YEARS WITH “OTTOMAN” Dubrovnik is also known by former name (Ragusa) in Turkish sources. The city-state Ragusa Republic was established in this city and was granted privilege during the period of Murat I in 1365. Ottomans did not conquer this city, instead asked them to pay annually taxes to them and acted as a guardian. During the battles, around Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule in 1808, the French army conquered this state city. In 1815, by the resolution of Congress of Vienna, Dubrovnik was annexed to Austria putting an end to the 443-year Ottoman sovereignty over the city. Spirit of Merit 87
PILE DOOR When you reach to city with highway, you will get off your vehicle and go to “Old Town” located within city walls. Pile door, built in 16th century, used to be closed at nights in the time of Dubrovnik Republic. Today, it is kept open.
PLOCA DOOR At the end of Stradun Street, Ploca door will welcome you. Door is divided into two parts as interior and exterior, interior part is called as “St. Luka” is approximately 2 m height... There is a statue on the door, which is believed as protector of city, “Sv. Vloha”. Behind the door, there is a perfect port welcomes you. Boat tours generally start from here.
ORLANDO COLUMN At the eastern end of Placa (Stradun) street, under the City Bell Tower, on Luza square, stands a stone column, deep carved in the form of an ancient knight. The knight carved in the column is Orlando. According legend in the 9th century Orlando and his fleet saved Dubrovnik from a 15 month long Saracen siege. To express their gratitude the grateful citizens erected this beautiful column in Orlando’s honour.
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STRADUN STREET After entering from Pile Gate, this is the street that separates old town into two parts. Many celebrations and ceremonies still take place here. This street with approximately 300 meters length has ruins of Romans – Greeks, is a meeting point for many.
SAINT SAVOIR CHURCH In gratitude for the salvation from the scary earthquake of 1520, this small votive church was constructed that same year and dedicated to Saint Saviour based on a Dubrovnik Senate’s decision.The Church of Saint Saviour is located between the Franciscan Monastery and the city walls. In summer, the artists of Dubrovnik use its meditative interior as an exhibition hall. It also serves as a chamber concert venue.
BIG ONOFRIO FOUNTAIN This is one of the most important symbols of the city. It has been named after the builder of the Dubrovnik water supply - Onofrio della Cava from Naples. This ancient water supply was completed in 1438 and supplied the town with fresh water more than 500 years! Trough the mouths of 16 stone “maskerona” water flows into the pool encircling the fountain. Back in its time, the fountain was a master piece supplying fresh water to the citizens from Ombla river, 12 km away. Spirit of Merit 89
REKTOR PALACE Built in the late 15th century for the elected rector who governed Dubrovnik, this Gothic-Renaissance palace contains the rector’s office, his private chambers, public halls, administrative offices and a dungeon. During his one-month term the rector was unable to leave the building without the permission of the senate. Today the palace has been turned into the Cultural History Museum, with artfully restored rooms, portraits, coats of arms and coins, evoking the glorious history of Dubrovnik.
ST. BLAISE CHURCH It was built for Saint Blaise in 1715, as understood from its name. What means “Saint Marco” for city of Venice, same for “Vlaho” and Dubrovnik. This structure, built on an area of an old church, is very similar to Saint Mauritius Church in Venice. Interior and marble engravings are pretty magnificent. Many wedding ceremonies within the city are organized in here. Sv. Vlaho, protector of the city is actually an Armenian Saint from Sivas... Feasts organized each year on 3rd of February for Saint Vlas, whose actual profession is doctor, religious officers go to Sivas from Dubrovnik and visits cemetery of Vlas, opposite of Gök Medresa in Sivas.
DOMINICAN and FRANCISCAN MONASTERIES Built in 14th century, Dominican monastery is located at the eastern part of The City, close to the inner Ploca gate where it merges with the City walls. Dominican monastery is one of the most important architectural parts of Dubrovnik and a major treasury of cultural and art heritage in Dubrovnik. The museum of the monastery exhibits many paintings, artifacts, jewellery and other items from the rich history of Dubrovnik. 90 Spirit of Merit
JESUIT STAIRS Just turn right turn from Gunduliceva Poljana and you are there, on the footsteps of Baroque stairs. It was designed by Pietro Passalacqua and very similar to well known Spanish Steps in Rome. If you walk up the stairs you will enter in Uz Jezuite Street where Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola and Jesuit College is situated. The infamous Season 5 “Walk of Shame” scene took place on the Jesuit Staircase that descends from Gundulić Square to St. Ignatius Church. Climb to the highest point of the City Walls—the round medieval Minčeta Tower, which stood in as the House of the Undying in Qarth. Fans can also visit the Game of Thrones souvenir shop to have their photo taken on a replica Iron Throne.
DUBROVNIK CATHEDRAL According to the legend, King Richard the Lion Heart suffered a shipwreck on his way back from Palestine in 1192. He managed to save himself on Lokrum Island where he made a vow to build a church in honour of the Virgin Mary. Wise people of Dubrovnik persuaded him to build it in the city instead. Sadly, the cathedral was destroyed in the 1667 earthquake but was renovated in the 20th century.
BELL TOWER Dubrovnik’s Clock Tower, is an elegant 31 m high timepiece, dating from 15th century is a magnificent landmark of the Old Town.It is located at the very end of Stradun, next to Sponza Palace in Luža Square. The clock tower overlooks Orlando’s Column and Sveti Vlaho Church. Two bronze figures, the bell strikers, are locally called Maro and Baro.
SPONZA PALACE In the end of Placa (Stradun) street, beside Luža, on the left side of the square centred with Orlando column, the monumental Gothic-Renaissance Sponza Palace stands. Sponza is one of the most beautiful palaces in the City. Built between 15161522 it still preserves its original form. Nowadays the Sponza Palace is the home of the most important cultural institution of Dubrovnik. Spirit of Merit 91
LOVRİJENAC CASTLE Lovrijenac Fort is a symbol of resilience for the people of Dubrovnik, an important stronghold that protected the city for hundreds of years. This historic attraction is nicknamed Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar for its dramatic location on a 37 meters height rock that juts out into the Adriatic Sea.If you are in the city during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival in July and August, reserve tickets for a play or musical performance at the fort.
MINCETA CASTLE The fortress started life as a simple structure in the 14th century to guard Pile Gate and the city centre. But ended up being one of the most prominent towers found along Dubrovnik’s defensive walls. Minceta Fortress is the highest point in the city’s defence system. This castle got amazingly popular once again thanks to the popular TV series Game of Thrones. This spot doubled as the walls of the House of the Undying, where Khaleesi walks around the exterior wall trying to find the entrance.
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CITY WALLS Old city walls are the most famous symbol of Dubrovnik. These magnificent walls, that were built in 10th century and completed by 13th14th century, were used as a solid defense line with 6 m height and 6 m width against intruders. City walls are a perfect option for a walk with approximately 2 km length. Main entrance is made from Pile Door with a fee.
LOKRUM ISLAND This fascinating place dates back to 1023 and legend holds that Richard the Lionheart sheltered here, after his ship was wrecked when he was returning from the Crusades. Lokrum Island can be reached from Old City Port in 10 minutes by car.The island is under the protection of UNESCO.
OLD PORT Dubrovnik old town port is a beautiful medieval port, located in the east of Dubrovnik. The Old Port was started to built in the 15th century and was completed in 16th century. That is also a place where cruise ships and yachts anchored at. So if you wish, you can take a boat tour and you will have the same view on medieval Town as seaman’s have during they visit of Dubrovnik in 15 and 16 century.
CAVTAT The town of Cavtat is located Located 17kilometres down the coast and less than 45 minutes by boat or bus from central Dubrovnik. Here you will have the best of both worlds. You can enjoy the relaxed rhythm of life in a colourful waterfront community, while knowing that you can sample the attractions of Dubrovnik whenever you like with connecting services run every half hour or so. The peninsula is the perfect place to come for a swim and a picnic. In addition to the natural beauty of the region. Many historical museums, monasteries, churches and galleries are all waiting for you. Spirit of Merit 93
DAILY TOURS One of the things that make Dubrovnik even more attractive is its surroundings. From here you can take day trips to Kotor and Budva in Montenegro or to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. So you will have the opportunity to see three different countries during your visit to this amazing city. Those who do not want to leave Croatia can go to Ston, to Korcula Island , known as the birthplace of Cavtat and Marco Polo. You can also rent a boat and enjoy the clean waters and tranquil atmosphere of the Elafeti Islands, consisting of 13 small islands next to Dubrovnik.
THE LAND OF SEA PRODUCT Dubrovnik is a chest of treasure for seafood lovers! You will not be able to get enough of the fresh fish, mussels and oysters which are taken daily from the Adriatic in whatever restaurant you go to. If you want some space in this city where the streets are filled with fashionable visitors, please come in! You can go and dine in “Proto” with a well-deserved reputation for delicious food and you should definitely try the lobster spaghetti. “Gil’s Little Bistro” has exceeded its reputation of his kitchen. If you want to have a panoramic view as beautiful as your meal, you should visit “Nautika”. You can turn your meal into a celebration with the decoration of the city’s historical texture, the lights of the castle walls and the sea view.
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A “GAME OF THRONES” MEMORY Dubrovnik was the main filming location in Croatia for King’s Landing, a fictional city in Game of Thrones, the famous television series based on the series of fantasy novels. For those who have seen the series and are passionate about it, a visit to Dubrovnik will become a beautiful déjà vu because of the way in which it was so well integrated into the setting of the series. First climb the stairs leading to Ignajica (Ignatius) Castle from Gundulic Square.The most iconic scene in season five “Walk of Shame”, in which Cersei Lannister forced to walk naked through the streets of King’s Landing begin at the top of the Jesuit Staircase. Located near the Dominican monastery St. Dominic Street linking Ploče Gate with the main street, Stradun. Many Game of Thrones market scenes take place here. The scene in season two where Daenerys Targaryen asks the Spice King of Qarth for ships to take her army across the Narrow sea is shot in the external parts of Reactor’s Palace. Red Keep is where King Joffrey celebrated his name day. Around the walls of Dubrovnik Tyrion Lannister and Varys took a stroll, City of Qarth. Do not forget to visit the Island of Lokrum to complete your Game Of Thrones tour.
THE DUBROVNIK FESTIVAL Dubrovnik, although a great holiday spot for summer, is also amazing in the winter. At the Dubrovnik Winter Festival, which runs from November to March, you can bring your children to the ice skating rink or to see the Christmas Fairytale play, warm yourself up with mulled wine, enjoy delicious food in the cottages lined along the main street of Stradun, or dance to live music in front of the Church of St. Blaise. Have fun in the theatre, visit galleries and museums, and learn how to make Dubrovnik’s traditional sweet delicacies. Spirit of Merit 95
TRAVEL
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SPLIT
THE MEDITERRANEAN FLOWER
Split, this old city dates back to Roman Empire and it is is still standing strong amongst the most modern cities. Due to its ideal climate with the average of 2.800 hours of sunlight each year, local people have nicknamed this city as the “Mediterranean Flower” or “The most beautiful city in the world”. Split is a very delightful city with its buildings and streets always full of surprises. Spirit of Merit 97
Split is the second largest city of Croatia, after Zagreb. The city was founded around 7th century BC and was a Greek colony at the time. It lies on the eastern coast of Adriatic Sea, in a small peninsula. This city’s fate changed forever when Roman Emperor Diocletian, also known as evil emperor who murdered the early Christians in the history, decided to build his palace on this city around 4th CE. Split, during centuries, was ruled by Byzantine Empire, Croatian Kingdom, Venetia and Austria.Nowadays it is known with the one of the major European ports it has. The port has annual traffic of 4 million passengers. The Port of Split is the third busiest port in the Mediterranean with coastal routes to Dalmatian islands such as Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Korcula, Hvar, Brac and Solta. Split is also very well connected with other Italian cities on Adriatic coast, such as Ancona and Pescara. There are direct flights to Split from major cities such as Koln and London.
Squares offering surprises Split is a unique place with full of surprises. When you step out of a very narrow gate, you may expect to walk on a narrow street but somehow you might find yourself in a large square. Or an alley you come across and suppose that it’s entry of a narrow street leads you to a bar crowd singing loudly. Its ideal climate with an average of 2.800 hours of sunlight each year inspired local people to call this magical city as the “Mediterranean flower” and “The most beautiful city in the world”. The locals claim that they see snow once every 30 years, the temperature rarely drops below 0°C and snowfall in Split usually occur only one day each year. After this brief overview, are you ready to discover most popular attractions and the authentic local tastes you should try in this lavender-scented city of Split? 98 Spirit of Merit
DIOCLETIAN’S PALACE Considered to be one of the most imposing Roman ruins, Diocletian’s palace is certainly the main attraction of the city of Split, Croatia.These ruins are some of the most valuable surviving buildings of the Roman era on the Adriatic coast.Emperor Diocletian, who voluntarily gave up the throne of the Roman Empire, in the turn of the 4th century CE built the palace and after his retirement on May 1, 305 and settled here on the beach. Palace faces the sea on the south side with walls 1.5 meters width and 22 meters high. Diocletian Pa-
lace has been on the World Heritage UNESCO list. The design of the palace is a mix of villa and castrum architecture. The Emperor’s apartments were located on the southern part of the complex - along the seaside. It’s here in Game of Thrones that we see Daenarys in her throne room, where she trained her dragons and where the ‘kill the masters’ scene in season four takes place, when dozens of slaves sit around a fire discussing whether they should fight for her. Spirit of Merit 99
KLIS FORTRESS Overlooking the city of Split, in the mountain pass between Mosor and Kozjak, lies the small village of Klis speckled with vineyards and olive groves. At the centre of this hillside village is a medieval fortress built into a rocky ridge giving visitors an incredible birds eye view of the entire Split “metropolitan” area, Adriatic Sea and surrounding islands. Klis Fortress also had a very important position during the Ottoman-Venetian wars, and was an administrative centre (sanjak) of the Bosnia. It was ruled by Ottoman Empire for 111 years (1537-1648). The mosque inside the fortress was converted into a church by Venetians following the occupation in 1648. It is also where Daenerys overthrows the Meereen, the largest of the three great Slaver Cities, in Game of Thrones.
RUINS OF SALONA The remarkable Roman ruins of Salona are just outside Solin, a sleepy suburb just 5km northeast of Split. Now part of an archaeological park, the Salona ruins are extensive, testifying to the importance of this colony under Roman rule. Salona was one of the biggest cities of Roman Empire, and the capital city of Dalmatian with the population of 60.000 people. Wellpreserved theatre, basilica, cemetery and the many other Roman buildings are remains of this ancient Roman province and worth to visit. It is only a 10-20 min bus ride from Split.
HISTORICAL CITY SQUARES You should visit two enormous historic squares. One is “Narodni Trg” is a Medieval public square surrounded by iconic historical buildings such as The Old Town Hall, Ethnographic Museum, Karepic Palace, Clock Tower, Pavlovic Palace, and Nakic Palace. This is a central stage for the finest the examples of different architectural styles developed between the Middle Ages and the 20th century. The second one is the Trg Brace Radic, surrounded by the towers built in the 15th century. Opposite the towers, there is a Milesi Palace with a Baroque facade. Just in front of it, the statue of famous poet Marko Marulic salutes you. The iconic statue is hand made by sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. 100 Spirit of Merit
CATHEDRAL OF ST. DOMNIUS Right next to the Palace, Split’s octagonal cathedral is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings standing today. It was built as a mausoleum for Diocletian, the last famous persecutor of the Christians, who was interred here in 311 AD. A much later addition, the tall Romanesque belfry, was constructed between the 12th and 16th centuries and reconstructed in 1908 after it collapsed.If you can climb the steps all the way to the top, you’ll enjoy the spectacular view of the entire Split. The two lion figures at the entrance, black granite Egyptian sphinxes and the entrance doors with magnificently carved wooden panels describing the life of Christ, dating back to 1214, are truly remarkable.
SPLIT RIVA The Riva started to look the way it does today two centuries ago, when the French, in time of Napoleon ruled these parts through Marshal Marmont. Today this promenade is the cities living room, the most popular and most important public place in Split. It is the pride of every person from Split, just same as Kordon in İzmir… It is a seaside promenade, lined with cafes and restaurant, and offers a magnificent spectacle as the sun goes down. It is also home to many concerts, carnivals, parades and religious ceremonies. You can also take a daily boat trip departing from the port here.
MARJAN HILL The forest park overviewing of Split, is thought to be around the same size as New York City’s Central Park. To enjoy some Mediterranean vegetation, go and explore Marjan hill. Overgrown with pine and cactus, the 123 meters high Marjan hill is a natural preserve on a peninsula that juts out from west Split. It is often called the “lungs of the city”. Views are especially good from Marjan Hill’s western cliffs looking over the Adriatic Sea. There is also a small church you can visit dating back to the 13th century. Spirit of Merit 101
HVAR ISLAND There are so many islands,each one even more beautiful than the other. But the most popular island is Hvar, also known as the “Santorini of Croatia”. The island is a popular destination for its glorious beaches, waterfalls and pine forests. The average temperature is around 20 °C during summer. The must-see in Hvar is the ancient city of “Stari Grad”, founded in 384 BC.
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It is listed as World Heritage by UNESCO. You can find many boutique restaurants to eat delicious meals at affordable prices. The best wines of Croatia are produced from the grapes growing in this island. Also the lavenders widely used in production of perfumes grow here.You feel the smell of lavender, while you wander around the narrow streets of city.
BRAC ISLAND If you like the windy shores as much as the sun, you should visit “Zlatni Rat Beach”, one of the most iconic symbols of Croatia. To get there, you need to take a ferry from Split to “Supetar”, and then bus from Supetar to Bol. You can walk to the amazing beach
of Zlatni Rat in only 10 minutes from the city centre. There are many water sports centres which offer wide range of activities such as windsurfing, parasailing, scuba diving, jet-ski, and water skiing in the crystalclear water of Brac.
TROGIR This small coast town, with the population of 13.000 people, is located 27 km west of Split. As one of bestpreserved Medieval cities in Europe,it is listed as World Heritage by UNESCO. Trogir is an ancient town with a 2300 years long history. The symbol of the city is the Cathedral of St. Lawrence was built back in the 13th century.
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LOCAL TASTES OILY FISHES Oily fishes such as sardines, mackerels, anchovies, tuna and bonito, are easily found in almost every restaurant along the coast. Enjoy these delicious fishes with the world-famous Dalmatian wines.
ITALIAN INFLUENCE Italian cuisine has strong influence on the country’s cuisine, especially in the coastal area of Croatia. Almost every seafood restaurant has a “black risotto” on its menu. But here, black risotto and gnocchi are served with the finest Croatian wines and beers. You should also try fine liquors with Dalmatian prosciuttos and some cheese.
SOPARNIK Soparnik is one of the most famous local tastes. It is a usually savoury pie with a filling of Swiss chard and resembles a kind of pancake. It is baked on the kitchen stove and spreading the mixture of olive oil and garlic on top is a must. 104 Spirit of Merit
FRITULE KROSTULE Another popular pastry coming from Croatia’s sea coast. Thin stripes of dough are tied in a loose knot, deep fried in oil then sprinkled with powder sugar before serving.
Fritule is a classic Split specialty. It’s almost impossible to say no this sweet taste. Fritule is a festive Croatian pastry made particularly for Christmas. They resemble little doughnuts, the Italian zeppole, Venetian frìtole, and just like the Turkish dessert “lokma” (yeast fritters in thick syrup). Croatians are usually flavour it with citrus zest and raisins.
ROZATA Rozata is a Croatian custard pudding from the Dubrovnik region, similar to flan and crème brûlée. When cooked right, it is one of everyone’s favourite Croatian sweets. Spirit of Merit 105
TRAVEL
DREAMY BEACHES OF BUDVA
When you visit Budva, you will understand where the nicknames such as “Montenegro’s Miami” and “New Ibiza in Europe” comes from and it is not an exaggeration. Being the most famous and touristic city of Montenegro, it deserves all the compliments it gets for its historical and natural beauty as well as its seashore and beaches. The beaches cover a total of 12.5 kilometres of the city and it is rather dreamy. Although there is no entrance fee to most of its beaches, a fee of 5-10 Euros can be requested for some. But be aware; these blue flag awarded beaches can become addictive.
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How to get there? Turkish Airlines is flying directly from Istanbul to Montenegro’s capital Podgorica. You can take the 80 km road from Podgorica Airport to Budva by bus or taxi for 40 Euros. Spirit of Merit 107
JAZ Located 2.5 kilometers from the west of the city centre, this beach is one of the three largest beaches of Budva with an impressive 1,200 meters coastline. You can visit this sandy Jaz Beach by boat or by bus. The venue in the past hosted concerts of lots of
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legendary stars such as The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Armand Van Helden, Dino Merlin, Goran Bregovic and Zdravko Čolić. This beach is also ideal for campers. There is a camp with a thousand tent capacity at the back of it.
HAWAII This beach is located on the Sveti Nikola Island (local name is Hawaii Island), just across Budva. There are boats taking off every half an hour from the “Old Town�. You can also come come here by boat, yacht or catamaran taking off from Slovenska, Mogren and Becici beaches. Hawaii Beach has a sandy coastline and consists of three separate beaches which reaches to a total length of 800 meters. There are many bars and cafes on the island. Freshly caught fish are served
in the restaurants. Every detail, including sports garden, locker rooms, shower, toilets, lifeguards and medical station is thought and planned carefully. Here you can enjoy many other sports activities such as paragliding and water slides. Those seeking privacy may find small bays in the rocky coastline. And if you are lucky, you may even see rabbits, pheasants and deer in the forest which is located in the island.
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BECICI Becici Beach is 3.5 kilometers away from “Old Town”. It is Budva’s largest beach with about two kilometers of coastline... This sandy beach, got the award of “The Most Beautiful Beach of the Mediterranean” in 1935 and it is still one of Montenegro’s most popular places. Pebbles and sea glasses with the most perfect shapes that you can see are unique to Becici beach. The stones have been shaped by the sea for centuries 110 Spirit of Merit
and settled on the land by the tides. They come in various shapes and colours such as white, grey, brown, green and even brick red and they attract a huge amount of collectors. Merit Casino Royal Splendid is in The Splendid Hotel where James Bond’s Casino Royal was filmed in 2006. This beach which offers an unlimited amount of fun also has a beautiful Orthodox Church in it.
MOGREN You can reach Mogren Beach right after you cross the “Old Town” sign after the city centre. It is such a joy to walk on this footpath where the mountains meet the sea on the horizon. Mogren Beach, consists of two separate beaches connected by a tunnel. It is 350 meters long in total. The beach took its name from the Spanish marine Magrini. Legend tells
Marine Magrini had an accident around the area and after he was rescued he built this beach and also a church dedicated to St. Antonio. Mogren Beach proudly carries the title of “Most attractive beach in Montenegro”for its location, sandy beaches and sunshine. Since June 2004, Mogren Beach has been praised for its security as well as its cleanliness.
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LUCICE You should visit this pine trees surrounded beach immediately which is situated 500 meters south of Petrovac. 220 meters long Lucice beach can be reached by car, taxi and boat and also by walk. There
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are few cafes and restaurants on the beach as well as a water slide and an ideal playground for children. The beach is suitable for a family holiday in Budva, and it is not noisy at all.
MILOCER Milocer Beach is 500 meters from Sveti Stefan and it is also known as “King’s Beach”. It is 280 meters long. In the past, the beach was used as summer residence by the members of royal family and is shown among the most beautiful beaches of Budva. Next to it, there
is also a “Queen’s Beach”. It was named after King Alexander Karadjordjevic’s wife, Queen Marija’s as it was her favourite beach. But today it is actually a part of Aman Resort and is only available for hotel guests.
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SVETI STEFAN Sveti Stefan Island, one of the most glorious places on the Adriatic coast. It is set up on an area of 14,600 square meters and it has a 1,170-meter-long sandy beach. The island is a landmark of the region and it was established as a fisherman’s village in the 15th century. In 2009, the island was rented for 30 years and restored by the luxury hotel chain Aman Resorts. The hotel also has a mind blowing view from
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its tops floors and it has regular visits from Brad Pitt, Kirk Douglas and Claduia Schiffer So the island now only accommodates hotel guests at prices ranging from 1,000 - 2,000 euros per night. But the beaches on the shore are free to enter ... You can enjoy the sea and the sun on this famous beach, where stars like Marilyn Monroe, Sophie Loren and Elizabeth Taylor holidayed back in the 60s.
RICARDOVA GLAVA This beach is located in the shade of the walls of the “Old Town”. It is named after the famous British actor Richard Vidmark’s movie “The Long Ships” which
was filmed here back in 1963. This 100-meters long shoreline of the old town is a very popular place to swim and sunbathe...
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LUXURY
READY WAITING FOR YOU Merit International Casinos’ luxury yacht “Ultimate Adventure by Merit” is ready and decked at Budva Port to welcome the guests of our Montenegro Casinos. If you wish to see the historic landmarks at the coast line and swim in the blue flagged beaches, you can turn your holiday into an unforgettable fantastic festival in our specially decorated luxury yacht...
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MANGUSTA 80
Technical Specifications Lenght overall 82’3” / 25.07 M Beam 19’8” / 5.9 M Max draft 5’58” / 1.7 M Displacement et half load 127,868 LBS / 58 T Fuel capacity 1,453 US GALS / 5,500 L Water Capacity 237 US GALS / 900 L Engines 2 x MTU 16V2000 M93 2400 HP EACH Transmission ARNESON DRIVE ASD 15 A1L Max speed half load 45 KNOTS Range at economical cruising speed 250 NM
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GOURMET
TASTE FEAST Located in Budva’s populer beach Becici, Splendid Hotel’s Executive Chef Aleksandar Stankovic got into the kitchen especially for Spirit of Merit. He creates an amazing table with the most fantastic, deep flavoured dishes in a short cooking time. Enjoy your meal…
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Carrot Soup
Amouse Bouche
INGREDIENTS
Soup: Carrots (80 g), Onion (30 g), garlic (2 g), pumpkin (40 g), sunflower oil (30 ml), celery root (20 g), honey (10 ml), kosher salt (3 g), white pepper (1 g) Quail egg: Quail egg (1 peace), Caviar (3 g) Shrimp chips: Raw shrimps (40 g), tapioca starch (40 g), sea salt (1 g), Black pepper (1 g), canola oil Black toast with shrimps: All - propose flour (60 g), dry yeast (2 g), cuttlefish ink (3 ml), extra–virgin olive oil (5 ml) Warm water: Egg (15 g), raw shrimps (40 g), lime (10 g), gognac (5 ml), sea salt (2 g), cayenne pepper (1 g), butter (10 g), parsley (1 g), dijon mustard (2 g), mace (1 g) Mascarpone (20 g), aged 24 mounts parmesan (15 g), cherry tomato (10 g), fresh herbs 1 g)
DIRECTIONS Season previously prepared carrots with oil and bake it. Place the chopped vegetables, in a pan, season it. Add roasted carrots with the vegetable stock and cook. Then blend it all in food processor, season it as you like. Blend the prepared shrimps in a food processor and season it, then add tapioca starch. Steam the prepared toll until cooked, let it cool down. Slice it thinly, place them onto a baking sheet and let it air dry. Fry them in deep oil until puffy then drain it. In bowl, mix flour and yeast, add wet ingredients into the mixture. Once they are all mixed, knead dough and cover it with an elastic cover until doubled in size. Shape it, put it on tray, brush with mixed egg and water and finally place it in the oven.Let it cool. Poach prepared shrimps in aromatised stock. Once all poached blend it in food processor with remaining ingredients. Season it. Add parmesan cheese bake on baking tray and leave it until the cheese is melted, let it cool down slowly, shape it. Serve it hot and enjoy.
INGREDIENTS Smoked crap: Smoked crap from “Skadar” Lake (40 g), coconut milk (4 ml), olive powder (5 g), sea salt (3 g), extra – virgin olive oil (15 ml) Quail egg: Quail egg (1 peace), Caviar (3 g) Cocktail: Blue curacao (0.010), lemon (15 g), champagne (10 ml), fresh wild mint (1 g), crushed ice (10 g)
DIRECTIONS Peel the skin of smoked crap shape it, place it in the pan and fry it until crispy. Then season it. Cook the fish meat in coconut milk and wait it to cool down. Season it with prepared olive powder and sea salt. Cook the quail egg in “souse vide”, wait for it cool down again. Then peel the skin in half, decorate with caviar. Prepare the cocktail and decorate it as you like it. Serve cold and enjoy. Spirit of Merit 123
Salmon Fillet
INGREDIENTS Poached salmon: Salmon fillet (140 g), celery (30 g), red onion (30 g), fennel seeds (1 g), white wine (40 ml), fish stock (400 ml), lime (20 g), peppercorn (1 g), salt (3 g), aromatized fish butter (10 g) Cucumber: Cucumber (40 g), sea salt (1 g), pepper corn (1 g), coriander seeds (1 g), mustard seeds (1 g), dried chili flakes (1 g), sugar (1 g), white wine (30 ml), vodka (10 ml), dill (1 g), lemon jus (3 ml) Pumpkin puree: Pumpkin (30 g), coconut milk (60), clarified butter (30 g), salt (1 g) Balsamic reduction: Balsamic vinegar (40 ml), brown sugar (5 g), star anise (2 g), honey (5 g), pepper corn (1 g) Garlic air: Roasted garlic in olive oil (2 g), fish stock (40 ml), salt (1 g), soy lecithin (1 g) Baked onion: Red onion (50 g), vegetables oil (100 ml), bay leaf (1 g), salt (1 g), peach (30 g), maple syrup (2 ml), lemon jus (2 ml) 124 Spirit of Merit
DIRECTIONS Prepare the salmon fillet and the poaching pot, coat the bottom of pot with melted butter. Put the fish stock with remaining ingredients, bring it to the boil, turn down the heat and gently simmer. Poach the salmon fillet for 8 minutes. Remove it with the slotted spoon onto a plate and carefully remove the skin. Keep the poaching liquid for reheating the salmon later. Slice the cucumber, sprinkle with sea salt and leave for 10 minutes then rinse with cold water. Fry all seeds in a pan until they begin to smell aromatic. Put the seeds add cucumber together, add water, white wine, lemon juice and vodka. Keep it in the fridge until use. Cook the pumpkin. Boil the coconut milk and butter, add the pumpkin into the mix and season it. Mix all ingredients in balsamic vinegar. Cook it until 2/3 of it reduces. In a pot heat the fish stock to 68 C, add garlic, salt and soy lecithin. Mix it in blender. Bake the prepared onion. Cut the middle of it, mix it with aromatised peach, sautĂŠ and finally mash. Season it. Serve hot and enjoy.
Picnic on The Foam of Sea INGREDIENTS Octopus carpaccio: Wild octopus (tentacles only) (200 g), red shallot (60 g), lime (40 g), garlic cloves (3 g), cardamom (1 g), cinnamon sticks (2 g), star anise (1 g), sichuan pepper (1 g), fennel seeds (1 g), dried chili (1 g), soy sauce (30 g), fresh ginger (2 g), xing wine (Chinese cooking wine) (100 ml), sea salt (4 g) Marinated asparagus: Asparagus (trimmed) (140 g), orange (40 g), champagne vinegar (5 ml), honey (10 g), extra–virgin olive oil (20 ml), red pepper (1 g) Cocktail: Blue curacao (10 g), lemon (15 g), champagne (0.010 lt), fresh wild mint (1 g), crushed ice (10 g) Mixed fresh garden salads: Rockets (10 g), green salad (10 g), radicchio salad (10 g), lolo bianco (10 g), baby carrot (peeled) (10 g), micro beetroot salad (5 g), extra–virgin olive oil (20 ml), lemon (10 g), Himalayan salt (2 g), white pepper (1 g), fresh red chili (1 g) Mille feuille sushi: Sushi rice (100 g), rice vinegar (10 ml), sweet mirin (10 ml), sesame oil (2 ml), smoked salmon (60 g), avocado (60 g), caviar “beluga” (15 g), fresh mint (1 g) Breadsticks: Whole wheat flour (100 g), dry yeast (3 g), All – purpose flour (30 g), milk (50 ml), honey (10 g), extra–virgin olive oil (15 ml), sea salt flavored with aromatic herbs (30 g) Fennel dressing: Fresh fennel (40 g), sesame oil (10 ml), sea salt (2 g), black pepper (1 g), fennel pollen (1 g), lemon (15 g)
DIRECTIONS Boil the prepared octopus first. Refresh it in an ice, Dry and roll each piece in cling film. Place them side by side in a “sous-vide” . Then bag with all mixed spices and liquids and vacuum them with a moderate pressure. Leave them in water at 47 C for one and half hours. Freeze over night before use. Cool and dry the previously prepared asparagus. From rest off ingredients make a vinegar, coat the asparagus with it. Leave it to rest. Prepare a freshly mixed salad of the season vegetables of your own choice, Keep fresh in fridge. Add rice vinegar to cooked sushi rice and sweeten it with mirin and sesame oil. Let it cool down. Make a “cake” with layers of rice, smoked salmon, cut avocado and caviar.
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Black Tempura INGREDIENTS Dumpling: All-purpose flour (100 g), water, smoked salt (3 g), chinese cabbage (40 g), spring onion (20 g), fresh ginger (3 g), MSG (monosodium–glutamate) (1 g), langoustine (30 g), light soy sauce (1 ml), white wine (10 ml), extra-virgin olive oil (20 ml), salt (2 g), black pepper (1 g) Risotto: Red onion (30 g), beetroot (20 g), apple (20 g), mango (15 g), rice (risotto) (30 g), vegetable stock (80 ml), champagne wine (15 ml), sea salt (3 g), black pepper (1 g), fresh basil (1 kg), butter (15 g), vegetable oil (15 ml) Nettle cream: Onion (20 g), garlic cloves (2 g), fresh nettle (40 g), vegetable stock, butter (10 g), potato (20 g), cream (5 ml), salt (2 g), mixed pepper (1 g) Black tempura langoustine: Flour (30 g), baking powder (1 g), corn starch (15 g), egg yolk (20 g), iced mineral water (20 ml), cuttlefish ink (5 ml), rice wine (10 ml), salt (1 g), sugar (1 g), langoustine (30 g), panko breadcrumbs (20 g) Seaweed salad: Dry seaweed (10 g), rice vinegar (5 ml), sesame oil (1 ml), sesame seeds (2 g), soy sauce (1 ml), ginger juice (2 ml), salt (1 g), sugar (1 g)
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DIRECTIONS To prepare the dough, put the flour in the bowl and make a hole in the centre. Stir the flour with bamboo rice paddle while you add water in steadily and slowly. The dough must be elastic and soft. Once it is ready set it on a side. Leave it to rest. Meanwhile prepare the wrappers. Mix the vegetables and langoustine to make a ragout. Put everything in the wrapper, season it. Now you are ready to make the dumpling. Once it is done refrigerate it and cook in steam. Toss oiled beetroot into a baking tray and bake it. Stir fry the prepared onion, add rice, deglaze with champagne white wine. Start adding the rest of the ingredients into the a stock. Cook the rice “al dente”, add butter, and season it. Sauté the onion with garlic in a pan. Add prepared nettle. Season it. Boil and pour the stock into potato mix. Blend it as you add a cream and butter. Bring it to boil again, serve it hot. Make the tempura mix, coat it with langoustine and deep fry. Soak it in seaweed water. Season it.Serve it hot.
Caramel Cake
INGREDIENTS Chocolate mousse: Egg yolk (40 g), Pastry cream (20 ml), powder sugar (15 g), butter (5 g), white chocolate (15 g), milk (30 ml), tofu caramel (10 g)
Alexander Stankovic
Crust dough: Cocoa (10 g), flour (15 g), egg (20 g), margarine (10 g), sugar (15 g) Sugar meringue: Egg white (30 g), sugar (25 g), white wine (0.030 lt), chocolate (15 g), hazelnut (10 g) Strawberry sauce: Strawberry (40 g), white wine (20 ml), sugar (15 ml), butter (10 g) Strawberry sorbet: Strawberry (40 g), lemon jus (10 ml), sugar (15 g), kosher salt (1 g)
DIRECTIONS Prepare the chocolate mousse in two parts. In one part add tofu caramel and put it in the fridge. Make the dough crust and bake it. Make a shape from dough, fill it with the prepared mousse, add the finishing touches with tofu caramel. Prepare the sugar meringue, fill it on dough and and poor it over the melted chocolate. Caramelize the sugar In medium sized sauce pan, add butter, fresh strawberry and stir it white wine until it disappears. Blend the prepared ingredients in food processor. Make it into a puree and put it into the fridge. Chill it until very cold. Churn the sorbet mix in ice cream maker. Transfer sorbet to freezer until serving. Serve cold and enjoy.
WHO IS ALEXANDER STANKOVİC? Executive Chef Aleksandar Stankovic is the main pillar of the Splendid Hotel’s successful culinary foundation. Chef Stankovic’s roots and training are in his native Serbia. After working in Europe’s five star hotels in various countries such as Poland, Greece, Slovakia, Belgrade, he found his home in Budva. It would be a great feat to list all of Chef Stankovic’s prestigious accomplishments, awards, and innovations as he is a highly decorated man. Needless to say, his many accolades are a testament to his great skill and dedication to service. Chef Stankovic is a true delight and opens his heart to every guest and diner. He is one of Splendid Hotel’s brightest gems. Spirit of Merit 127
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in Balkans
Merit International Casinos offers five different venues in four cities in Montenegro and Croatia. In the Spirit of Merit, Turkish hospitality meets quality, unique and exclusive service. With special events arranged for its valuable guests Merit always and clearly makes a difference. Also towards the end of the year there will be a new dazzling addition to Merit Family in Bulgaria...
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Casino Montenegro Merit Casino Montenegro serves in five-star Hilton in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica. By restructuring Crna Gora, the oldest hotel in town, Hilton has transformed the building into a very romantic, dazzling and comfortable hotel with 195 rooms, suites and executive options with a rich interior design. Only 10 minutes from the airport with its unique location, Merit Casino Montenegro offers its guests a wide range of slot and live games. 24-hour open space features 54 slot machines and 12 live gaming tables. Right next to the hotel you can find Skadar Lake National Park, hosting many events and festivals. Trophy Skadar Lake (July 13th), Wine and Infiltration Festival (second half of December), Nature and Culture Festival (September) and Other Side Festival (August) are just a few of them.
TEL: 0382 20 448 000 www.meritcasinos.com
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Casino Avala Merit Casino Avala opened its doors in the first quarter of 2016 near the “old town”, famous for its cafes, bars and restaurants in Montenegro’s most popular seaside town, Budva. The location is the biggest venue in Montenegro, with a total space of 2,200 square meters in the heart of night life in Budva. Merit International in Montenegro also has an impressive kitchen with Turkish chefs and 50 people crew preaparing mouthwatering dishes for its customers in its unique location and spacious space. The diners accompanied by live performances by local musicians make casino guests enjoy themselves. Merit Casino Avala has 6 roulette tables, 14 card games with a total of 20 live game tables. There are also 6 Texas Hold Them tables where cash games are played. With a total of 100 slot machines in the latest technology and model, the casino works with the state-of-theart “cashless system” for the comfort and safety of its guests. Merit Casino Avala’s live game section is open 24/7 and the live games section is open Monday to Thursday (18:00 - 06:00).
TEL: 0382 33 421 000 www.meritcasinos.com
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Casino Royal Splendid
James Bond (Casino Royal)
Merit Casino Royal Splendid serves at the Splendid Conference & Spa Resort in Budva, the first 5-star hotel on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea. Splendid Hotel has its own private beach as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa and wellness center, Promenade Restaurant (Japanese cuisine) and spacious wellness suites with breath-taking sea views. There are three different beaches, many café bars and a fish restaurant on the 3-kilometers walkway just in front of the hotel. The hotel’s name comes from the movie “Casino Royale” of the James Bond series, which was filmed in 2006 in this casino. Royal Splendid welcomes its guests with a unique panoramic sea view on the hotel’s tenth floor. Every Saturday there is live music and the casino offers 80 live slot machines and 15 live gaming tables at the weekends. Casino’s working hours are differs in the summer season and other months. In the summer months, live games are on every day between 12:00 - 08:00 and slot machines are at your service 24 hours a day. But during the following months, weekday slot machines open starting at 12:00, live games start at 16:00 and the casino closes at 06:00 am. At the weekends, live games are on from 12:00 to 08:00 and slot machines are open 24 hours a day.
TEL: 0382 33 421 020 www.meritcasinos.com
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Casino Libertas Merit Casino Libertas, “The Pearl of the Adriatic” serves in Hotel Rixos Libertas, one of Dubrovnik’s distinguished five-star hotels. The casino is 18 kilometers from the airport and 15 minutes walk from the city center which is in Unesco’s “World Heritage List”. The venue is the only casino in the city, with 88 slot machines and 14 live table games. In Merit Casino Libertas’ large and spacious atmosphere, you only have to be playing on machines to win prizes in the Merit Millions Jackpot, where all slot machines are linked. In addition to A La Carte Menu carefully prepared from world cuisine, open buffet blended with Turkish and Balkan cuisine is also served between 19:30 23:00 hours. The “Casino Bar” offers its distinguished guests an exclusive choice of cognac, malt whiskey, wine and cigar.
TEL: 0385 20 220 800 www.meritcasinos.com
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Casino Grand Lav Merit Casino Grand Lav is a newly opened firstclass venue at the five-star Le Méridien Grand Lav Hotel on Split’s seafront. The Merit Casino Grand Lav offers many different options, such as live game tables and slot machines, as well as a VIP section, restaurant and bar, in smoking and non-smoking areas. Merit’s professional staff offers not only a gaming experience but also an excellent gastronomic experience in a pleasant atmosphere. With 95 slot machines, Merit Casino Grand Lav is often hosts events, stage shows and surprise parties.
TEL: 0385 21 554 888 www.meritcasinos.com
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in North Cyprus
Merit Hotels operates four grandiose hotels in the most stunning locations of Kyrenia, the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, which stretches into the clear waters of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, The other two stylish hotels in the group are located in the capital Nicosia and Gazi Magosa. In addition Merit Casinos offer its guests five different venues on the island ranging from imperial legendary Merit Royal Casino to resort - casinos Merit Crystal Cove & Merit Park supplemented by a city casino Merit LefkoĹ&#x;a and pearl of Famagusta Merit Cyprus Gardens Casino. Spirit of Merit 141
Royal Hotel & SPA Situated by one of the most beautiful coves in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Zephyrus Cove, stretching toward the clear waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, Merit Royal Hotel Casino & Spa is 10 kilometers from Girne’s city center and 45 kilometers from Ercan Airport, at the confluence of green and blue right on the sea. All the rooms present in the main bloc of 5 Stars Merit Royal Hotel Casino & SPA constituted of two blocs of 125 rooms (71 standard, 36 suites, 16 King suites and 2 Royal suites) are with two balconies and sea and swimming pool view. All the rooms are equipped with smart room system and designed in order to offer to their guests the experience of luxury and comfort simultaneously. Standard rooms for disabled people are available. Standard room: (36 m2) Twin or king size bed, seating, couch and study desk. Suites: (72 m2) parlor and bedroom, king size bed, study desk, bath and rain shower. Kral suites: (150 m2) Parlor and 2 bedrooms, king size bed, 1 bathroom with rain shower, 1 bathroom with jacuzzi, dressing room, mini kitchen ve sauna (only in 5th floor). Royal suites: (280 m2) Parlor and 2 bedrooms, king size bed, 2 bathrooms with jacuzzi, dressing room, mini kitchen, private terrace, sauna, private jacuzzi, Turkish bath, fitness center (valid for a room) ve private bar.
TEL: +90 392 650 40 00 www.merithotels.com
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Royal Premium Hotel Situated by one of the most beautiful coves in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Zephyrus Cove, stretching toward the clear waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, Merit Royal Hotel Casino & Spa is 10 kilometers from Girne’s city center and 45 kilometers from Ercan Airport, at the confluence of green and blue right on the sea. All the rooms of our hotel of 118 rooms (90 standard, 14 junior suites, 6 suites, 8 king suites) are fitted with smart room system and designed in order to offer their guests the experience of luxury and comfort simultaneously. Standard room: (45 m2) Twin or king size bed, bath and rain shower, couch and study desk. Suites: (65 m2) Twin or king size bed, bath and rain shower, couch and study desk. Suites (2+1): (95 m2) Parlor, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, twin or king size bed, bath and rain shower, jacuzzi, couch and study desk. King suites: (180 m2) 1 parlor, 2 bedrooms, twin or king size bed, 2 bathrooms, couch and study desk jacuzzi, sauna (only in 4 rooms.)
TEL: +90 392 650 40 00 www.merithotels.com
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Royal Casino You are met by the biggest roulette wheel of the world at the entrance of the Merit Royal Casino. Royal Casino is above world’s standards and is founded on an area of 5500 square meters and where quality and magnificence is felt all around. The pond that contains an array of bright colors and that is placed right under the 20 meter-roulette invites you to its colorful world. Merit Royal Casino is at service of you respectful customers with lots of V.I.P halls expect for main casinos. You can find the best quality of the service at Merit Royal Casino which is designed in various colors and in a magnificent architecture. Within the Meri Royal Casino where you can find Maximum Bet and the most various games in Cyprus; Merit Royal Casino includes; 63 Live Game Tables. You can enjoy with 250 Slot Machines with the latest technology and the most popular games in it. Within Merit Casinos, 1.500 slot machines that are connected with each other make 5 types of Jackpots that are in the system won. It is enough to win that you should have Players Club Card and you should insert your Players Club Card to machine which you are playing.
TEL: +90 392 650 40 00 www.meritcasinos.com
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Crystal Cove Hotel & SPA Situated in one of the most beautiful coves in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Zephyros Cove, stretching toward the clear waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino is 10 kilometers from Girne’s city center and 45 kilometers from Ercan Airport, at the confluence of green and blue right on the sea. All the rooms of our hotel of 277 rooms (223 standard, 51 suites, 3 King suites) are designed to offer their guests the experience of luxury and comfort at the same time. Standard room: (28 m2) Twin or king size bed, couch and study desk. Suites: (56 m2) Parlor and bedroom, twin or king size bed, seating, study desk. King suites: (90 m2) Parlor, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with jacuzzi, bath and sauna, massage room, private terrace, mini kitchen.
TEL: +90 392 650 25 00 www.merithotels.com
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Crystal Cove Casino Merit Crystal Cove Casino continues to be the host of Texas Hold’em Poker tournaments-also known as “Game of The Thinker Statue”. Poker is a game based on mathematics, psychology and strategy and The World Poker Tour is brought to the island by Merit Hotels four years ago.This was a big step forward in the name of introducing TRNC. In the land, while offering attractive prizes to fans of the game, World Poker Tour (WPT) also provides a chance to have Five Star holiday. It makes a huge contribution to“Yavru Vatan” to be introduced in the international arena. Merit Crystal Cove Casino includes 34 Tables, 220 Slot Machines, Stud Poker, Trio Poker, Double Pay Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker, Punto Banco, American Roulette, Black Jack and Craps.
TEL: 0385 21 554 888 www.meritcasinos.com
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Park Hotel The Merit Park Hotel & Casino Cyprus, is inspired by the design of Girne Castle and built on an area of 50,000 square meters. The five-star Merit Park Hotel is located in the heart of the Mediterranean’s endless blue sea and sandy beaches, just 6 kilometers from Girne’s city center and 42 kilometers from Ercan Airport. All the 285 rooms of our hotel (254 standard, 26 connection rooms, 2 disabled rooms, 27 suites, 2 delux suites, 2 King suites) are fitted with smart room system and designed to offer their guests the experience of luxury and comfort at the same time. Non-smoking standard rooms and special standard rooms for disabled people are available. Standard room: 23 m2, twin or king size bed, couch, study desk. Suites: 56 m2, parlor, bedroom, king size bed, seating, couch and study desk, bath. Deluxe Suites: 81 m2, living room, 2 bedrooms, king size bed, bathroom with jacuzzi. King suites: 169 m2, parlor, 2 bedrooms, king size bed, 3 bathrooms, with a jacuzzi, sauna, dressing room, dinning table, bar, kitchen, basin and toilet in the entrance, study desk.
TEL: +90 392 650 25 00 www.merithotels.com
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Park Casino The service of Merit Park Casino which provides quality and grace aims to make you have an unforgettable holiday by providing best quality of service combined with best quality of entertainment. In the Merit Park Casinos which is founded on 2.248 square meters, every single detail has been thought in order to provide best quality of service to our guest. Slot section of the large area that revives the lively atmosphere and a feeling of spaciousness to the fullest, consisting of the most popular games, 296 slot machines of the latest technology are available. Comfortable Live game section services with 35 live game tables with cheerful and experienced staffs. You can play Super Poker, Trio Poker, Major Poker, Hold’em Poker, American Roulette and Black Jack in live game tables. Within Merit Casinos, 1.500 slot machines that are connected with each other make 5 types of Jackpots that are in the system won. It is enough to win that you should have Players Club Card and you should insert your Players Club Card to machine which you are playing.
TEL: +90 392 650 25 00 www.meritcasinos.com
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Lefkoşa Hotel Merit Lefkoşa Hotel & Casino holds the distinction of being the first fivestar hotel in Northern Cyprus’s capital, Lefkoşa. It opened its doors on October 29, 2008 -notable as the anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republicand started welcoming its first guests in its service of the tourism of Northern Cyprus. Located in the heart of Lefkoşa as an artful example of Ottoman and Byzantine architecture, Merit Lefkoşa Hotel offers a scenic views of Lefkoşa from the south and north sides on its 14th floor. All the 116 rooms of our hotel (88 standard, 12 connection rooms, 2 disabled rooms, 8 standard suites, 5 delux suites, 1 king suite) are designed to offer their guests the experience of luxury and comfort simultaneously. Nonsmoking standard rooms and special standard rooms for disabled people are also available. Standard room: (28 m2) Twin or king size bed, couch and study desk. Standard suites: (40 m2) Twin or king size bed, seating, study desk, 2 LCD TV. Deluxe suites: (84 m2) Parlor and bedroom, twin or king size bed, parlor, 2 bathrooms, 2 mini bars, study desk. King suites: (120 m2) Parlor, 3 bedrooms, twin or king size bed, kitchen, 3 bathrooms, jacuzzi, 3 mini bars, 3 LCD TV’s, study desk.
TEL: +90 392 600 55 00 www.merithotels.com
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Lefkoşa Casino Merit Lefkoşa Casino which brought a new perspective to Nicosia with its high standards in 2008. Today it still provides you the joy of being a winner in every step with its entertaining atmosphere with 3,200 square meters of large areas and its staff who turns expectation into satisfaction. Here you will enjoy playing games with 547 machines-long of parkour with the best and most preferred brands of machines.We provide you the chance of winning Mega Jackpot on any of the 1500 machines and draws with surprise prizes, wheel of fortunes and prizes that grows constantly. You can enjoy being in hippodrome by Royal Grand Prix which is a first in the island. Royal Grand Prix provides moments filled with excitement on giant monitor designed with the latest technology. Merit Lefkosa Casino includes 28 Tables, Stud Poker, Trio Poker, Super Poker, Major Poker, Double Pay Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker, Punto Banco, American Roulette and Black Jack.
TEL: +90 392 600 55 00 www.meritcasinos.com
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Cyprus Gardens Holiday Village Hotel Merit Cyprus Gardens Holiday Village & Casino is on 400-acre property located 15 minutes from Famagusta and 40 minutes from Ercan Airport. We have 5 villas, 13 junior suites, and 81 rooms, with a capacity of 250 beds. Every room has a satellite TV, balcony, telephone, shower, and air conditioning. Our hotel has a 1.5-kilometer-long sandy beach, a pier, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a botanical garden with 400 different plants. Our hotel has 94 rooms (81 standard, 12 junior suites) and 5 villas, all designed to offer to their guests boutique holiday to enjoy the experience of luxury and comfort at the same time. Standart room: (36 m2) Twin or bed, couch and study desk. Junior suites: (36 m2) Living room, bedroom, twin size bed, seating ve study desk. Villas: (150 m2) living room, 2 bedrooms, king size bed, 1 bathroom with rain, 1 bathroom with jacuzzi, dressing room ve mini kitchen.
TEL: 0392 371 24 00 www.merithotels.com
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Cyprus Gardens Holiday Village Casino Like all the other Merit Casinos in Cyprus, Merit Cyprus Gardens Casino provides a service and place of entertainment with its internationally experienced and experienced staff. You will enjoy playing games in an area where there are 129 slot machines-long of parkour with the best and most preferred brand of machine, we provide you the chance of winning the Mega Jackpot on any 1500 machines, and also draws with surprise prizes, wheel of fortunes and evergrowing prizes. Merit Cyprus Gardens Casino includes 8 Tables, Stud Poker, Trio Poker, Super Poker, Major Poker, Rusky Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker, American Roulette, Black Jack.
TEL: +90 392 371 24 00 www.meritcasinos.com
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